John P. Swensen

John P. Swensen is an Associate Professor at Washington State University's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, directing the M3 Robotics Lab. His research focuses on medical robotics, particularly steerable needle technology and tunably compliant mechanisms using smart materials.

• Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University (2012)
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2009)
• B.S., Electrical Engineering, Utah State University (2003)

Research areas include:

• Medical robotics and surgical devices
• Compliant and steerable mechanisms
• Smart material applications in robotics
• Kinematic modeling and control algorithms

Recent work demonstrates waterjet-assisted needle technology achieving unprecedented curvature control and reduced tissue damage in soft tissue phantoms. Collaborations with graduate students Mahdieh Babaiasl, Fan Yang, Emily Allen, and Lee Taylor have resulted in multiple IEEE publications and conference presentations at IROS, BioRob, and ISMR.