Robotics

From stretchable electronics to miniature mobile robots, our experts are creating the next generation of robotics for human interaction through collaboration across disciplines.

Robotics

  • close up of an ant on a flower

    Bioinspired robotics

    Natural organisms have amazing abilities that inspire the field of robotics. How should ant-sized robots move and work together with thousands of microsensors? What can we learn from the movements of cats and cockroaches? How can we create robots and biohybrid robotic systems that are as robust and adaptable as animals? Our researchers are investigating these questions and more.

    Faculty involved: Sarah Bergbreiter, Aaron Johnson, Victoria Webster-Wood, Fatma Zeynep Temel (courtesy), Matthew Travers (courtesy)

    You might also like...

    Robots with muscles, Finding Genius Podcast

    Small robots, no small feat, Future Tech Podcast

    Robots copy their coolest moves from animals, Recode

  • close up of flexible robotics on a finger

    Soft and wearable robotics

    From sensitized artificial skin to stretchable electronics, from bio-hybrid robotics to prosthetic devices for robotic-assisted locomotion, our faculty are developing technologies for safe, minimally-restrictive human interaction.

    Innovations include liquid-embedded elastomer electronics (LE3) for stretchable sensors and circuits.

    Faculty involved: Sarah Bergbreiter, Carmel Majidi, Burak Ozdoganlar, Victoria Webster-Wood, Hartmut Geyer (courtesy), Fatma Zeynep Temel (courtesy), Matthew Travers (courtesy)

  • close up of a jumping robot

    Robots that walk, run, jump, creep, roll, and fly

    Researchers explore legged robotics to design better controllers for robustly stable, energy efficiency, and fast locomotion, including the ability to travel reliably over unstructured terrain.

    They create technologies for inspection of infrastructure, aerial load transportation, agricultural monitoring, autonomous point-to-point flight as well as investigating micro-scale robotics.

    Faculty involved: Sarah Bergbreiter, Aaron Johnson, Kenji Shimada, Hartmut Geyer (courtesy), Michael Kaess (courtesy), Sanjiv Singh (courtesy), Matthew Travers (courtesy)

    You might also like...

    Designing robots that meet the challenges of the real world, Future Tech Podcast

    MiniRHEX makes wiggly-legged unstoppability tiny and affordable, IEEE Spectrum

  • close up of tomatoes

    Micro- and nano-robotics

    Fabrication and control of magnetic microswimming robots assembled from microbeads and DNA nanostructures... bioinspired bots that walk on water and climb walls with nano-fiber adhesives... robotic devices for microsurgery and microsurgical tools....

    These are a few examples of our research in micro- and nano-scale robotics, an area that requires a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to problem solving.

    Faculty involved: Sarah Bergbreiter, Burak Ozdoganlar, Rebecca Taylor, Victoria Webster-Wood, Cameron Riviere (courtesy), Fatma Zeynep Temel (courtesy), Matthew Travers (courtesy)

  • close up of a jumping robot

    Robots for special tasks

    Whether its maneuvering through debris after a hurricane or repairing tankers under water, robots can perform tasks that are difficult and dangerous for humans.

    Self-driving cars, the Internet of Things, and factory automation are areas where systems need to coordinate and communicate with other systems, devices, and humans. Precision, efficiency, and safety are critical.

    Faculty involved: Amir Barati Farimani, Aaron Johnson, Kenji Shimada, Ding Zhao, Howie Choset (courtesy), Michael Kaess (courtesy), Changliu Liu (courtesy), Fatma Zeynep Temel (courtesy), Matthew Travers (courtesy), Wenzhen Yuan (courtesy)

  • robotic hand

    Medical robotics

    Microrobots to navigate capillaries for drug delivery, temporary, non-invasive electronic tattoos for medical monitoring...these are a few examples of how our experts seek to improve human health through research that blends biomedical and mechanical engineering with robotics.

    Diverse projects range from minimally-invasive miniature mobile robots, devices to improve mobility through mechanical assistance, computational, 3D imaging and simulation of organs and vessels, and surgical training tools.

    Faculty involved: Kenji Shimada, Rebecca Taylor, Victoria Webster-Wood, Howie Choset (courtesy), Cameron Riviere (courtesy), Fatma Zeynep Temel (courtesy), David Wettergreen (courtesy)

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