Jamie Paik

Prof. Jamie Paik is a Full Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), where she serves as Director of the Reconfigurable Robotics Lab (RRL) and is a core member of the Swiss NCCR robotics group. She holds multiple academic appointments across EPFL's School of Engineering, including positions in the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IGM), STI-SMT SMT-ENS, and STI-SGM SGM-ENS. Additionally, she serves as a PhD program committee member for the Doctoral Program in Robotics, Control and Intelligent Systems.

Her research focuses primarily on soft robotics, origami-inspired robotics, and wearable technologies. Prof. Paik's work leverages multi-material fabrication and smart material actuation to develop novel robotic designs that push the physical limits of materials and mechanisms. Her current research includes self-morphing Robogami (robotic origami) that transforms from planar shapes to 2D or 3D structures through predefined folding patterns, similar to traditional paper origami.

Prof. Paik has published extensively on robotic origami, haptic feedback systems, and soft actuators, with her most recent work (2024-2025) focusing on vibration of soft twisted beams for locomotion, semi-autonomous surgical assistance, plug-and-play pneumatic systems, and data-driven kinematic modeling. Her research demonstrates a clear trajectory toward more adaptive, reconfigurable robotic systems with applications in surgery, human-robot interaction, and wearable technologies.

Among her notable achievements, she developed a 7-DoF humanoid arm during her PhD at Seoul National University (sponsored by Samsung Electronics), which was the lightest in literature at that time (3.7kg including the 8-DoF hand). During postdoctoral work at Pierre Marie Curie University, she developed the internationally patented JAiMY laparoscopic tools now commercialized by Endocontrol-medical.com.

• PhD: Seoul National University (Humanoid Arm and Hand Design)
• Postdoc: Institut des Systems Intelligents et de Robotic, Université Pierre Marie Curie
• Postdoc: Harvard University's Microrobotics Laboratory

Prof. Paik has supervised numerous PhD students, both current and past, including Bakir Alihan, Demirtas Serhat, Jiang Shaopeng, Kanno Ryo, Schüssler Alexander Michael, and Wang Ziqiao. Her teaching includes Topics in Autonomous Robotics, Mechanical Product Design and Development, and Advanced Design for Sustainable Future.