UCLA: Robotics
UCLA’s Human Fusions Institute team is leading research on next-gen tactical robotics with highly talented and innovative robotics engineers. The advanced machines developed by their teams perform various tasks from search and rescue to military operations, transforming tactical robotics.
Veronica Santos, PhD
Veronica Santos is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director of the UCLA Biomechatronics Lab. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Faculty Affairs for the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering. Dr. Santos earned her B.S. in mechanical engineering (music minor) from UC Berkeley, was a Quality and R&D Engineer at Guidant Corporation, and earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering (biometry minor) from Cornell University.
As a postdoc at the University of Southern California, she contributed to the development of a bio-inspired tactile sensor for prosthetic hands before moving to Arizona State University as an Assistant Professor. Her research expertise includes hand biomechanics, human-machine systems, tactile sensing and perception, and prosthetics/robotics for grasp and manipulation.
Dr. Santos was selected for an NSF CAREER Award, the U.S. Defense Science Study Group, a U.S. National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium, and numerous teaching awards. Her work has appeared in TechCrunch and Forbes, among others. Dr. Santos has served as an editor for the flagship IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation and as Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Haptics Symposium, among other duties. She was a General Co-Chair for the 2022 IEEE Haptics Symposium, a role she will continue for 2024.
