Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Alexander Dittrich is a doctoral researcher at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) , affiliated with the School of Engineering and the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems . His work focuses on Hebbian learning , bio-inspired neural network architectures , and the simulation of tensegrity robots , with applications in deep reinforcement learning , meta learning , and neuroevolution . Recent publications include: (1) a 2025 RoboSoft paper on tensegrity-based robotic legs with variable stiffness (a Best Paper Finalist ), and (2) a 2023 ICRA paper on the AIMY table tennis ball launcher's high-level trajectory control system. These projects reflect his expertise in merging adaptive AI with soft robotics. Awards : Best Paper Finalist, RoboSoft 2025
Manoranjan Majji is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and the Edward 'Pete' Aldridge '60 Endowed Professor at Texas A&M University's College of Engineering. He directs the LASR (Land, Air, and Space Robotics) Laboratory, focusing on advanced robotics and aerospace systems. His research spans structural systems, computational vision, astronautics, and autonomous robotics. Majji holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.E. in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, with affiliations to NASA, AFRL, NSF, DoD, and ONR. His work integrates robotics, astrodynamics, and sensor systems for applications like space domain awareness and autonomous spacecraft operations. Research interests include astronautics, spacecraft proximity operations, tensegrity structures, and sensor fusion. The LASR Lab features an indoor robotics arena, fabrication facilities, and advanced simulation tools. Majji's educational background includes degrees from Texas A&M (Ph.D. 2009, M.S. 2006) and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (B.E. 2003). Notable awards include the 2014-2015 Milton Plesur Teaching Award and the 2016 Young Investigator Award. Publications emphasize optimal control, state estimation, and robotic navigation. Ongoing projects involve in-space assembly, lunar electromagnetic launching, and safety-critical spacecraft control. The LASR Lab collaborates with federal agencies to advance robotics for space exploration and defense applications.
Salih Abdelaziz is an Assistant Professor at the University of Montpellier and a Researcher at CNRS-LIRMM (Laboratoire d'Informatique, de Robotique et de Microélectronique de Montpellier). His work focuses on robotics, compliant mechanisms, and control systems. Role: Assistant Professor Institution: University of Montpellier Lab: LIRMM His research interests include: Compliant continuum robots with improved stiffness Kinetostatic analysis and soft tensegrities Energy methods for modeling bistable mechanisms Nonlinear control strategies for tensegrity systems Contact details: Email: salih.abdelaziz@lirmm.fr Phone: +33 4 67 41 85 57 Address: CNRS-LIRMM/University of Montpellier, Bat 4, 161 rue ADA, Cedex 5 Montpellier, FRANCE 34095
Alice M. Agogino is a Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley's College of Engineering. She founded and heads the Product Design Concentration for the MEng Program and held the Roscoe and Elizabeth Hughes Chair until 2022. Her research spans: Intelligent learning systems and AI Design theory, databases, and multiobjective product design Probabilistic modeling and nonlinear optimization Sensor validation, wireless networks, and robotics Gender equity in engineering Her NASA-derived work spawned Squishy Robotics, developing deployable tensegrity robots for disaster response and wildfire/methane detection that survive 600+ foot drops. Scientific Awards: None listed in source materials. As MEng Product Design Concentration Head Advisor, she mentors graduate students through Berkeley's Best Lab. Her Squishy Robotics startup translates research into societal impact, with robots deployed via helicopter for hazardous environment monitoring despite NSF funding challenges to related initiatives like the Native FEWS Alliance.
Jonathan Dessi-Olive is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University’s School of Architecture, with prior roles at Georgia Tech and MIT. His work bridges computational design, structural engineering, and sustainable materials, focusing on mycelium-based composites, tensegrity systems, and shape grammars. He leads the MycoMatters Lab, which explores fungi-driven construction for decarbonization and circular economies. PhD advisors: George Stiny, Terry Knight, John Ochsendorf (MIT) 2017-2019: Visiting Assistant Professor, Georgia Tech 2020-2021: Director, MycoMatters Lab Research interests include architectural acoustics, biomaterials, and algorithmic design. His projects integrate shape grammars with material performance, such as Simulation-Validated Shape Grammar for Architectural Acoustics (2022) and mycelium-based structural prototypes like Monolithic Mycelium: Growing Vault Structures (2019). Articles emphasize sustainable fabrication, acoustic optimization, and bio-composite reinforcement. Recent work with Tim Hsu on acoustical arrays and mycelium structures has appeared in Nexus Network Journal and Structures and Architecture . Key trends show interdisciplinary focus: computational methods, material science, and community-driven design. Awards include the 2019 Best Full Paper at SimAUD and the 2017 Ventulett NEXT Fellowship. Scientific Awards: Best Full Paper Award, SimAUD Symposium (2019) Georgia Tech Masonry Research Grant (2018) Ventulett NEXT Fellowship (2017) TODA Fund Grant (2015) ARCC King Medal (2010) As Principal Investigator for the Sustainable Development for Rural Kansas project (2020-2021), he explored agricultural byproduct-to-building material pipelines. Collaborations span plant pathology, agricultural economics, and engineering. The MycoMatters Lab demonstrates his commitment to integrating design, biology, and robotics for scalable eco-material solutions. Lab projects include the 2018 El Monolito Micelio pavilion, which used fabric-formwork casting for monolithic mycelium structures, and the 2019 Air-Ten Module inflatable tensegrity prototype at Georgia Tech. His 2020 APDESIGN PPE Response mobilized 3D-printing during the pandemic, producing 2800+ face shields.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUnited States
Cornel Sultan is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace & Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on Tensegrity Structures, Rotorcraft Modeling and Control, and Energy Harvesting. He earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Purdue University. Sultan has advised numerous Ph.D. students, with recent graduates contributing to academia and industry. He holds awards including AIAA Associate Fellow (2017) and Fellow of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering (2016). Education: Ph.D., M.S. (Applied Mathematics) from Purdue University; B.S./M.S. from Polytechnic University, Romania. Research Interests: Tensegrity Structures (prestressable, dynamics, membrane integration); Rotorcraft Control (helicopter models, shipboard operations); Energy Harvesting (ocean current turbines, vibration energy). Key publications include works on tensegrity deployment, helicopter control algorithms, and ocean energy systems. His work spans theoretical mechanics, control theory, and applied engineering solutions. Professional Contributions: Technical chairs for AIAA conferences (2015-2016), member of AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Technical Committee. Grants supported by NSF and ONR, focusing on hydrokinetic power systems and structural dynamics. Labs/Teams: Active in Virginia Tech’s aerospace robotics and autonomous systems research, collaborating on projects like ocean current turbine arrays and tensegrity-based robotics.
Cecilia Scoccia is a Researcher at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (DIISM) of the Polytechnic University of Marche. She became a Researcher in May 2023, following her 2019 appointment as a Research Fellow at DIISM. Her academic journey includes a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering (2017/2018) and a PhD completed by 2023, both from the Polytechnic University of Marche. Scoccia has held international research stints at Siemens PLM Software (Belgium, 2018–2019) and the Jounneum Research Institute (Austria, 2022). Her research focuses on collaborative robotics , human-robot interaction , mechatronics , and biomechanics . Key projects include obstacle avoidance strategies for robotic manipulators, human-centered design processes for collaborative robots, and tensegrity structures for civil applications. She contributes to teaching support in mechanical engineering courses at the university. Her publication trends emphasize experimental validation of robotics systems and interdisciplinary applications, with notable work in journals like Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems and International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing . She collaborates with industry partners like Siemens and institutes such as i-LABS, focusing on real-world robotics challenges. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in her profile. Scoccia engages in lab-based research through i-LABS, focusing on human-robot collaboration frameworks and adaptive robotic systems. Her work bridges theoretical control systems with practical applications in industrial and civil engineering domains.
Dipanjan Saha serves as an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University, Boston, with a demonstrated research trajectory in robotics and control systems since joining the institution. His academic foundation includes: PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University (2018) Dr. Saha's research integrates theoretical control systems with practical robotics applications, specializing in human-robot collaboration ergonomics, underwater autonomous monitoring, and space exploration architectures. His work bridges aerospace engineering principles with cutting-edge robotics to solve real-world problems in marine biology, occupational safety, and planetary science, emphasizing real-time systems and adaptive control methodologies. Analysis of his 2021-2024 publications reveals a concentrated focus on robotic manipulation (3/5 papers), particularly human-robot handovers and posture variability, alongside significant contributions to underwater species monitoring and tensegrity-based space landers. These works consistently apply nonlinear control theory to domains requiring high environmental adaptability, with increasing emphasis on ergonomic human factors in recent outputs. No scientific awards or honors are documented in available sources. Information regarding graduate student mentorship, research grants, or laboratory leadership is not provided in the current institutional records.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Prof. Dario Floreano serves as Full Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), directing the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems within the School of Engineering's Institute of Microengineering. He maintains additional teaching appointments in Microengineering, Mechanical Engineering, and the Doctoral School, while serving on EPFL's Committee of Academic Evaluation. His academic credentials include: M.A. in Vision M.S. in Neural Computation PhD in Robotics Research at the convergence of biology and engineering defines Prof. Floreano's work, with pioneering contributions across multiple robotics domains. His laboratory specializes in bio-inspired approaches that transform theoretical concepts into functional systems: Aerial Robotics : Avian-inspired morphing wings/tails for agile drone flight Evolutionary Robotics : Algorithmic co-design of morphology and control Soft Robotics : Transient edible systems and variable-stiffness mechanisms Swarm Intelligence : Emergent control through Hebbian learning Medical Robotics : Fiber-jamming catheters for cardiac procedures Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal three dominant trajectories: (1) biomimetic aerial systems with avian-inspired morphing capabilities for energy-efficient flight, (2) transient edible robotics using biodegradable materials for environmental/medical applications, and (3) advanced variable-stiffness mechanisms enabling new medical interventions. These themes reflect his consistent focus on bio-inspired solutions to engineering challenges. His scientific impact is recognized through prestigious honors: 2000: SNSF Assistant Professorship (Swiss National Science Foundation) 2021: Fellow of the ELLIS Society 2022: IEEE Fellow (Robotics and Automation Society) 2024: Julian Francis Miller Award (The Species International Society) As mentor to 44+ PhD students and founding director of Switzerland's National Center of Competence in Robotics (2010-2022), Prof. Floreano has shaped robotics education through EPFL's Master's program and Swiss Robotics Day. His research leadership generated 15+ spinoffs (including senseFly and Flyability) and secured major grants from Swiss National Science Foundation and European Commission programs. The Laboratory of Intelligent Systems maintains strong industry partnerships while advancing fundamental research in embodied intelligence, with current projects focusing on edible robotics, swarm autonomy, and bio-hybrid systems for medical applications.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Paul Motzki holds the professorship ' Smart Material Systems for Innovative Production - SMiP ' at Saarland University (Department of Systems Engineering) and leads the research area ' Smart Material Systems ' at ZeMA - Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology gGmbH . His work focuses on smart materials like shape memory alloys (SMA) and electroactive polymers (EAP), which exhibit property changes under external stimuli (electric fields, temperature) to enable energy-efficient systems such as self-sensing actuators, soft robotics, and smart textiles. Research Themes : Bio-inspired actuation, elastocaloric cooling, self-sensing technologies, and industrial automation. Scientific Trends : Recent publications emphasize advancements in dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), SMA-driven robotics, thermal management in smart materials, and predictive modeling for industrial applications. Key subfields include triply periodic minimal surfaces for elastocalorics, hybrid actuator systems, and textile-integrated feedback mechanisms. Labs & Collaborations : Research is conducted in collaboration with ZeMA, leveraging joint appointments under the Thuringian Model. Key projects involve energy-efficient grippers, soft robotic modules, and medical devices.
Maani Ghaffari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Robotics at the University of Michigan. His work focuses on robotics, autonomous systems, and the integration of applied mathematics with machine learning. He leads the Computational Autonomy and Robotics Laboratory, advancing research in sensor fusion, state estimation, and geometric control. Ghaffari teaches courses such as NA/EECS 568: Mobile Robotics and ROB 101: Computational Linear Algebra . His research interests include robotic perception, planning under uncertainty, and invariant filtering techniques for navigation systems. He has developed frameworks like GPS-DRIFT for marine robotics and contributed to SLAM algorithms for surgical and underwater applications. Ghaffari's work emphasizes robustness in dynamic environments, leveraging Lie algebraic methods and equivariant neural networks. Notable contributions include correspondence-free point cloud registration, Bayesian semantic mapping, and energy-based terrain modeling for legged robots. His research bridges theory and practice, with applications in surgery navigation, autonomous vehicles, and industrial anomaly detection.
Jing Qin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Kentucky, within the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on Mathematical Optimization, Variational Image Processing, Compressive Sensing, and computational analysis of imaging data. His work addresses challenges in signal recovery, tensor decomposition, hyperspectral imaging, and machine learning applications. Recent publications emphasize advancements in tensor recovery algorithms, hyperspectral band selection, and graph-based signal processing. These contributions highlight innovations in iterative methods, regularization techniques, and deep learning models for structural analysis and robotic systems. Qin’s research bridges theoretical optimization frameworks with practical applications in remote sensing, medical imaging, and computer vision. His articles reflect a strong focus on interdisciplinary solutions, combining mathematical rigor with computational efficiency. Despite no explicitly listed awards or grants, his prolific publication record underscores sustained scholarly impact. Further details are available via his faculty webpage: http://ms.uky.edu/~jqi229/ .
Rodney Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering. He holds dual B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1987) and M.S./Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University (1988/1992). Since 1994, he has been affiliated with the College of Engineering following a National Research Council Fellowship at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1992-1994). His research focuses on human-robot systems, fault-tolerant design, teleoperation, and image processing, with over 150 refereed publications. His work has been funded by NSF, U.S. Air Force, Army Research Laboratory, NASA, and others. He serves on editorial boards for IEEE Transactions on Robotics and multiple journals, and has organized major conferences such as the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. Key professional roles include program chair positions for IEEE conferences and panel discussions on topics like Brain-Machine Interfaces and Future Technology Trends. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary applications in robotics, automation, and control systems.
Dr. Jianguo Zhao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University, leading the Adaptive Robotics Lab. He focuses on creating adaptive robotic systems capable of shape, structure, and functional adaptability for diverse environments. His research is supported by NSF grants and has produced over 100 publications in journals like Nature Communications and IEEE Transactions on Robotics. Education: Ph.D. (2015, Michigan State University - Electrical Engineering), M.Eng. (2007, Harbin Institute of Technology - Mechatronics), B.S. (2005, Harbin Institute of Technology - Mechanical Engineering). Research Interests: Robotics and Control, Biologically Inspired Systems, Soft Robotics, and Adaptive Mechanisms. His work emphasizes modular robotic swimmers, tensegrity-based locomotion, and shape-morphing robots. Notable Achievements: NSF CRII Award (2018), Finalist for Best Student Paper (2024, 2018), Fitch H. Beach Award (2015). He has secured $4.3M+ in grants, including NSF and industry partnerships. Teaching: Courses include Fundamentals of Robotics, Mechatronics, and Biologically Inspired Robotics. Supervised over 30 graduate and undergraduate students, many advancing to academic and industry roles. Labs/Teams: Adaptive Robotics Lab at CSU, collaborating with institutions like Harvard and Penn State on NSF-funded projects.
Andrew Plummer is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath, with affiliations to the Institute for Mathematical Innovation (IMI) and The Foundry: Centre for Digital, Manufacturing & Design. His research focuses on motion and force control, electrohydraulic systems, robotics, and additive manufacturing applications in aerospace servovalves and tensegrity structures. He holds a PhD (1991) and BEng (1987) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath. Plummer leads and collaborates on projects such as HyFIVE (hydrogen storage solutions) and ATI Hydrogen Control Valve Development. His work contributes to UN SDGs related to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) and industry innovation (SDG 9). Notable awards include the 2024 Robert E Koski Medal. His research spans hydraulic actuation, piezoelectric systems, and fluid-structure interaction. Recent publications address high-power piezo pumps, hydrogen aircraft fuel systems, and deep learning for robotic motion estimation. He has supervised projects involving digital displacement pumps, switched inertance converters, and wearable robotics.
