- Sponsor
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering
- Speaker
- Professor Elliot W. Hawkes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Contact
- Amy Rumsey
- rumsey@illinois.edu
- Phone
- 217-300-4310
- Originating Calendar
- MechSE Seminars
Abstract
“Jumping [is] a peculiarly attractive subject for investigations”, noted preeminent biomechanist R. M. Alexander. Jumping is found across diverse species and size scales, yet is performed in strikingly similar manners and has clear, quantifiable metrics by which ultimate capabilities can be compared: jump height and distance. In this talk, I will discuss our lab’s investigations in jumping. I will start with our work on the record-setting 30m jumper and how we intentionally designed it differently than biological systems. Then I will introduce a series of current projects: a squirrel-like robot that jumps while climbing, a foot design that allows high-efficiency jumping on granular media, a direct-drive robot with a near-ideal transmission, and finally a new concept for potentially out-jumping our 30m jumper.
About the Speaker
Elliot W. Hawkes is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at UCSB. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, where he also earned his MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Previously, he worked at the Harvard Microrobotics Lab and the ETH Multi-scale Robotics Lab. The Hawkes Lab's research is at the intersection of design, mechanics, and materials, and develops novel mechanisms and applies non-traditional materials to solve challenging problems in robotics, medicine, and biomechanics. Two companies have spun out of the Hawkes Lab, focused on bringing new medical and rehabilitation devices into the world.
Host: Professor Justin Yim