Michael Yip

Michael Yip is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UC San Diego and Director of the Advanced Robotics and Controls Laboratory (ARCLab). He leads research in surgical robotics, biomimetic design, and robot learning. His work focuses on autonomous systems for medical applications, including robotic surgery and continuum robots. Dr. Yip holds affiliate faculty positions in Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and the Contextual Robotics Institute.

Education: Ph.D. in Bioengineering (Stanford University), M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (University of British Columbia), B.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering (University of Waterloo). Previous roles include visiting positions at Amazon Robotics and Disney Research.

Research interests span surgical robotics, reinforcement learning, and robot manipulation in dynamic environments. His lab develops systems for minimally invasive surgery and medical interventions. Notable contributions include the CRANE tele-surgical system and the ARCSnake reconfigurable robot.

Key awards include the NSF CAREER Award, NIH Trailblazer Award, and election to the National Academy of Inventors. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and co-founded multiple startups. His work bridges robotics, AI, and biomedical engineering, with applications in telesurgery and autonomous systems.

Lab initiatives include the Medical Robotics Collaboratory and contributions to the US Congressional Robotics Roadmap. Teaching focuses on robotics control, reinforcement learning, and hands-on prototyping. Active service roles include editorial positions for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters and leadership in robotics conferences.