Alexei Sondergled, Ph.D. - URI '24 & Current GD-EB employee

I have always enjoyed designing and making prototypes to solve engineering problems. I am particularly interested in vessel hull design as well as unmanned marine vehicles and ocean robotics. My current projects include experimentally investigating over-actuated AUV depth control (which was my PhD dissertation research) as well as leading the hull design and construction for PEP (Promoting Electric Propulsion) unmanned vehicles. I am experienced in mechanical design, solid modeling (particularly Solidworks and Autodesk Inventor), and fluid mechanics.

In my free time, my hobbies also usually relate to my research interests. During my master’s degree at BU, I helped organize and instruct students on scale-model vessel construction for a competition sponsored by the Singh Imagineering Laboratory (the Tinker Lab). At the Singh Imagineering Lab I also constructed a 10-foot autonomous vessel intended to map water quality parameters. The vessel itself is doubles as a 1/32 scale model of a 320’ bulk carrier and its propulsion system was refitted in concert with the URI PEP team. Naruto 50 was the fiftieth small craft I have designed, built, and tested.

As for other activities, I am an avid rower and have competed in both sweep rowing and sculling. You can often find me sculling, mountain biking, or riding my modified Razor kick scooter. My other interests are sailing, kayaking, indoor rock climbing, skiing, and playing my violin.