Femke van Beek

Femke van Beek is an Assistant Professor in the Robotics section of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology. Her research focuses on integrating soft robotics with haptic perception to develop autonomous robots with tactile sensing capabilities, particularly for agricultural applications within the 4TU Green Sensors project. She employs VR/AR experiments to study human haptic perception and design bio-inspired sensors.

• Academic Background: PhD in Psychonomics and Cognitive Psychology (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), MSc in Sensory Biology and Biomechanics (Wageningen University), and BSc in Biology (Wageningen University).

Her research spans soft robotics, haptic feedback, and human-in-the-loop engineering, emphasizing practical sensor design and robotic movement optimization. Recent work includes open-source platforms for real-time control of soft robots and studies on vibrotactile vs. auditory feedback in tele-operation.

Scientific Awards:

• Eurohaptics Society PhD Award (2017)