Bring your curiosity.
Build what’s next.
Help build robots that reason, learn, and earn our trust.
I’m looking for curious, motivated students who want to connect rigorous algorithms with real robotic systems. If that sounds like you, I’d love to learn about your interests.
Different backgrounds.
Shared curiosity.
You might come from mechanical or aerospace engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, or a related field. I value problem-solving, clear communication, intellectual honesty, and a willingness to learn.
Experience in one or more of these areas can be helpful. You do not need to know them all.
- Robot planning & control
- Reinforcement & imitation learning
- LLMs / VLMs for robotics
- Formal methods & temporal logic
- Verification & safety
- Optimization & graph search
- Task and motion planning
- Multi-robot systems
- Computer vision & embodied AI
- Simulation
- Python / C++ / MATLAB
Tell me what
excites you.
Prospective students and visitors can use the same lab interest form.
Find the connection.
Look through the lab’s research and recent papers. Tell me which questions interest you and how your background connects to them.
Introduce yourself.
Use the lab interest form to share your background and intended start term. A short, specific introduction is helpful.
Apply to your graduate program.
For M.S. and Ph.D. admission, complete the official NC State MAE application process. You may name Xusheng Luo and the IRTA Lab as your advisor and lab of interest. The lab interest form does not replace the university application.
Can’t access the form? Send an email.
Email xluo28@ncsu.edu if you cannot access the form or upload files. Use this subject line:
Prospective Student (B.S./M.S./Ph.D.) — [Your Name]
Please include:
- Your CV or résumé
- Your transcript, if available
- Your research interests and why the IRTA Lab is a good fit
- One or two projects, papers, or code samples, if available
- Your intended start term: Spring 2027 or Fall 2027
I review inquiries closely related to the lab’s work, but may not be able to reply to every message.
Graduate application deadlines
MAE publishes the following annual deadlines for on-campus graduate applications. For Fall 2027, the Ph.D. priority date is December 15, 2026.
| Applicant | Fall start | Spring start |
|---|---|---|
| Ph.D. priority deadline | December 15 Previous year | Not listed |
| International master’s Including applicants in the U.S. | March 1 | July 15 Previous year |
| U.S. citizen / permanent resident master’s | June 1 | November 1 Previous year |
For Ph.D. applicants, the priority deadline applies to full admission consideration and university or departmental funding consideration. Spring Ph.D. admission is not listed in MAE’s regular schedule.
The international master’s deadline for Spring 2027 was July 15, 2026. Confirm current requirements and available terms with MAE Graduate Admissions and the Graduate School. Source checked October 4, 2026.
Serious research.
Shared progress.
I’m building a collaborative, rigorous, and supportive research environment. Students are encouraged to develop independent ideas, publish thoughtful work, build real systems, and collaborate across disciplines.
My mentoring focuses on technical depth alongside research communication, writing, presentations, collaboration, and long-term career planning—whether your next step is academia, industry, or a national lab.
For students exploring research, curiosity and initiative are a good starting point. Graduate applicants should also review the research or project experience requirements for their chosen degree.
Your next research question could start here.