Ms. Sareum Kim

Postdoctoral Researcher

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

My research focuses on developing soft robotic platforms capable of navigating unstructured environments. By observing the unique behaviors of live animals and plants, their working principles are captured and analyzed, which are then implemented in robotic prototypes. I have been working on several different robotic systems, including an elongating ribbon robot that achieves locomotion on adhesive terrain using wave propagation inspired by the pedal waves of snails; a burrowing robot that moves through granular media with the help of origami feet, inducing anisotropic friction forces found in many insects and animals; and a rapidly morphing block made by folding structures that have patterns similar to leaves, resulting in dramatic shape changes. The ultimate goal of my research is to create bio-inspired robots that can also serve as templates for understanding the very nature that inspired their design.