William Robert (Bob) Norris, Ph.D., MBA

William Robert (Bob) Norris, Ph.D., MBA is a Research Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with extensive experience in robotics, autonomous systems, and control engineering.12

Education and Academic Positions

Dr. Norris holds multiple degrees from UIUC:

• Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering (2001)
• M.S. in General Engineering (1997)
• B.S. in General Engineering (1996)

He also earned an MBA from Duke University in 2007.1

At UIUC, Dr. Norris currently holds the following positions:

• Research Professor in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering
• Clinical Associate Professor in the same department
• Affiliate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Affiliate in several research centers, including the Coordinated Science Lab and the Center for Autonomy1

Research Interests and Expertise

Dr. Norris's research interests include:

• Control systems
• Machine learning and deep learning
• Mechatronics
• Robotics
• Autonomous/unmanned systems
• Systems engineering12

Professional Experience

Outside of academia, Dr. Norris has:

• Led the development of the first manufactured, large-scale autonomous vehicle from concept to product delivery
• Worked at Deere and Company in research and product development roles
• Owned and consulted for businesses in the smart control solutions industry
• Served as an Entrepreneur in Residence for Innovation Fund North Carolina1

Teaching and Research

At UIUC, Dr. Norris is involved in:

• Teaching courses on systems engineering and autonomous systems
• Supervising senior design projects
• Conducting research in areas such as autonomous construction, agriculture, and manufacturing at scale14

Dr. Norris has also been awarded over $4 million in contracts, indicating his significant contributions to research and development in his field.3