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The U.S. Naval Academy
Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering

Prof. Joel M. Esposito

esposito

Professor
Office: Hopper Hall 253
Email: esposito@usna.edu
Faculty Webpage
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Research Interests

Machine Learning, Mobile Robotics, Multi-Agent Systems

Education & Training

  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, December 2002.
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, May 1999.
  • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, May 1997.

Professional Experience

  • Professor, Department of Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 2013 – Present 
  • Visiting Researcher, Columbia University Data Science Institute, 2015 - 2016
  • Associate Professor, Department of Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 2007 – 2013
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 2002 – 2007
  • Research Assistant, General Robotics and Artificial Sensory Perception (GRASP) Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1998 - 2002
  • Sandia National Laboratories, Robotics Institute, Summer 1999
  • Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space, Summer 1997

Honors and Awards

  • Awarded $1.2+ Million in external funding
  • USNA Class of 1951 Faculty Research Excellence Award, 2015
  • 3rd place Autonomous Navigation Challenge (faculty adviser), AUVSI Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition, 2014
  • USNA Rauoff Award for Excellence in Engineering Education, 2010
  • Best Paper Award Finalist, IEEE Intl. Conf. on Robotics and Automation, 2000
  • John Golf Prize, May 2001: Awarded to the graduate student showing the most promise for future scholarship in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania

Professional and Community Service

  • Certified ABET Program Evaluator
  • Previous Editor-in-chief of ASEE's Computers in Education Journal
  • Served as advisory and review panelist for NSF, ONR, DoT, NASA, Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Marine Corps Intelligence Agency
  • Select media coverage and keynotes: NPR’s Global journalist, Navy’s Data Analytics Challenge, Hack The Machine, AUVSI Unmanned System Magazine

Open Source Software

  • Matlab Toolbox for the iRobot Create 2.0
  • Matlab Toolbox for the iRobot Create
  • Matlab Toolbox for the Intelitek Scorbot (with Carl Wick)
  • CHARON a programing language for modeling hybrid systems

Significant Publications

  • S. Avramov-Zamurovic, C. Nelson, and J. M. Esposito, “Effects of underwater optical turbulence on light carrying orbital angular momentum and its classification using machine learning,” Journal of Modern Optics, 68(19), pp.1041-1053, 2021.
  • S. Avramov-Zamurovic, A.T. Watnik, J. R. Lindle, K. P. Judd, and J. M. Esposito, “Machine learning-aided classification of beams carrying orbital angular momentum propagated in highly turbid water,” JOSA A, 37(10), pp.1662-1672, 2020.
  • M. Xanthidis, J.M. Esposito, I.Rekleitis, I. and J. M. O’Kane, “Motion planning by sampling in subspaces of progressively increasing dimension,” Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, 100(3), pp.777-789, 2020.
  • J. M. Esposito, and J. N. Wright, “Matrix completion as a post-processing technique for probabilistic roadmaps,” The International Journal of Robotics Research, 38(2-3), pp.388-400, 2020.
  • J. M. Esposito, “The state of robotics education: Proposed goals for positively transforming robotics education at postsecondary institutions.” IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 24(3), pp.157-164, 2017.
  • J. M. Esposito and J. N. Wright, “Matrix Completion as a Post-Processing Technique for Probabilistic Roadmaps” Proceedings of the Workshop on the Algorithmic Foundations of Robotics XII. p720-735, 2016.
  • S.P. Parikh, J.M. Esposito, and J. Searock, The role of verbal and nonverbal communication in a two-person, cooperative manipulation task. Advances in Human-Computer Interaction, 2014.
  • J.M. Esposito, “Conditional Density Growth (CDG) Model: A simplified model of Rapidly Exploring Random Tree Growth”, Robotica, Volume 31, Issue 05, pp 733-746, August 2013.
  • S.P. Parikh and J.M. Esposito, “Negative feedback for small capacitive touchscreen interfaces (NFTI): a usability study for data entry tasks”, IEEE Transactions on Haptics: Special issue on consumer electronic, Volume 5, Issue 1, Pages 39-47,
    January-March 2012.
  • J.M. Esposito, “Maintaining wireless connectivity constraints for robot swarms in the presence of obstacles”, Journal of Robotics, Volume 11, Pages 1-12, June 2011. 
  • J.M. Esposito, “A simplified model of RRT coverage for kinematic system,” IEEE/RSJ Intelligent Robots and Systems – Invited Semi-Plenary Session “ 50 years of Robot Motion Planning: Achievements and Emerging Approaches”, p. 2192-2198, September 2011.
  • M.G. Feemster and J.M. Esposito, “Comprehensive framework for tracking control and thrust allocation for a highly over actuated autonomous surface vessel”, Journal of Field Robotics: Special issue on the state of the art in marine autonomous surface and underwater vehicles, part 2, Volume 28, Issue 1, Pages 80-100, January 2011.
  • J.M. Esposito, and M. Kim, “Using formal modeling with an automated analysis tool to design and parametrically analyze a multi-robot coordination protocol: a case study,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics: Part A, Systems. Volume 37, Issue 3, May 2007 Pages 285-297.
  • J.M. Esposito, and V. Kumar, “Event detection near singularities”, ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation, Volume 17, Issue 1, p. 1-22, January 2007.
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