July 7, 2026 at 2 PM
Nana Obayash, an assistant professor at the Tandon School of Engineering of New York University
Title: Advancing Robot Design through Morphology and Fluid Environment Interactions
Abstract:
Fluid environments present unique opportunities and challenges for robotic systems. This talk explores approaches to designing robots that leverage fluid-structure interactions to generate intelligent behavior. Drawing inspiration from natural systems as well as computational design methodologies, a number of robotic platforms whose morphology - their body shape, material, and structure - plays an active role in sensing, control, and locomotion will be introduced. From sea-creature-inspired robots to “robot scientists” that autonomously fabricate, experiment, and analyze paper airplane flights, this talk will explore how robots, particularly their morphology-their body shape and structure-can be designed to leverage fluid-solid interactions, enabling intelligent behaviors that enhance robustness and efficiency. These design methodologies can play a key role in improving the processes of robot design, enabling the creation of better robots for the real world.
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English