The Organic Robots Laboratory (ORL) at Cornell University focuses on using organic chemistry of soft material composites for new capabilities in robots. We also seek to redefine how people view robots and their potential uses. For example, robots comprised of soft composite material could see use as wearable robots (perhaps for force augmentation), personal assistants via Human-Robot-Interactions, new types of computer interfaces that not only receive inputs but provide forceful responses.
A key field of use for soft robots is specifically in patient care and rehabilitation. Through proper application of distributed sensing, actuation, and power it may be possible to extend independence, provide greater dignity, and improve outcomes for those with a variety of medical conditions. Towards this goal, we are developing hardware for cardiac devices, prosthetic limbs, wearable sensing networks, and the software tools to interpret signals from these patients for gentle yet forceful interventions.
Professor Rob Shepherd is an Engaged Learning + Research Faculty Fellow at Cornell University. One of our primary goals is to convert the iterative design & manufacturing process developed in professor Shepherd's courses and research at Cornell into an instructional resource that can be widely disseminated. Previously, we developed a program for teaching robotics to K-12 students using soft materials that resulted in a peer-reviewed publication: Air-Powered Soft Robots for K-12 Classrooms.
Our lab won a GOPHURRS grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)!
Ronald successfully defends their PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Heisser!
Art successfully defends their PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Xu!
Emilie passes her A-exam. Congratulations!
Autumn successfully defends her PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Pratt!
Maura successfully defends her PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. O'Neil!
Jose successfully defends his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Barreiros!
Rachel passes her A-exam. Congratulations!
Cameron D.B. passes his A-exam. Congratulations!
Lillia successfully defends her PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Bai!
Organic Robotics Inc. received an NSF Phase 1 SBIR. Congratulations!
Professor Shepherd is featured in the show of Soft Robotics Podcast.
Kaiyang and Rachel pass their Q-exam. Congratulations!
Maura passes her A-exam. Congratulations!
Ronald passes his A-exam. Congratulations!
Autumn passes her A-exam. Congratulations!
Prof. Shepherd recieves an NSF Cyber Physical Systems award. Congratulations!
Dr. Anand Mishra and Dr. T. J. Wallin's work on robotic hand is featured by National Science Foundation.
Prof. Shepherd and Dr. Anand Mishra recieve 2019 CIDA Research Innovation Fund. Connratulations!
Professor Shepherd is featured in the show of BYU Radio.
Professor Shepherd is awarded an Air Force grant on origami antennas.
Artemis' work on optical sensing network is featured on Cornell Chronical. Good job, Pax!
Kevin's work on prosthetic hands is featured on Cornell Research. Good job, Kevin!
Artemis passes their A-exam. Congratulations!
Kaiyang passes his M-exam. Congratulations!
Cameron passes his Q-exam. Congratulations!
Kevin successfully defends his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. O'Brien!
Professor Shepherd is awarded a NASA NINC grant on Smartsuit for space exploration.
Shuo passes his A-exam. Congratulations!
Ilse successfully defends her PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Meerbeek!
Professor Shepherd is awarded an NSF EFRI grant: An End-To-End Framework For Soft Robot Design And Control Based On High-Performance Electrohydraulic Transducers.
Ronald, Shuo, Autumn and Maura pass their Q-exams. Congratulations!
Professor Shepherd is promoted to Associate Professor. Congratulations on your Tenure, Professor Shepherd!
Professor Shepherd is awarded an AFOSR grant: Localized and Rapid Variable Compliance Via Phase Changing Matter and Distributed Computation.
TJ and Professor Shpherd's review on 3D printing of soft robotic systems is featured Nature Reviews materials!
Kevin is selected as a Cornell PhD Commercialization Fellow. Congratulations, Kevin!
TJ successfully defends his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Wallin!
Autumn is selected as an NSF graduate fellowship scholar. Congratulations, Autumn!
Ben successfully defends his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. MacMurray!
Sanlin's work on patient specific left atrial appendage occluders is featured on the cover of Nature Biomedical Engineering!
Bryan successfully defends his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Peele!
Kevin Passes his A-exam. Congratulations, Kevin!
Artemis and Kevin are awarded NIH TL-1 awards from Cornell’s Clinical and Translational Science Center!
Sanlin successfully defends her PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Robinson!
Ben's work on buckled foam actuators is featured in Soft Robotics!
James's work on texture-morphing camouflage is featured in Science!
Professor Shepherd is awarded an NSF EAGER Grant: Reliable Control for Soft Robots Through Sensor Placement!
Bryan and Ben's work on stretchable transducers for kinesthetic interactions in virtual reality is featured at SIGGRAPH '17!
TJ's work on conductive 3D-printed hydrogels is featured in Advanced Functional Materials!
TJ's work on Click chemistry stereolithography for soft robots that self-heal is featured in Journal of Materials Chemistry B!
Professor Shepherd's review paper on fluid-driven soft robotics is featured in Advanced Engineering Materials!
Kevin Passes his qualifying exam.
Artemis Passes their qualifying exam.
Chris successfully defends his PhD dissertation. Congratulations, Dr. Larson!
Rob Shepherd awarded the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award.
Huichan's work on stretchable optical sensors published in Science Robotics.
Huichan successfully defends her PhD dissertation, and Rob successfully graduates his first PhD student.
Ilse's work on metal foams composites is featured on Nova's Treasures of the Earth Documentary.
Lihong and Sanlin's work synthetic arteries published in Advanced Eng. Materials.
Capt. Kevin O'Brien featured on cover of Airman Magazine.
Sanlin passes her A-exam. Congratulations, Sanlin!
Work from the Organic Robotics Lab is featured in episode of Rai Tv's SuperQuark.
Shuo's paper on stretchable displays published in Advanced Materials.
Rob is awarded $650,000 grant from Army Research Laboratory. Press Release
Ilse passes her A-exam. Congratulations, Ilse!
Bryan passes his A-exam. Congratulations, Bryan!
Shuo defends his master's thesis. Congratulations, Shuo!
Chris, Bryan, Shuo, and Sanlin's work on stretchable displays covered in Discovery Channel, NBC News, Popular Mechanics, Gizmodo, CS Monitor, Popular Science, Huffington Post, Scientific American, Science Magazine Podcast, Washington Post, New Scientist, Wired, RCS Chemistry World, The Verge, and El Mundo.
Highly stretchable electroluminescent skin for tactile sensing and optical signaling published in Science. Congratulations to Chris, Bryan, Shuo, and Sanlin.
'Morphing Metal and Elastomer Bicontinuous Foams for Reversible Stiffness, Shape Memory, and Self-Healing Soft Machines' published in Advanced Materials. Congratulations Ilse!
Ben passes his A-exam. Congratulations, Ben!
Chris passes his A-exam. Congratulations, Chris!
Shepherd Lab is awarded the SURP grant from NASA to work on 3d printing of low-RMS SiC mirrors in collaboration with JPL.
The Shepherd Lab wins the 2015 Soft Robotics Design Competition for its Soft Wheel Robot.
Ben's work on poroelastic foam actuators covered in Popular Science, New Scientist, Newsweek, the Cornell Chronicle, and Medical Express.
'3D printing antagonistic systems of artificial muscle using projection stereolithography' published in Biomimetics and Bioinspiration. Congratulations Bryan Peele!
Chris' book chapter entitled '3D Bioprinting Technologies for Cellular Engineering' published in Springer.
'Integrated soft sensors and elastomeric actuators for tactile machines with kinesthetic sense' featured on the cover of Extreme Mechanics Letters. Congratulations Sanlin Robinson!
'Poroelastic Foams for Simple Fabrication of Complex Soft Robots' featured on the cover of Advanced Materials. Congratulations Ben Mac Murray!
'Direct Ink Writing of Silicon Carbide for Microwave Optics' featured on the cover of Advanced Engineering Materials. Congratulations Chris Larson! Click here to see Materials Views article.
TJ passes his A-Exam. Congratulations TJ!
Professor Shepherd wins the Philosophical Life Raft Debate at Cornell University. Congratulations Rob!
The Shepherd Lab receives Engaged Learning & Research Fellowship grant.
Huichan passes her A-exam. Congratulations!
The Shepherd Lab receives grant from the Army Research Office (ARO).
The Shepherd Lab receives Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
'Scalable manufacturing of high force wearable soft actuators' published in Extreme Mechanics Letters. Congratulations Huichan!
Ilse passes her Q-exam. Congratulations!
Professor Shepherd receives the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Award for his work on “Co-Continuous Metal-Elastomer Foam Actuators for Morphing MAVs.” Press Release
Bryan passes his Q-exam. Congratulations!
Ben passes his Q-exam. Congratulations!
Professor Shepherd receives the Young Alumnus Award for Material Science from the University of Illinois.
Ilse awarded the Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
Bryan awarded the Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
Professor Shepherd receives the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award.
Chris passes his Q-exam. Congratulations!
Huichan passes her Q-exam. Congratulations!