Robert J. Full

Robert J. Full serves as Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, with laboratory facilities in Valley Life Sciences Building (VLSB). Contact is available via rjfull@berkeley.edu and (510) 642-9896.

His research centers on comparative biomechanics and animal locomotion, employing biomechanical analysis, computer simulation, physical modeling, and physiological techniques across diverse species including crabs, cockroaches, geckos, and squirrels. Work in the PolyPEDAL Lab seeks universal movement principles through "natural experiments" in morphology, energetics, dynamics, and control, directly informing bioinspired engineering.

Publication trends reveal sustained focus on locomotion mechanics since 1999, with recent work (2021) emphasizing squirrel acrobatics and educational initiatives like "Eyes toward tomorrow," while foundational studies (2000-2006) established gecko adhesion mechanisms, RHex robotics, and dynamic legged locomotion frameworks.

No information on scientific awards was provided in source materials.

No specific details regarding student advising or research grants were mentioned in the available text.

Full directs the active PolyPEDAL Lab (http://polypedal.berkeley.edu) in 5130 VLSB, maintaining interdisciplinary collaborations with engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists to translate biological movement principles into robotics, artificial muscles, and novel adhesives.