Matthew Woodward

Matthew Woodward is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University's School of Engineering, where he has been employed since 2019 after completing post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University, 2017
• Master of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 2010
• Bachelor of Science, San Diego State University, 2008

Research Interests: Dr. Woodward's work focuses on enhancing robot mobility through biological inspiration, specifically investigating how animals integrate multiple locomotion modes (e.g., walking, jumping, flying) to navigate complex environments. His research explores morphological intelligence—using physical body structures for passive environmental interaction—and advanced actuation systems. Current projects include bio-inspired designs such as adapting desert locust feet for terrestrial robots, studying unsteady aerodynamics in flying animals, and analyzing swarm communication for complex structure formation. This interdisciplinary work bridges robotics, biomechanics, and evolutionary biology to develop more agile robotic systems.

Advising and Grants: While specific current students and active grants are not detailed in the available text, Dr. Woodward has prior teaching experience as a part-time professor at Robert Morris University during his graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon.

Laboratory: He directs the Robot Locomotion & Biomechanics Laboratory at Tufts University, which serves as the primary hub for his research on bio-inspired mobility solutions.