Spencer Folk Defends Dissertation on Real Time Local Wind Inference for Robust Autonomous Navigation News / January 5, 2026 Folk defended his doctoral dissertation, “Real Time Local Wind Inference for Robust Autonomous Navigation,” completed under the guidance of Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean and Professor, and Mark Yim, Asa Whitney Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Read More
Helping Robots Work Together to Explore the Moon and Mars News / September 29, 2025 In early August, the crisp dawn sky above White Sands National Park glows faintly blue, gradually brightening as streaks of marigold and soft pink pierce the clouds with the rising sun. But although the powder-white sand of the 30-foot gypsum dunes is cool at dawn, air temperatures become blistering hot... Read More
No Plan, No Problem: Teaching Robots to Build Without Blueprints News / June 25, 2025 Bees, ants and termites don’t need blueprints. They may have queens, but none of these species breed architects or construction managers. Each insect worker, or drone, simply responds to cues like warmth or the presence or absence of building material. Unlike human manufacturing, the grand design emerges simply from the... Read More
Penn4C Announces Awardees for Community-led Partnership Grant News / February 29, 2024 The Penn Community Collaboratory for Co-Creation (Penn4C), an initiative led jointly by the Welcome to Penn Nursing (upenn.edu) (Penn Nursing) and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering), has awarded funding to five new research projects that address social justice through designing and implementing solutions to improve health, well-being and safety. In... Read More
