Joao Ramos

João Ramos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), leading the RoboDesign Lab. He holds affiliate status in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT's Biomimetic Robotics Lab. His academic journey includes a PhD (2018) from MIT and MSc/BSc degrees from PUC-Rio, Brazil.

Education:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2018)
• MSc in Mechanical Engineering, PUC-Rio (2013)
• BSc in Control and Automation Engineering, PUC-Rio (2010)

Research Interests: João focuses on dynamic robots with human-like physical capabilities, including whole-body teleoperation of humanoid systems, legged locomotion dynamics, and human-machine interfaces. His work emphasizes leveraging human motor skills for robotic control in disaster response and dynamic tasks. Key projects include the HERMES humanoid system and the HOPPY open-source legged robot kit.

Articles Trends: His publications emphasize bilateral teleoperation strategies, dynamic synchronization between human operators and robots, and the integration of feedback systems for enhanced robotic performance. Recent work explores open-source educational tools and hands-free interfaces for autonomous systems.

Awards:

• NSF CAREER Award (2021)
• CNPq Fellowship (2011)
• Science without Borders Doctorate Fellowship (2013)
• Collins Scholar (UIUC, 2019-2020)
• Best Poster Award (IROS 2021 Workshop)

Advising & Grants: João has advised numerous students and secured grants such as the NSF CAREER Award. His teaching includes courses like Robot Dynamics and Control (ME 446) and Mechanical Design II (ME 371).

Labs/Teams: Director of the RoboDesign Lab at UIUC, focusing on advanced robotics research and education. Collaborations include MIT's Biomimetic Robotics Lab.