About us

_About Us_

_Principal Investigator_

Picture of Dr. Hunt with son in front of waterfall

Dr. Alex Hunt

Dr. Hunt is PI for the lab. He works closely with international biologists studying locomotion to develop dynamic legged robotic control systems. He oversees all research performed in the lab.

_Post Docs_

Leo Micklem (he/him)
Post-Doc

Research Area:
Leo's research at PSU focuses on bioinspired robotics, specifically neural network control of a quadruped robot with integrated artificial muscles. He is passionate about learning from the natural world to find solutions in robotics that help humans and the environment. He graduated with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin in 2020. He started his PhD in 2020 at the University of Southampton before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2023 to complete his studies. His PhD, titled, 'Biologically inspired underwater soft robotics: Enhanced force production and disturbance rejection' focused on soft lifting surfaces and soft propulsors, for underwater vehicles, with built-in deformation feedback for disturbance rejection and high-efficiency force generation.

Hobbies:
Ultimate frisbee, White water kayaking, Tin whistle

_PhD Students_

Ben Bolen
PhD Student

Research Area:
Ben works on the bipedal humanoid robot project. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honors society, and of Engineers Without Borders.

Hobbies:
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Stu McNeal
PhD Student

Research Area:
Stu's research interests center on computational neuroethology and include advancing parameter value selection algorithms, advancing laboratory experimentation capabilities, and exploration of biomimetic learning and balancing.

Hobbies:
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Jonathon Tran (he/him)
PhD Student

Research Area:
Jon's research involves additive manufacturing of thermoplastic composites (Onyx, TPU, PLA & ABS). His research work focuses on utilizing the Markforged Mark Two printer as well as investigating the Onyx material properties and characterizing them by performing a variety of mechanical tests.

Hobbies:
Running marathons

Masters Students

Jose Brambila Pelayo
MS Student

Research Area:
I work on designing robotic hip joints that mimic human biological movement using air-powered artificial muscles to create natural human motion.

Hobbies:
I love to work on cars especially JDM and Muscle cars. I also am a drone pilot, I really like building legos and watching Anime shows when I have free time.

Charlene de La Paz (she/her)
MS Student

Research Area:
As a human, it'd be kind of difficult to balance only had feeling in your ankles! And even worse, if you didn't have eyesight. I am working on implementing a visual system in conjunction with the biped balance controller.

Hobbies:
Avid fisherman, mountain biker, weightlifter, banjo picker, and book reader.

Alex Otey
MS Student

Research Area:
Alex's research focuses on biologically inspired vestibular control for robotic balance stabilization. His current project currently focuses on the integration of both proprioceptive and graviceptive feedback on a balance control robot.

Hobbies:
Skiing

Jacob Windsor
MS Student

Research Area:
I am refining a tunable rotary damper that can control the speed of our robot dog's locomotion by applying rotational resistance to its joints. A dial changes the applied resistance so we can mimic the biomechanics of various animals. In other words, I am working on a device that attaches to the leg joints and finely controls how quickly they move.

Hobbies:
I like to play casual video games, spend time outdoors exploring nature, and fix broken things around the house.

Matthew Young
MS Student

Research Area:
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Hobbies:
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Undergraduate Students

Rachel Health
Undergraduate

Research Area:
The quadruped robot currently uses fishing line as tendons that connects the muscles to the joints. The tendons are secured to the muscles by tying the line with knots to an end cap on the muscle. Tendons are secured to the joint via screws. When tension needs to be adjusted, the process is tedious – the screws need to be loosened and tightened repeatedly. The goal of this project is to redesign the end cap and tendon attachment system to make tension adjustments more efficient. My work involves CAD modeling of components, 3D printing, and trialing prototypes.

Hobbies:
Outside of school I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, and making pottery.

Yoosef Azarnoush
Undergraduate

Research Area:
I'll be designing multiple iterations of a currently designed bio-inspired gripper that can be used to grip sensitive materials to more rigid, heavier items.

Hobbies:
Space, boxing, almost any form of exploration

Zhy Escobar
Undergraduate / McNair Scholar

Research Area:
I work in the development of a six-legged robotic (hexapod) rover desgined to operate in challenging environments similar to those found on the Moon. Unlike traditional wheeled vehicles, legged robots can navigate uneven terrain, loose soil, and obstacles more effectively by adapting their movement to changing ground conditions. My research focuses on how biomimetic (nature-inspired) foot designs paired with sensors and control systems can help the robot detect and respond to terrain in real time, improving its stability, mobility, and autonomy. This work contributes to the broader oal of creating robotic systems capable of exploring environments that may be too dangerous, remote, or inaccessible for humans.

Hobbies:
Music Production/Composition; Playing guitar; Art (illustration)

Cal Jerome
Undergraduate / AARL Lab Assistant

Research Area:
I'm a research assistant so I do a lot of the odd jobs around the lab, assisting Dr hunt with logistics and procedures, preparing samples, fixing mechanical issues on our robots, and mentoring our interns. I'm also working on an improved quadruped based on my experience tinkering with muscle mutt over the years

Hobbies:
I make art sculpting/tinkering, sewing, collage, cooking. always adding a new skill to my toolbelt. I also enjoy some media and videogames! nerd stuff

Xavier Gatmaitan
Undergraduate

Research Area:
Lunar Hexapod Model Work: My work involves helping another undergraduate on his plans to construct a lunar hexapod (six-legged) robot that is capable of travelling on moons and other planets. My focus is is specifically on the foot designs of the robot and creating a mechanism where the feet could be swapped with other feet designs to optimize travelling in different terrains.

Hobbies:
Walking, video games, origami, reading

Danny V. Restrepo
Undergraduate/ McNair Scholar

Research Area:
I'm working on the final development phases of an auto-calibrating signal acquisition system that can be used on any current and future versions of the biomimetic quadruped robot in our lab. This signal acquisition system can capture the incoming signals from up to 48 of the sensors attached to the artificial muscles and tendons of the robot dog for the purposes of driving the feedback control loop governing locomotion. My other work at our lab is investing the design and fabrication of a novel "synthetic skin" high-frequency tactile perception system for robotic applications heavily inspired by the considerable advances in sensor-object interfaces proposed by other robotics researchers. Through this project, I will propose a design of my own (I'm extremely open to collaborating with other researchers) that inherits the best characteristics of the designs in the research articles upon which my work is based with a focus on a system architecture that enables: sub-millisecond data capture, spatial resolution comparable to that of human skin, the capacity to detect both gross and incipient slip, and the capacity to measure displacement and stretch of the sensing surface in a variety of environments.

Hobbies:
Snowboarding, soccer/football, music festivals, tinkering/DIY electronics projects

Simone Scheuer (she/her)
3rd Year Undergraduate

Research Area:
Simone's research focuses on the optimization of gelatin microparticle slurries for 3D bioprinting as well as integrated systems programming for the Muscle Mutt robotic dog platform.

Hobbies:
Outside of school I enjoy gardening, developing software, and playing guitar & harmonica!

Skelly C Skelington
Demonstration Platform

Research Area:
I am here to teach visiting tour groups about how we use artificial muscles in the lab

Hobbies:
Being spooky, playing my ribs like a xylophone, drinking milk, providing emotional support to lab mates, riddles.

High School Interns_

AARL Alumni_

Term/Year	Name	Degree	Project/Thesis
2026	Mantasha Altab Noyela	MS	SNS gait speed optimisation through Particle Swarm
	Angelina Patterson	BS	ECE Signal Acquisition Capstone
	Elijah Baros	BS	ECE Signal Acquisition Capstone
	Savannah Bedform	BS	ECE Signal Acquisition Capstone
	Zainab Saad	HS Intern	Development of Skeleton demonstration platform
	Yusra Sahil	HS Intern	Development of Skeleton demonstration platform
2025	Jack Lutz	MS	Mechanical Improvements and Control Implementation on a Biomimetic Quadruped Model
	Mark Pupkievicz	MS	Spike Timing Depended Plasticity Produces Unsupervised Learning of Synergistic Muscle Feedback in a Synthetical Neural Network
	Mohammad Elzein	MS	Pressure and Force Dynamics in Artificial Muscle Actuators: A State-Space and Optimization-Based Approach
	Elena Maher	BS	Gelatin Slurry Composition for bio-printing
	William Freeman	ASE Intern
	Maya Hernandez-Olea	ASE Intern
2024	Haonan Zheng	MS	Improving Biomimetic Passive Dynamics of a Quadruped Robot Hind Leg Hip Joint with a 3D Printed Torsion Spring
	Lawrence Pang	MS	Control of artificial muscles
	Jake Chung	MS	Artificial Muscle Sensing
	Manuel Mansilla	MS	Reinforcement learning for sensory feedback
	Aurora Villa Juan	BS	ML with Turbulence Data
	Marilyn Beletzuy-Melgar	BS	ML with Turbulence Data
	Rochelle Jubert	BS	Liquid Wire Sensors for BPAs
	Elijah Green	High School	Dynamic Scaling of legs
	Caris Aster	High School	Dynamic Scaling of legs
	Ashton Vasquez	High School	Balance Platform Redesign
	Pablo Riffel	High School	Balance Platform Redesign
2023	Gustavo Barraza	ASE Intern	Quadruped Robot Repair
	Setota Asrat	ASE Intern	Quadruped Robot Repair
	Eshita Punuganti	ASE Intern	Treadmill Control
	Johnny Parini	ASE Intern	Treadmill Control
	Flora Huang	ASE Intern	Quadruped Robot Control
	Lawrence Pang	MS
2022	Kaiyu Deng	PhD	Training Methods, Rat Simulation
	Emma Krnacik	MS	Applying Biomimetic Passive Dynamics to a Quadruped Robot Leg
	Lindie Burgess	MS	Biomechanical modeling and control
	Joe Sammartino	MS	Biomechanical modelling and control
	Brita Hill	MS	Neural Control Development
	Jordan Huddleston	MS	Artificial Muscle Control and Sensing
	Diana Chopin Gonzalez	BS	Muscle Mutt component development
	Manuel Mansilla	BS	Design of quadruped robot components
	Clara Cywinski	ASE Intern	Treadmill modeling and muscle attachments
	Sunil Williams	ASE Intern	Balance control robot
	Amiri Horn	ASE Intern	Balance control robot
	Sabrina McGarvey	High School	Airtable and muscle attachments
2021	Emma Krnacik	BS	Muscle Mutt component development
	Emma Iwaniec	ASE	ASE: Quadruped robot development
	Jeffrey Burt	ASE	ASE: Quadruped robot development
	Sarah Woods	ASE	ASE: Quadruped robot development
	Aidan Vogt	ASE	ASE: Quadruped robot development
	Beckett Peale	High School	PSI: Robot part development
	Fletcher Young	PhD	Training Methods, Rat Simulation
	Lindie Burgess	MS	Biomechanical modeling and control
	Joe Sammartino	MS	Biomechanical modeling and control
	David Pleschokov	BS	Build Exito: Spiking control of artificial muscles
	Harold Omotoy	BS	Build Exito: Testing of artificial muscles
	Nick Sabatini	BS	URMP: Neural network sensing and Animatlab modifications
	Ivan Kenevich	BS	Insect inspired velocity detection
	Jasmin Collins	BS	URMP: Muscle Mutt component development
	Sabian Limones	BS	Build Exito: Artificial muscle placement and testing
	Melissa McEntire	BS	Build Exito: Muscle Mutt component development
2020	Molly Vitketich	BS	ASE: Balance platform development; Liquid wire sensors for BPAs
	Jake Chung	BS	Balance platform development
	Thammik Leungpathomaram	ASE	ASE: Bipedal robot development
	Alaina Clar	ASE	ASE: Bipedal robot development
	Reyna Ayala	ASE	ASE: Balance platform development
	Tylise Fitzgerald	BS	URMP: Humanoid robot design
	Jovoni Ashtian	BS	Concrete attachment mechanism
	Mimi Shang	MS	Aerial air sensing
2019	Connor Morrow	MS	Center of mass sensing
	Andrea Natsis	MS	Turbulence Sensing
	Jovoni Ashtian	BS	Concrete attachment mechanism
	Alexander Steele	MS	Design of humanoid legs
	Warren Gunn	BS	REU: Imaging of annealed 3D printed parts
	Joshua Caneer	BS	URMP: Balance control
	Shepol Meman	BS	Turbulence sensing
	Jack Garvey	BS	Balance platform
	Remigius Stecher	BS	Center of mass sensing
	Trevor Leake	BS	Turbulence sensing
	Jonas Mendoza	BS	Build Exito: Robot support, arm prosthesis
	Ryan Gorecki	BS	Humanoid robot design
	Linsey Daclison	BS	Balance platform
2018	Luke Campbell	BS	Build Exito: Humanoid robot design
	Ching-Wei Lin	MS	Research credits: Path planning for grasping
	Zachary Clark-Williams	BS	URMP: Real-time simulation of neural systems
	Tiffany Hamstreet	MS	Balance control
	Wade Hilts	MS	Balance control
	Alex Steele	MS	Design of humanoid legs
2017	Elizabeth Andreyka	BS	REU: Spiking control of artificial muscles
	Forrest Ashmore	BS	Fatigue testing of knee joint
	Karmand Rasheed	MS	Electric motor based biological actuator
	Yanlong Pan	MS	Design of humanoid legs
	David Pleshakov
	Melissa McEntire
	Harold Omotoy
	Nick Sabatini
	Sabian Limones
	Jordan Huddleston
	Jason Miranda
	Rose Jardine

About us

_____________________________________________About Us_____________________________________________

_____________________________________Principal Investigator_____________________________________

Dr. Alex Hunt

_____________________________________________Post Docs_____________________________________________

___________________________________________PhD Students___________________________________________

________________________________________Masters Students________________________________________

____________________________________Undergraduate Students____________________________________

______________________________________High School Interns_______________________________________

____________________________________________AARL Alumni_____________________________________________

_About Us_

_Principal Investigator_

_Post Docs_

_PhD Students_

Masters Students

Undergraduate Students

High School Interns_

AARL Alumni_