The Intelligent Machines and Materials Lab (IMML) performs fundamental and applied research at the intersection of mechanics, materials, and controls. A few of our recent research threads are listed below. Additional detail is provided on the Research page. Lab resources can be found on our wiki.

  • Tactile and in-hand sensing for closed loop control during fruit picking
  • Additive manufacturing of soft structures with variable mechanical properties
  • Design and fabrication of smart fluid actuators and valves

News

  • Congrats to Beck Lindstrom for successfully defending his MS thesis
  • Congrats to Chelse VanAtter for successfully defending his MS thesis
  • Marcus Rosette presented a paper titled “Manipulator generative design optimization for orchard environments” at ICRA 2026 in Vienna, Austria
  • Congrats to Alejandro for successfully defending his PhD dissertation titled “Design and demonstration-based learning of robotic grasping and manipulation for selective fruit harvesting”
  • Congrats to Miranda for successfully defending her PhD dissertation titled “Closing the loop on post-grasp fruit manipulation: Sensing and control solutions for selective tree fruit harvest”
  • Congrats to Farhan for successfully defending his PhD dissertation titled “Bio-inspired limbless locomotion of soft robots”