Katherine Kuchenbecker Presents at TEDYouth 2012 Katherine
Kuchenbecker, Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in
the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics,
presented "Touch Technology," a description of research in
haptics, at the 2012 TEDYouth conference in November. The
TEDYouth conference is a day-long event that features speakers
and hands-on activities for high school students. Presenters
range from scientists, designers, technologists, explorers,
artists and performers. Kuchenbecker’s talk can be seen in the
video below and on TED.com. Kuchenbecker's research is in
haptics, or the design, control, and performance of robotic
systems that enable a user to touch virtual objects and distant
environments as though they were real and within reach. These
haptic interfaces combine electromechanical sensors and
actuators with high-speed computer control to fool the human
sense of touch. By studying applications such as robot-assisted
surgery, smart prosthetics, educational computer g