Our group studies new approaches to design and fabricate actuation, locomotion, and sensing mechanisms for novel robots. Our work is multidisciplinary and focused in three main areas: bio-inspired design, modeling, and advanced fabrication processes.
We combine theoretical modeling with laboratory experiments to obtain insights into different dynamic phenomena found in nature. These studies guide our designs of simple and elegant robot mechanisms and their interactions with different environments. To enhance mechanism dynamic capabilities, we develop and use novel fabrication techniques to tailor physical properties.