Alex Coker

Physics student and robotics-focused engineer working at the intersection of automation, embedded systems, and applied research.

UNM Robotics Research

Ongoing robotics research at the University of New Mexico, focused on safe autonomous control, motion planning, and hardware–software integration for legged robots. Individual lab projects are highlighted below.

MPPI–CBF Integration for Safe Quadruped Navigation

Integrated Model Predictive Path Integral (MPPI) control with Control Barrier Functions (CBF) to enable safe, autonomous point-to-point navigation on a Unitree Go2 quadruped. The sampling-based MPPI planner generates obstacle-avoiding trajectories while a CBF safety filter enforces formal keep-out guarantees around obstacles. Validated across cluttered, maze, and gauntlet courses in simulation — where plain MPPI entered keep-out zones, the CBF-filtered controller held positive clearance. This work is currently simulation-only; transferring the approach to hardware is ongoing.

Side-by-side: plain MPPI vs MPPI-CBF (sim)

MPPI-CBF top-down path around a single obstacle with barrier h(t), speed command, and base-height plots.

MPPI-CBF results across obstacle courses

CBF Safety Filter

A Control Barrier Function (CBF) safety filter for the Unitree Go2, taken from prototype to on-robot deployment.

Control Barrier Function Safety Filter on the Unitree Go2

Recreated Aaron Ames-style Control Barrier Functions as a safety filter wrapping the Go2’s reinforcement-learning locomotion policy: the CBF minimally edits the velocity command so the robot’s body cannot enter a keep-out zone, while the learned policy handles low-level tracking.

In Simulation

Prototyped the filter as a closed-form, single-integrator CBF, then closed the loop in MuJoCo with the trained locomotion policy. With the filter active the robot skirts the keep-out zone — the barrier h(t) stays non-negative and the base remains upright — whereas with it disabled the policy walks straight in.

MuJoCo: CBF off enters the keep-out zone, CBF on stops at the boundary

Closed-loop CBF in MuJoCo: top-down path skirting the keep-out, barrier h(t) staying non-negative, velocity command, and base height. — Top-down path (CBF on), barrier h(t) ≥ 0, and stability plots

On the Real Robot & Digital Twin

Ported the closed-form filter to a real-time C++ safety filter wired into the on-robot deployer (Unitree SDK2 + LibTorch on a Jetson Orin) and verified it against the Python reference. Running on the physical Go2, a live MuJoCo digital twin mirrors the robot from its onboard state, so the real run and its simulated counterpart can be played back side by side.

Real Go2

Simulation

Press play — real and simulation run side by side.

Sandia National Laboratories

Internship investigating failure mechanisms in photovoltaic (PV) connectors — characterizing why field connections degrade and fail. Work spans hands-on sample preparation, four-wire (Kelvin) resistance measurement, controlled electrical testing, and data collection within a national-laboratory environment.

A failed PV connector with a test tracking barcode.

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Projects

Automated YouTube Channel

Designed and deployed an automated content pipeline that generates, edits, and publishes YouTube videos with minimal human intervention. Focused on workflow automation, scalability, and performance optimization.

Automated T-Shirt Business

Built an automated e-commerce system integrating design generation, order processing, and fulfillment. Emphasis on automation logic, cost efficiency, and scalable operations.

Arduino Mousetrap Robot

Designed and programmed an Arduino-based robotic system incorporating sensors, actuators, and control logic. Focused on rapid prototyping, embedded programming, and mechanical integration.

Awards & Accomplishments

UNM Pitch Contest — Arid Sustainability Award

Awarded for a technology commercialization concept addressing sustainability challenges in arid environments, emphasizing technical feasibility and real-world impact.

Lobo Hackathon — Second Place

Earned second place for presenting a technical and market-driven solution, demonstrating strong engineering reasoning and communication skills.

Design II Final Project — PUNKS Mousetrap Car

Design II Final Project — First Place Team Award

Competed in a class-wide engineering competition where teams designed and machined a car powered solely by mechanical energy, with the goal of traveling as close to 20 meters as possible. This project reinforced the importance of clear communication and strong organization within a team.

Wrestling Accomplishments

Multiple years of competitive wrestling experience
Demonstrated discipline, resilience, and time management
Balanced intensive training with rigorous academic workload

Outreach

GearMasters Volunteering

Volunteered with GearMasters to support hands-on STEM education, mentoring students and assisting with engineering-focused activities.

Carnival of Chemistry

Participated in public science outreach by demonstrating chemistry concepts to a general audience, emphasizing accessibility and engagement.

Philosophy

I approach engineering and research with an emphasis on clarity, systems thinking, and practical impact. I value building things that work reliably, scale thoughtfully, and solve real problems. My goal is to combine technical depth with disciplined execution while continually learning across domains.