People
Director
H. Harry Asada Ford Professor of Engineering
Administrative Contact
Yvette Lai Administrative Assistant. email: yvettel@mit.edu
Research Staff
Graduate Students
John Bell, Ph.D. Candidate
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2020)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2018)
Research Topic: Actuation
Email: jhbell@mit.edu
Emily Kamienski, Ph.D. Candidate
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2021)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering w/ Minor in Computer Science, Georgia Tech (2019)
Research Topic: Elderly Fall Prediction Algorithm and Self-Stabilizing Support Aid
Email: emilyk@mit.edu
Cormac O’Neill, Ph.D. Candidate
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2021)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering w/ Minor in Aerospace, Caltech (2019)
Research Topic: Manufacturing Robotics for Heavy Industries
Email: croneill@mit.edu
Ravi Tejwani, Ph.D. Candidate
M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT (2020)
Research Topic: Human Robot Interaction
Email: tejwanir@mit.edu
Kentaro Barhydt, Ph.D. Candidate
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University (2020)
B.S.M.E., Union College (2018)
Research Topic: “Robotic Strap” manipulators for harnessing and lifting humans
Email: kbarhydt@mit.edu
Roberto Bolli, Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Computational Biology, MIT (2021)
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2023)
Research Topic: Robots for providing postural assistance to elderly persons
Email: rbolli@mit.edu
Erik Ballesteros, Ph.D. Candidate
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin (2019)
Research Topic: Supernumerary Robotic Limbs and Robot-Robot Interaction/Collaboration
Email: balleste@mit.edu
Jasmine Terrones, M.S. Student
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Caltech (2022)
Research Topic: Koopman Applications
Email: jterrone@mit.edu
Kaleb Blake, M.S. Student
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2022)
Research Topic: Strap manipulation using robot arms in order to transfer patients from a lying to a sitting posture
Email: kblake00@mit.edu
Jose Solano Castellanos, M.S. Student
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Stanford (2023)
Research Topic: TBD
Email: jsolanoc@mit.edu
Visiting Engineers
Noritsugu Miyazawa, SHI Visiting Scholar
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2016)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering , Tokyo Institute of Technology (2014)
Research Topic: Manufacturing Robotics for Heavy Industries
Email: miyazawa@mit.edu
Abriana Stewart-Height, Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D. in Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania (2023)
B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland (2017)
Research Topic: Fall Prevention in Eldercare
Email: abrianas@mit.edu
Undergraduate Researchers
Quinn Bowers, Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, MIT (2023)
Research Topic: Manufacturing Robotics for Heavy Industries
Chengyuan Ma, Undergraduate Researcher
B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT (2025)
Research Topic: Human Robot Interaction
Lab Alumni
Sangyoep Lee, Postdoctoral fellow, Research Topic: Control of Supernumerary Robotic Limbs
Itta Nozawa, SHI Visiting Scholar, Research Topic: Manufacturing Robotics for Heavy Industries, Koopman operator theory
Jadal Williams, M.S., Research Topic: Computer Vision Robotics for Heavy Industries
Hanjun Song, Ph.D., Research Topic: Human-SuperLimb Hybrid System
Nicholas Hensel, M.S.
Nicholas Selby, Ph.D., Research Topic: Machine learning for learned linear latent spaces
Yuta Kamoshita, Research Topic: Design and control of autonomous mining equipment
Daniel Kurek, Research Topic: Design and control of wearable robots focusing on enhancing and supporting people in manufacturing settings
Jun Maruyama, M.S. Research Topic: Station Information Service Project.
Kosuke Takeuchi, M.S. Research Topic: Mechanical Design and Control, Wearable Robots for Assisting Manufacturing Tasks
Zack Bright, M.S. Research Topic: Shoulder Mounted Supernumerary Robotic Limbs and interfaces for human augmentation in manufacturing
Federico Parietti, Ph.D. Research Topic: Wearable robots for human augmentation. Design and control of man-machine interfaces that expand the skills of the human user
James Torres, Ph.D. Research Topic: the use of PZT actuators and mechanical strain amplification mechanisms for practical applications.
Chengyuan Yan, M.S. Research Topic: Guidance, navigation and control of robots in public spaces.
Baldin Llorens – Bonilla, M.S. Research Topic: Control and Coordination of Wearable Robots, Human – Machine Interfacing.
Lluis Enric Penalver-Aguila, M.S. Research Topic: the development of lightweight and efficient actuators through the combination and form factor optimization of PZT powered, rolling contact buckling actuators.