Dynamic and Architected Robot and structurE Laboratory
Department of Mechanical Engineering · Virginia Tech · Blacksburg, VA
The DARE lab pioneers new paradigms of intelligent robots and functional structures by harnessing the interplay between geometry, mechanics, actuation, and computation. Our work spans three interconnected research thrusts:
- 🦾 Origami-inspired morphing structures — deployable, reconfigurable, and multistable mechanical metamaterials
- 🧠 Physical Reservoir Computing — physically computing materials that perform machine learning tasks without CMOS electronics
- 🌱 Soft & reconfigurable robots — machines that move like animals or grow like plants
| Repository | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| OpenPRC | Unified framework for physics-to-task evaluation and optimization in Physical Reservoir Computing |  |
2025
- Embodying physical computing into soft robots — Nature Communications
- Hyper-Yoshimura: meta-stability for deployable robotics — Science Advances
- Re-purposing origami manipulator as adaptive physical computer — Advanced Science
2024
- Golden Ratio Yoshimura for meta-stable deployment — Phil. Trans. Royal Society A
- Proprioceptive perception via Physical Reservoir Computing — Advanced Intelligent Systems
2021
- Physical Reservoir Computing with Origami — Scientific Reports
| Name | Role | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Suyi Li | Principal Investigator | Lab director |
| Jun Wang | PhD | Intelligence in the mechanical domain |
| Ziyang Zhou | PhD | Deployable robots, mechanical CPGs |
| Ardalan Kahak | PhD | Kirigami engineering |
| Jyotshna Bali | PhD | Personalized wearables |
| Yogesh Phalak | PhD | Physical computing and GPU simulation |
| Wen Sin Lor | PhD | Robotic learning with dynamic interaction data |
| Alec Boron | MS | Soft grippers |
| Ken Wichiramala | MS | Underwater bio-inspired sensors |
📍 Virginia Tech · Blacksburg, VA 24061 🌐 dare.super.site
Interested in joining the lab or collaborating? Reach out via the lab website.
