Postdoctoral Researchers
Prof. Jonathan Clark(2004–2007, University of Pennsylvania)
Currently: Assistant Professor, Florida State University
Dr. Richard Altendorfer
(2000–2002, University of Michigan)
Currently: Senior Research Fellow, TRW Automotive
Dr. Erich Staudacher
(1998–2000, University of Michigan)
Dr. Bill Schwind
(1998–1999, University of Michigan)
Currently: Member of Technical Staff, Raytheon, Inc.
PhD Students
Goran Lynch
(Ph.D. 2011, University of Pennsylvania)
Thesis title:Dynamic Vertical Climbing: Bioinspiration, Design, and Analysis
Currently: Project Manager, Synapse Product Development
Dr. Gabriel Lopes
(Ph.D. 2007, University of Michigan)
Thesis title: Perception based navigation for underactuated robots
Follow-up position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Delft University of Technology
Currently: Assistant Professor, Delft University of Technology
Dr. Eric Westervelt (Ph.D. 2003, University of Michigan, co-advised with Prof. Jessy Grizzle)
Thesis title: Toward a Coherent Framework for the Control of Planar Biped Locomotion
Follow-up position: Assistant Professor, Ohio State University
Prof. Richard Groff (Ph.D. 2002, University of Michigan, co-advised with Prof. P. P. Khargonekar)
Thesis title: Piecewise Linear Homeomorphisms for Approximation of Invertible Maps
Follow-up position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Berkeley
Currently: Assistant Professor, Clemson University
Prof. Uluc Saranli (Ph.D. 2002, University of Michigan)
Thesis title: Dynamic Locomotion with a Hexapod Robot
Follow-up positions: Postdoctoral Researcher, Carnegie Mellon University
Currently: Assistant Professor, Bilkent University
Prof. Eric Klavins (Ph.D. 2001, University of Michigan, co-advised with Prof. W. R. Rounds)
Thesis title: Decentralized Phase Regulation of Cyclic Robotic Systems
Follow-up position: Postdoctoral Researcher, California Institute of Technology
Currently: Assistant Professor, University of Washington
Prof. Noah Cowan (Ph.D. 2001, University of Michigan)
Thesis title: Vision-based Control via Navigation Functions
Follow-up position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Berkeley
Currently: Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Jun Nakanishi (Ph.D. 1999, University of Nagoya, Japan, co-advised with Prof. Toshio Fukuda)
Thesis title: A Dynamics Based Brachiating Robot
Currently: Member of Technical Staff, ATR, Inc., Japan
Dr. William J. Schwind (Ph.D. 1997, University of Michigan)
Thesis title: Spring Loaded Inverted Pendulum Running: A Plant Model
Follow-up position: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Michigan
Currently: Member of Technical Staff;, Raytheon, Inc.
Dr. Charles Cohen (Ph.D. 1996, University of Michigan, co-advised with Prof. Lynn Conway)
Thesis title: Dynamical System Representation, Generation, and Recognition of Basic Oscillatory Motion Gestures, and Applications for the Control of Actuated Mechanisms
Currently: Vice President, Cybernet Systems Corporation
Dr. Peter Swanson (Ph.D. 1996, University of Michigan)
Thesis Title: Shaking Strategies for Sensorless Parts Orientation
Currently: Engineer, FANUC Robotics, Inc.
Dr. Robert Burridge (Ph.D. 1996, University of Michigan)
Thesis title: Toward a Dynamical Pick and Place
Currently: Researcher, NASA Johnson Space Center
Dr. Dongmin Kim (Ph.D. 1996, University of Michigan)
Thesis title: Calibration Issues in Robotics
Dr. Alfred Rizzi (Ph.D. 1994, Yale University)
Thesis title: Dexterous Robot Manipulation
Follow-up positions: Postdoctoral Researcher, Assistant Research Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Currently: Senior Staff Roboticist at Google
Prof. Louis Whitcomb (Ph.D. 1992, Yale University)
Thesis title: Advances in Architectures and Algorithms for High Performance Robot Control
Follow-up position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Currently: Professor, Johns Hopkins University
Prof. Elon Rimon (Ph.D. 1990, Yale University)
Thesis title: Exact robot navigation using artificial potential functions
Currently: Professor, Israel Institute of Technology (Technion)
Dr. Martin Buehler (Ph.D. 1990, Yale University)
Thesis title: Robotics in Intermittent Dynamical Environments
Follow-up positions: Postdoctoral Researcher, MIT; Professor, McGill University; Director of Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Inc.
Currently: Executive R&D Imagineer at Walt Disney Imagineering
M.S. Students
Cam Zawacki (2015-17, University of Pennsylvania)
Hancheng Min (2017-18, University of Pennsylvania)
Arunkumar Byravan (2009–2011, University of Pennsylvania) Currently: PhD student in the Computer Science school at the University of Washington, Seattle
Ben Plotnick
Emily Plumb (2013-2014 University of Pennsylvania) Currently: Mechanical Engineer, Synapse)
Mackenzie White
Tim Herrmann
Visiting Scholars
Aaron Peck
Undergraduate Students
Ben Bernstein (2015-16, University of Pennsylvania)
Ahmed Zahra (2014, University of Pennsylvania)
Jordan Martin (2014, University of Pennsylvania)
Ben Kramer (2014-2016, University of Pennsylvania)
Shafag Idris (2011-2014, University of Pennsylvania)
Justin Starr (2011-2014, University of Pennsylvania)
Mike Choi (2012 – 2013, University of Pennsylvania)
Pouria Sanjari (2012-2013, University of Pennsylvania)
Karl Bayer (2012, Columbia University)
Kevin Alcedo (2013, University of Pennsylvania)
Evelyn “Fifi” Yeung (2013, University of Pennsylvania)
Matthew Hale (2008-2012, University of Pennsylvania)
Ryan Knopf
Anirudha Majumdar, currently: Assistant Professor, Princeton University
Sarah Koehler (2009, Cornell University)
Phillip Dupree (2009, Columbia University)
Sam Russem (2007–2009, University of Pennsylvania)