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
Sang-Yoep Lee, Postdoctoral Fellow
Postdoc., Soft Robotics Research Center, Seoul National University (2023)
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Seoul National University (2021)
B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University (2014)
Research Topic: Supernumerary Robotic Limbs
Email: sangyoep@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
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.