Mexican Researcher Aims to Push AI to the Limits of Miniaturization in Robots and Embedded Systems

Luis Eduardo Garza Elizondo, a researcher at the School of Engineering and Sciences (EIC) at Tecnológico de Monterrey, has been selected as a Google PhD Fellow 2025.

Garza Elizondo's work focuses on pushing artificial intelligence (AI) to the limits of technological miniaturization, enabling robots, sensors, and embedded systems to learn from their environment and make autonomous decisions directly on-device, without relying on cloud computing or energy-intensive data centers.

Currently pursuing a PhD in Engineering Sciences, Garza Elizondo is leading the project "Tiny Reinforcement Learning for Microcontroller-based Embedded Systems," which explores a novel paradigm known as Tiny Reinforcement Learning (TinyRL). This approach allows intelligent algorithms to operate in extremely resource-constrained environments, such as microcontrollers, optimizing memory, processing power, and energy consumption.

"At a time when large AI models demand enormous computational and environmental resources, we aim to demonstrate that intelligence can also be efficient, sustainable, and accessible," Garza Elizondo explains.

The research combines reinforcement learning-an AI method based on learning through experience-with advanced mathematical techniques derived from the Kolmogorov-Arnold theorem, enabling algorithms to learn directly within embedded hardware. As part of this work, Garza Elizondo and his team are developing a ground robot capable of learning how to move, avoid obstacles, and reach objectives without any prior knowledge of its sensors or environment.

The potential applications of TinyRL range from safer and more adaptive industrial robots to wearable health devices capable of identifying physiological trends and anticipating potential health anomalies before they occur.

The Google PhD Fellowship, now in its 16th edition, supports outstanding doctoral researchers worldwide through funding, mentorship, and access to a global scientific network. In 2025, the program will invest more than USD $10 million to support 255 fellows across 35 countries.

Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Tecnologico, Tecnológico, 64700 Monterrey, N.L.

The School of Engineering and Sciences (EIC) of Tecnológico de Monterrey is a leading institution in the training of engineers and scientists in Mexico and Latin America. With a focus on academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and engagement with industry, the EIC prepares its students to face the challenges of the 21st century and to become agents of change in their communities.
Its research strategy is focused on applied science and centers on three main research cores: Health (Application of biotechnology, nanotechnology, informatics, and electronics to improve human health), Climate and Sustainability (Addressing environmental issues such as climate change and the transition to renewable energies), and Industrial Transformation (Implementation of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovative processes in manufacturing and supply chains).

This release was published on openPR.