Kathryn Daltorio

Kathryn Daltorio is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Case Western Reserve University's Case School of Engineering. Her research focuses on developing biologically-inspired robots that navigate complex environments, drawing insights from animal behaviors such as earthworm locomotion and cockroach decision-making. She leads the Biologically-Inspired Robotic Lab, where her team designs robots using advanced materials like soft polymers, shape-memory alloys, and gecko-inspired adhesives.

Education:

• PhD in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (Case Western Reserve University, 2013)
• MS in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (Case Western Reserve University, 2007)
• BS in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (Case Western Reserve University, 2005)

Research Interests:

• Robotics inspired by animal locomotion (e.g., worms, crabs, insects)
• Neurobiologically-inspired control systems
• Soft robotics and compliant materials
• Adaptive legged systems for amphibious environments

Publications highlight advancements in peristaltic robots, heteroclinic channel-based control, and crab-inspired leg designs. Recent work emphasizes energy-efficient traversal in unstructured terrain and multimodal locomotion enabled by metamaterials.

Awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2021) and ONR YIP Award (2019). She is a member of ASME and IEEE, contributing to both academic and industry-oriented robotics projects.

Labs/Teams: Biologically-Inspired Robotic Lab (BIRL) focuses on prototyping robots that integrate biological principles with cutting-edge engineering to solve real-world challenges in search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and disaster response.