softrobotics.wpi.eduRobotics Engineering - wpwpiedu

Soft Robotics Lab Worcester Polytechnic Institute Home Research Publications People Welcome to . Our research focuses on unconventional robotic systems that utilize mechanical compliance as part of their intelligence. A soft system is inherently safe and adaptive, while being not particularly precise or strong. Our general aim is to harness the advantages of flexibility in mechanics as a form of embedded intelligence. Our research tends to reside at the intersection of bioinspiration and scientific curiosity in general. 2017-04: Congratulations to Shadi Kalat for receiving the first place award at WPI Graduate Research and Innovation Exchange (GRIE) in Robotics and Cyberphysical Systems. 2017-03: Congratulations to Junius Santoso for receiving a PhD Global Research Scholarship to perform research with our collaborators in Europe. 2017-03: Soft Robotics Lab will perform robot demonstrations as part of TouchTomorrow . 2017-02: Congratulations to Siamak Faal for receiving the People's Choice Award in WPI Graduate Research and Innovation Exchange (GRIE) in Robotics and Cyberphysical Systems. 2017-02: Shadi Kalat is a finalist in WPI Graduate Research and Innovation Exchange (GRIE) in Robotics and Cyberphysical Systems. 2016-10: Prof. Onal will serve as co-lead judge in WPI Graduate Research and Innovation Exchange (GRIE) in Robotics and Cyberphysical Systems. 2016-09: Prof. Onal will serve in WPI Committee on Advising and Student Life (CASL). 2016-09: Congratulations to Siamak Faal for receiving the IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE) 2016 Best Paper Award for his paper "Regionally Growing Random Trees: A Synergistic Motion Planning and Control Algorithm for Dynamic Systems". 2016-09: Prof. Onal received the James Nichols Heald Research Award. 2016-08: Our research on accessible robot making is featured in RoboHub . 2016-07: Siamak Faal's paper entitled "Regionally Growing Random Trees: A synergistic motion planning and control algorithm for dynamic systems" is a finalist in CASE 2016 Best Conference Paper Award Competition. 2016-06: Our research on soft robotic sensing and control was featured in Robot Magazine, EduBots Section . 2016-06: Congratulations to Ugur Celik for receiving a STEM fellowship. 2016-06: Soft Robotics Lab performed robot demonstrations as part of TouchTomorrow . 2016-05: Congratulations to our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Haptic Soft Robotic Gloves for winning the RBE Director's MQP Award, Mason Emerging Innovators Award, and Honorable Mention at Intel Cornell Cup. 2016-05: Congratulations to Weijia Tao for receiving the RBE Outstanding Senior Award. 2016-05: Prof. Onal received WPI ME Department Excellence in Research Award. 2016-04: Prof. Onal received a WPI Faculty Achievement Award. 2016-04: Our paper "Robot Makers: The Future of Digital Rapid Design and Fabrication of Robots" received the Robotics and Automation Magazine Best Paper Award . 2016-03: We are organizing RoMa2016 (Robot Makers: The future of digital rapid design and fabrication of robots) , a workshop to be held in conjunction with Robotics Science and Systems Conference . 2016-03: Our research on elastomeric soft robotics was featured in Robot Magazine, EduBots Section . 2016-02: Congratulations to Erik Skorina for receiving a graduate student travel award to attend ICRA 2016. 2016-01: Our paper "Slithering towards autonomy: a self-contained soft robotic snake platform with integrated curvature sensing" was selected as one of the Bioinspiration & Biomimetics Highlights of 2015 . 2015-12: Our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Haptic Soft Robotic Gloves is among the semi-finalists of Cornell Cup USA . 2015-12: Soft Robotics Lab will perform robot demonstrations as part of the National Engineers Week. 2015-11: Prof. Onal will be a judge in the Popup Challenge . 2015-11: Prof. Onal gave a seminar on System-Level Challenges in Soft Robotics at Max Planck Institute of Intelligent Systems. 2015-11: Prof. Onal gave a seminar on Soft Robotics at Vanderbilt University. 2015-10: We are mentoring a high-school student on soft actuation. 2015-10: Prof. Onal will give an invited talk on Soft Robotics as part of SPIE DSS 2016 . 2015-09: Our soft robotic snake made the cover of Bioinspiration & Biomimetics - Special issue on Bioinspired Soft Robotics. 2015-09: Prof. Onal will serve as an Associate Editor for ICRA 2016 . 2015-08: Congratulations to Erik Skorina for receiving a graduate research fellowship. 2015-08: Prof. Onal will teach ME3310: Kinematics of Mechanisms in 2015A. -- 2015-07: Soft Robotics Lab is part of the Make Schools Alliance . 2015-06: Soft Robotics Lab performed robot demonstrations as part of the Frontiers program for high-school juniors and seniors. 2015-06: Soft Robotics Lab performed robot demonstrations as part of TouchTomorrow . 2015-05: Prof. Onal will be a judge in the Soft Robotics Research Competition . 2015-04: Congratulations to Siamak Faal for receiving the WPI TA of the Year Award . 2015-04: Congratulations to Weijia Tao for receiving a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) award. 2015-03: Prof. Onal will chair the Soft Robotics Session at ICRA 2015 . 2015-02: Soft Robotics Lab performed robot demonstrations as part of the National Engineers Week . 2015-02: Our autonomous soft robotic fish article was one of 100 most-read articles from Mary Ann Liebert in 2014. 2014-12: Prof. Onal will teach ES2503: Introduction to Dynamic Systems in 2015D. 2014-11: Our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Marine Propulsion was awarded a research grant from New Energy Foundation. 2014-09: Prof. Onal will serve as an Associate Editor for ICRA 2015 . 2014-08: Prof. Onal will teach ME3310: Kinematics of Mechanisms in 2014A. -- 2014-06: Our smart robotic prosthetic hand project was featured on Robotics Business Review , San Francisco Chronicle , and Seattle Post . -- 2014-06: Soft Robotics Lab will perform robot demonstrations as part of the Frontiers program for high-school juniors and seniors. -- 2014-05: Our smart robotic prosthetic project was featured on Solidworks Teacher Blog . 2014-05: Prof. Onal will serve as a Program Committee member for ROBIO 2014 . 2014-05: Congratulations to our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Binocular Robotic Vision for winning the Edward C. Perry Award for Outstanding Projects in Mechanical Design. 2014-05: Congratulations to our Capstone Project Team working on Soft Exo-musculature for winning 2nd Place among Robotics MQPs at WPI. 2014-05: Congratulations to our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Smart Robotic Prosthetic Hand for winning the Best Robotics MQP Award at WPI. 2014-05: Congratulations to our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Smart Robotic Prosthetic Hand for winning the Cornell Cup USA . 2014-04: Congratulations to Fuchen Chen for receiving a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) award. -- 2014-03: We are organizing RoMa2014 (Robot Makers: The future of digital rapid design and fabrication of robots) , a workshop to be held in conjunction with Robotics Science and Systems Conference . -- 2014-03: We will be hosting a high-school student from Manchester Essex Regional High School as a summer intern. -- 2013-11: We are advising a high-school student from Mass Academy on legged mobile robots. 2013-10: Our origami-inspired robots were featured in the Designers' Open Exhibition, Design Festival, Leipzig, Germany. -- 2013-10: Our MQP Capstone Project Team working on Smart Robotic Prosthetic Hand is selected as a finalist for the Cornell Cup USA. -- 2013-10: Lecture on Soft Robotics at Wachusett Regional High School Science Seminar . 2013-09: Prof. Onal will serve in the Editorial Board of the Soft Robotics Journal . -- 2013-09: Prof. Onal will serve as an Associate Editor for ICRA 2014 . -- 2013-08: Prof. Onal will teach RBE595-D91S/ME593-D91S: Special Topics: Soft Robotics in 2014D. -- 2013-08: Prof. Onal will teach ME3310: Kinematics o...