Magnetic & Medical Robotics Laboratory
Jake Abbott, Lab Director
Welcome to the Magnetic & Medical Robotics Lab in the Robotics Center and Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah! Many of our projects incorporate magnetic technologies in robotics, with a large focus on the use of magnetic fields to dexterously manipulate objects without any physical contact. Many of our projects consider medical applications of robotics, including both surgery/therapy and rehabilitation/assistance. Some of our projects consider a human operator as a physical element of the control loop, which is a topic referred to as "haptics". Many of our projects combine two or more of these themes.
TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:
If you are currently a student at the University of Utah and are interested in doing research in the M&M Robotics Lab, please contact me.
If you are not currently enrolled at the University of Utah, but are interested in pursuing a graduate degree working in the M&M Robotics Lab, you should apply to the degree program in Robotics or the degree program in Mechanical Engineering, as applicable to your preference and/or background. Your admission, and any funding offer, will be based on your complete application package relative to other students applying to our program. I am not able to respond to all emails about applications to our graduate program, or about my current open positions, due to high email volume. However, you may send me an email notification of your application if you would like to bring it to my attention.
Lab news
- March 29, 2024
Congratulations to Dr. Nicholas Posselli, who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation today!
- September 18, 2023
Congratulations to Dr. Devin Dalton, who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation today!
- August 10, 2023
Alan Kuntz (PI) and Jake Abbott (co-PI) were awarded a National Science Foundation grant “Modeling, Control, and Motion Planning of Magnetic-screw Microrobots in Soft Tissue”. $740,283, 9/1/2023-8/31/2026.
- July 24, 2023
Jake Abbott and Rogue Space Systems were awarded a Space Force STTR Phase 2 grant “Use of Rotating Magnetic Fields to Detumble Irregular Asymmetric Space Debris-Like Objects”. $420,000. 7/24/2023-10/23/2023.
- March 21, 2023
Congratulations to Dr. A. J. Sperry, who successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation today!