How bodies contribute to intelligence — translating biological principles into next-generation robots.
The Soft Kinetics Group investigates bio-inspired robotic systems that use soft materials, embedded sensing, active structures, and control for interaction with contact-rich environments. Rather than treating the body as passive hardware, we study it as an active part of computation and control — a principle we call Physical AI.
Biological systems employ compliant structures and distributed sensing to stabilize motion by absorbing impact and exploiting contact. We translate these principles into robotic systems that combine dynamical systems theory, optimal control, and mechanical metamaterials.
Biological systems exploit compliant structures to absorb impact and stabilize motion through contact. We translate these principles into soft robotic systems where the body itself participates in computation and control.
We design and fabricate robots from soft, deformable materials that can safely interact with unstructured environments. Our systems navigate complex terrain by leveraging material compliance rather than rigid actuation.
By engineering the internal architecture of materials at the meso-scale, we create structures with programmable mechanical properties — enabling robots that are simultaneously lightweight, strong, and adaptable.
We study locomotion through the lens of dynamical systems theory, identifying templates and anchors that describe the essential physics of agile movement and using these to design controllers that work in harmony with body mechanics.
Interested in our work? View our publications or contact us about open positions.
Research in Action
Gecko locomotion research narrated audio