Elliot HawkesView profile
Associate Professor
Elliot Hawkes is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). His research bridges design, mechanics, and non-traditional materials to develop robust, adaptable, human-safe robots for uncertain environments. He leads the Hawkes Lab, focusing on bio-inspired microstructured adhesives, nonlinear compliant mechanisms, soft actuators, exoskeletons, and growing robots. PhD from Stanford University, 2015 Postdoctoral Scholar at Stanford's CHARM Lab, 2015-2016 Assistant Professor at UCSB since 2016 Current projects include: Material-like robotic collectives with spatiotemporal control Variable friction shoe for locomotor therapy High-force soft actuators for industrial applications Vine-inspired robots for search and rescue Growing robots for biomedical and environmental use Recent publications in Science and Nature highlight breakthroughs in soft robotics and human-safe actuation. His team has received multiple NSF GRFP awards and a UCSB Regents Fellowship. The lab holds patents in adhesive gripping, soft actuation, and reconfigurable robotics.








