Meet the Treners: Dr. Alejandro Astudillo and the Future of Adaptive Motion

At Trener Robotics, the shift from "programmed" to "autonomous" is the defining challenge of modern industrial manufacturing. Leading this technical frontier is Dr. Alejandro Astudillo, a founding member of our team who has stepped into a new role as VP of R&D, and a Product Research Fellow. 

Alejandro’s work sits at the intersection of high-fidelity vision systems and real-time control for safe, robust and optimized robot motions. With a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from KU Leuven, his research in model predictive control and optimization now powers the Acteris software that enables robots to learn, adapt, and execute complex manipulation tasks.

From Natural Language to Real-World Execution

Alejandro’s research efforts are central to closing the gap between human intent and robotic action. The process begins with the Acteris AI agent, where a user defines a job using natural language. The system then manages the entire lifecycle:

• Intelligent Configuration: The AI agent translates instructions into a structured workflow, moving instantly from job creation to digital simulation.

• Vision-Guided Part Detection: In the physical cell, the AI vision system identifies parts in unstructured environments, accounting for shifting positions and variable lighting.

• Autonomous Computation: Acteris computes the optimal pick position in real time, eliminating the need for rigid fixtures or precise part presentation.

• Adaptive Motion Control: The robot does not follow a static path. It dynamically adjusts its trajectory and gripping to load and unload machines with automatic, adaptive motion control.