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Physical State

University of Kentucky

[ACTIVE]

HQ: Lexington, Kentucky · Est. 1865 · 1 model registered

SiteRisk Profile

As of Sep 2026, DEPLOY verifies University of Kentucky: 1 model.

Ownership

ACTIVE

Capital / Funding

Undisclosed

Headquarters

Lexington, Kentucky

IP / Patents

Undisclosed

Platform Models

1

Audited Incidents

0

Overview

Public land-grant research university in Lexington, KY. Robotics research spans the Intelligent Robotic Arms (IRA) Lab, Center for Robotics & Manufacturing Systems (CRMS), and Unmanned Systems Research Consortium. Key areas: human-robot shared control, robotic welding, drone fleet coordination, and autonomous systems.

Audited Posture AssessmentPeer Percentile: 11.1%

Limited public funding data for capital position assessment.

Key Facts

HeadquartersLexington, Kentucky, USA
Founded1865
Statusresearch
Typehardware
Robotics LabIntelligent Robotic Arms (IRA) Lab (Dir: Prof. Biyun Xie) — kinematically redundant robots, fault-tolerant robots, motion planning, human-robot interaction
Robotics CenterCenter for Robotics & Manufacturing Systems (CRMS), established 1986 — manufacturing research, robotic welding, applied machine vision
Drone/UAV ResearchUnmanned Systems Research Consortium (USRC) (Dir: Prof. Suzanne Smith) — FAA nationwide CoA for drone research; NSF CLOUDMAP atmospheric science program
Notable FacultyBiyun Xie (HRI, telemanipulation, NSF CAREER 2025), Yang Xiao (drone fleet security, RESONET, NSF CAREER 2026), YuMing Zhang (robotic welding, IEEE Fellow, Boyd Professor), Suzanne Smith (UAS, structural dynamics), Jesse Hoagg (control systems, autonomous drones)
Research FocusHuman-robot shared control, robotic telemanipulation, drone fleet coordination, robotic welding, unmanned aerial systems, manufacturing automation, cyber-physical security
NSF CAREER AwardsBiyun Xie (2024, Award #2441654) — human-robot shared control; Yang Xiao (2024, Award #2442382, $534,264) — RESONET drone/vehicle coordination
Industry PartnershipStarship Technologies — campus robot food delivery fleet (30 autonomous robots)
FAA AuthorizationAmong first universities to receive FAA blanket Certificate of Authorization for nationwide drone research (UAS under 55 lbs, up to 400 ft)

Safety & Regulatory Posture

0 entries
Audited Incident & Recall Footprint

No incidents on record for University of Kentucky.

Leadership & Founders

5 entries

Current Program Leadership & Executives

Biyun Xiesecondary-verified

Assistant Professor & IRA Lab Director

Yang Xiaosecondary-verified

Assistant Professor

YuMing Zhangsecondary-verified

Boyd Professor & IEEE Fellow

Suzanne Smithsecondary-verified

Professor & USRC Director

Jesse Hoaggsecondary-verified

Professor

Partnerships & Commercial Deployments

1 entry
Total Tracked1
Operating0
Announced1
Concluded0

Key Recurring Partners

Starship Technologies1 · 1× joint · 8 total

Recent Verified Partnerships

  • Partnership

    MOST RECENT

FAQ

7 entries
What is University of Kentucky?

Public land-grant research university in Lexington, KY. Robotics research spans the Intelligent Robotic Arms (IRA) Lab, Center for Robotics & Manufacturing Systems (CRMS), and Unmanned Systems Research Consortium. Key areas: human-robot shared control, robotic welding, drone fleet coordination, and autonomous systems.

What does University of Kentucky make?

University of Kentucky has 1 robot model on the DEPLOY registry: UKY Robotics (University of Kentucky builds both physical robots and the AI that runs them).

Where is University of Kentucky headquartered?

University of Kentucky is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.

Where does University of Kentucky operate robots?

University of Kentucky is a robot manufacturer and does not directly operate deployments on the DEPLOY registry. Its products are deployed by customer operators; see the company page for the verified deployment record.

Is University of Kentucky a top robotics company?

On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, funding, hiring, media, safety, and IP signals, University of Kentucky ranks in roughly the top 89% of companies tracked by the registry.

When was University of Kentucky founded?

University of Kentucky was founded in 1865.

Is University of Kentucky safe?

University of Kentucky has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.