Talk: Soft systems in contact, Design for a sense of touch

When: 02.05.24
Where: TBD
What: 

Title: Soft systems in contact, Design for a sense of touch
Speaker: Dr. Hannah Stuart, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of
California at Berkeley

Abstract: Robots tend to avoid contact due to physical uncertainty. Yet, contact is essential for many applications. We work to better understand and creatively harness contact to design more capable dexterous systems. In this talk, I'll focus on two recent case studies that use ambient fluids for resilient and compliant grippers with tactile sensing. This includes both a smart suction cup, and a sound-emitting skin. These inventions apply to logistics pick-and-place automation. Inspired by nature, the overarching goal of this research is to access new and resilient robotic behaviors without an over-reliance on digital computing alone, but rather by harnessing morphological computation alongside active control. Lab website: external pagehttps://edg.berkeley.edu/call_made

Bio: Dr. Hannah Stuart is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley. She received her BS in Mechanical Engineering at the George Washington University in 2011, and her MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanics of physical interaction to better design intelligent systems for dexterous manipulation. Applications range from remote robotics to assistive orthotics. Recent awards include the NSF CAREER grant, NASA Early Career Faculty grant, and Johnson & Johnson Women in STEM2D grant. She is a Senior Member of the IEEE. She is currently a Visiting Professor with the University of Stuttgart and the Haptic Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems.