About Me

I am driven to create new technologies for applications in consumer infrastructure, and to research the electronics and the computing systems that comprise them.

I received my Bachelor’s Degree with Highest Honors in 2016 in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I completed my Master’s Degree in 2018 in Control and Data Science, and my Doctoral Degree in 2020. I work at Hughes Research Laboratories (HRL Labs) in Malibu, California.

Contact Details

Wyatt McAllister
306 N Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801 US
(512) 638-3717
wyattsmcall1@me.com

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Education

University of Illinois

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering • Expected May 2021
Urbana-Champaign, IL • Curr. Cum. GPA: 4.0/4.0

  • • Concentration in Distributed Autonomous Systems, College of Engineering.
  • • Hybrid Systems and Control (ECE586DL), Machine Learning for Signal Processing (CS598PS), Optimum Control Systems (ECE553)

University of Illinois

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering • May 2018
Urbana-Champaign, IL • Curr. Cum. GPA: 4.0/4.0

  • • Concentration in Control and Data Science, College of Engineering.
  • • Awards: 2017-2018 Shun Lien Chuang Memorial Award for Excellence in Graduate Education
  • • Relevant Coursework: MDPs and Reinforcement Learning (ECE586RS), Stochastic Control (ECE555), Statistical Learning Theory (ECE543), Random Processes (ECE534), Non-Linear and Adaptive Control (ECE517), State Space Control (ECE515), Autonomous Decision Making (ABE598GC)

University of Illinois

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Highest Honors • May 2016
Urbana-Champaign, IL • Cum. GPA: 3.92/4.0

  • • Concentration in Control Systems, College of Engineering
  • • Awards: John Bardeen Award in ECE, Dean’s List (All Semesters)
  • • Honor Societies: Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Honor Society, Tau Beta Pi (TBP) Senior Honor Society
  • • Scholarships: Konicek Family and Lisa Foundation Merit Scholarship in ECE (2016)
  • • Relevant Coursework: Computing Systems (ECE120), Analog Signal Processing (ECE210), Programming (ECE220), Digital Signal Processing (ECE310/ECE311), Probability with Engineering Applications (ECE313), Fields and Waves I (ECE329), Power Electronics (ECE330), Semiconductor Devices (ECE340), Microelectronic Circuits (ECE342), Fields and Waves II (ECE350), Digital Systems Laboratory (ECE385), Embedded DSP Laboratory (ECE420), Robotics (ECE470), Control Systems (ECE486)

Bard College at Simon's Rock

Three-Year Engineering Program • May 2014
Associates of Arts, Honors with Distinction • May 2013
Great Barrington, MA • Cum. GPA: 3.94/4.0

Research

Distributed Autonomous Systems Lab (DASLab)

Postdoctroal Researcher
Urbana-Champaign, IL • June 2020 – February 2021

  • • Helped create a data validation pipeline using DeepSORT and OpenCV to perform detection and tracking of weeds in real agricultural fields to create spatially encoded density models

Distributed Autonomous Systems Lab (DASLab)

Graduate Researcher
Urbana-Champaign, IL • May 2017 – May 2020

  • • Designed a multi-agent planning algorithm for robotic weed killing, with an associated simulation framework including a realistic weed growth model
  • • Incorporated a real-time weed growth information processing and prediction strategy using Evolving Gaussian Processes (E-GP) model and a Kalman filter, enabling proactive planning

Advanced Controls Research Laboratory (ACRL)

Graduate Researcher
Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2016 – May 2017

  • • Created a ROS software interface for the Automation Supporting Prolonged Independent Residence for the Elderly (ASPIRE) program

Bretl Group

Undergraduate Researcher
Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2015 – December 2015

  • • Designed a testing fixture for experiments for extending the one-dimensional model for a deformable rod to a model of two dimensional objects with planar deformation

Publications

Agbots 3.0: Adaptive Weed Growth Prediction for Mechanical Weeding Agbots

Wyatt McAllister, Joshua Whitman, Joshua Varghese, Adam Davis, and Girish Chowdhary
2021 IEEE Transactions on Robotics

  • • W. McAllister, J. Whitman, J. Varghese, A. Davis, and G. Chowdhary. Agbots 3.0: Adaptive weed growth prediction for mechanical weeding agbots. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, pages 1–13, 2021.

Agbots 2.0: Weeding Denser Fields with Fewer Robots

Wyatt McAllister, Joshua Whitman, Allan Axelrod, Joshua Varghese, Adam Davis, and Girish Chowdhary
Robotics: Science and Systems Foundation, 2020

  • • W. McAllister, J. Whitman, A. Axelrod, J. Varghese, A. Davis, and G. Chowdhary. Agbots 2.0: Weeding denser fields with fewer robots. Robotics: Science and Systems Foundation, 2020.

Agbots: Weeding a Field with a Team of Autonomous Robots

Wyatt McAllister, Denis Osipychev, Girish Chowdhary, and Adam Davis
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Elsevier

  • • W. McAllister, D. Osipychev, G. Chowdhary, and A. Davis. Agbots: Weeding a field with a team of autonomous robots. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 163:104827, 2019.

Multi-Agent Planning for Coordinated Robotic Weed Killing

Wyatt McAllister, Denis Osipychev, Girish Chowdhary, and Adam Davis
2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

  • • W. McAllister, D. Osipychev, G. Chowdhary, and A. Davis. Multi-agentplanning for coordinated robotic weed killing. In Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on. IEEE, 2018.

Press Covereage

Celebrating our graduates: Wyatt McAllister, Ph.D.

Allie Arp
Coordinated Science Lab (CSL)

  • • A. Arp. Celebrating our graduates: Wyatt McAllister, Ph.D., 2020.

Teaching

University of Illinois

Graduate Teaching Assistant • Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
Urbana-Champaign, IL • January 2018 – May 2018

University of Illinois

Graduate Teaching Assistant • Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2017 – December 2017

University of Illinois

Graduate Teaching Assistant • Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2016 – December 2016

University of Illinois

Undergraduate Tutor • IEEE, Etta Kappa Nu Honor Society
Urbana-Champaign, IL • August 2014 – May 2016

  • • Provided volunteer tutoring services to students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • • Gave targeted course specific instruction and improved overall study habits and time management
  • • Courses Taught: ECE120, ECE210, ECE220, ECE310/311, ECE313, ECE329, ECE330, ECE340, ECE342, ECE350, ECE486

Bard College at Simon's Rock

Student Tutor • Simon's Rock College
Great Barrington, MA • August 2011 – May 2014

  • • Served as a student tutor for courses in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Spanish
  • • Gave targeted course specific instruction and improved overall study habits and time management
  • • Courses Taught: Spanish I (SPAN100), Spanish II (SPAN101), Spanish III (SPAN204), Spanish IV (SPAN205), Elementary Functions (MATH109), Calculus I (MATH210), Calculus II (MATH211), Linear Algebra (MATH220), Vector Calculus (MATH221), Ordinary Differential Equations (MATH 364), Physics I (PHYS100), Physics II (PHYS101), Electricity and Magnetism (PHYS304), Classical Mechanics (PHYS303), Quantum Mechanics (PHYS220), Analog and Digital Electronics (PHYS210), , Robotics (CMPT240), Computer Science I (CMPT242), Algorithms and Data Structures (CS243), Cellular Biology (BIO201), Chemistry I (CHEM100), Chemistry II (CHEM101)

Work

HRL Laboratories, LLC

Scientist IV
Malibu, CA • March 2021 – Present

  • • Researching undersea autonomous mobile robotic manipulation for maintenance of undersea structures in collaboration with Boeing, including control, path planning, and autonomous decision making
  • • Researching autonomous robotic wire insertion for aircraft manufacturing in collaboration with Boeing, including computer vision segmentation, robotic control, and autonomous decision making
  • • Worked on autonomous driving systems in collaboration with General Motors, including autonomous decision making with behavior trees and assured autonomy with collision avoidance

Microsoft Surface Hub

Summer Intern
Portland, OR • May 2015 – Aug 2015

  • • Used capabilities studies to improve accuracy of vision system used in the manufacturing process
  • • Designed a custom testing fixture for the incoming quality control of power supplies

ViewRay Incorporated

Summer Intern
Oakwood Village, OH • May 2014 - August 2014

  • • Worked on a system for MRI targeted radiation therapy to prevent the irradiation of healthy tissues
  • • Created a fiber optic cable testing box to efficiently measure data flow in the system

Volunteer

University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

Summer Volunteer
San Antonio, TX • May 2013 – August 2013

  • • Designed a procedure to synthesize gold Nano cages for use as contrast agents to reveal TGFβ in T-cells inside live mice via photo acoustics
  • • Assisted in lab work for tissue processing, protein estimations, and cell cultures

Instituto Culturo Oaxaca (ICO)

Summer Language Student
Oaxaca, Mexico • June 2012

  • • Completed an advanced Spanish immersion course at the Instituto Culturo in Oaxaca, Mexico towards a Spanish minor at Bard College at Simon's Rock
  • • Engaged in a cultural exchange with students from local Mexican universities
  • • Visited cultural sites and took classes in local cooking and weaving

National Outdoor Leadership School

Student Guide-Austin Area
Austin, TX • August 2008 - May 2011

  • • Completed a week long wilderness first aid course and an intensive month long course by the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
  • • Completed a year long training program at my high school to lead trips in the Austin area in a variety of outdoor sports
  • • Led trips in the area during high school to promote leadership and community engagement

University of Texas Marine Science Institute Animal Rehabilitation Keep

Volunteer
Port Aransas, TX • March 2010

  • • Volunteered to take care of sick and endangered marine animals as part of a high school project
  • • Helped release endangered Green Sea Turtles back into the gulf of Mexico as well as take measurements of turtles still in rehabilitation
  • • Assisted with an ongoing case study done by Tony Amos on wildlife on the beaches of Mustang Island

Student Volunteer-Informational Webpage

Volunteer
Austin, TX • January 2010

  • • Developed an informational website for ADHD
  • • Increased awareness about ADHD
  • • Learned PHP and HTML for website development and realtime generation of website graphics

Skills

Software

  • C++
  • C
  • Java
  • MatLab
  • Python
  • LATEX
  • Mathematica
  • Photoshop
  • HTML
  • CSS

Hardware

  • Robot Operating System (ROS)
  • OpenCV
  • PHP
  • EagleCAD

Language

  • Spanish

Client Testimonials

  • I served on Dr. McAllister's graduate committee and participated on a few projects in autonomous robotics for agricultural weed control with him. Dr. McAllister is highly motivated and detail oriented. He persists in examining a problem from all angles until he arrives at a robust solution. He is responsive to constructive feedback, and an avid learner. I am pleased to recommend him for project teams focused on applications of autonomous robotics.

    Adam Davis - Professor and Head, Dept. of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois

  • Wyatt has been working with since Summer 2017 as a research assistant and PhD student. He has done phenomenal work in laying the foundations for AI and planning problems in swarm based robotic weeding. His work has resulted in 4 major publications in high impact venues. Through his career as a PhD student, Wyatt has shown exemplary dedication to the problem domain and a strong ability to frame and solve challenging problems in AI and robotics.

    Wyatt is also a strong team player and is highly capable of leading teams towards complex projects. In my lab, he worked with a number of other graduate students, undergraduate students, and research engineers in accomplishing difficult tasks such as making simulations, creating machine vision algorithms for weed counting, and creating and evaluating bandit based planning strategies.

    Overall Wyatt is a highly dedicated and motivated individuals. I recommend him for positions in robotics, data-science, and AI with great enthusiasm.

    Girish Chowdhary - Professor of Field robotics, autonomy, and AI for robotics at UIUC, co-founder and CTO of EarthSense

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