Andy Ruina - Research
 

The Biorobotics and Locomotion Lab
(Also called the Human Power, Biomechanics, and Robotics Lab).
Department of Mechanics, 306 Kimball Hall, Phone: 607-255-7108

We use mechanics principles to try to better understand various aspects of human and robotic motion - locomotion in particular. Ultimately, we hope that our work will contribute to advances in medical rehabilitation of the disabled, prosthetic research and development, exercise physiology, robotic control and simulation, the understanding of coordination in general, and the general quality of engineering education.

This research has been supported by various NSF grants since 1984.
 

WEBMASTER NEEDED. Posted January 21, 2008
Freshman - Junior. Need to be comfortable with, or at least quick to learn, both PCs and Mac. Perpetually design and improve lab website, add video collection, add project management system, add webcam, etc. Want someone likely to stick with lab for 2 or more years. Responsibility and consistency are more valuable than wizardry. Contact ruina@cornell.edu

Robots (Pictures, links to videos, etc)

Lab Press

Joining the lab (for Cornell undergrads/M-Eng and potential PhD students and post-docs)

Students (list, present and past)

Research Areas

 
Locomotion and Robotics   Overview | Papers | External Links, List of robots

Walking robots, passive dynamics, human walking, hopping, brachiation models, rowing mechanics, collision costs in locomotion.
Nonholonomic Dynamics   Papers

Walking is in some sense non-holonomic, adding to the small list of non-holonomic mechanisms such as rolling and skating that might contribute to passive dynamic stability without dissipation.
Collision Mechanics   Overview & Papers

The phrase 'rigid body collisions' is an oxymoron; collisional forces depend on deformation. Nonetheless, Chatterjee and I worked out some of the basics of this classical subject.
Bicycle Mechanics   Overview, Papers & External Links

In this lab, Papadopoulos, Hand, Schwabb and Dressell have worked out interesting details about the passive stability of a moving bicycle. A bit here on pedaling mechanics as well.
Friction and Fracture   Papers

With help from the three Jims - Rice, Dieterich and Papadopoulos, as well as former students Horowitz and Goyal, we worked out various things about how solids can and might slide against each other. About fracture, why K?
Miscellaneous   Papers & Miscellany

Sailing downwind, disks and tops, and various other rants and odds and ends.
 

 

Please send Web site comments to ruina@cornell.edu.

Designed by A. Belani