Katherine J. Kuchenbecker
Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM)
Computer and Information Science (CIS)
Email | Personal Webpage | Research Webpage
Honors and Awards: IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Academic Early Career Award - 2012, Citation for Meritorious Service as a Reviewer for the IEEE Transactions on Haptics - 2011 and 2008, PopTech Science and Public Leadership Fellow - 2011, Ford Motor Company Award for Faculty Advising - 2010, NSF CAREER Award - 2009, Best Hands-on Demonstration - IEEE World Haptics Conference - 2009, Best Haptic Technology Paper - IEEE World Haptics Conference - 2007
Research Expertise: Haptics | Robotics | Mechanical Systems
Katherine researches the design and control 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, tablet computers, stroke rehabilitation, and personal robots, Katherine seeks to improve our understanding of haptic feedback and uncover new opportunities for its use in interactions between humans, computers, and machines.
Member of:- General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP)
- Center for Human Modeling and Simulation (HMS)
Education:
PhD Mechanical Engineering 2006 - Stanford University
MS Mechanical Engineering 2002 - Stanford University
BS Mechanical Engineering 2000 - Stanford University
Recent Publications 
- A practical system for recording instrument interactions during live robotic surgery, McMahan, W. | Gomez, E.D. | Chen, L. | Bark, K. | Nappo, J.C. | Koch, E.I. | Lee, D.I. | Dumon, K.R. | Williams, N.N. | Kuchenbecker, K.J., Journal of Robotic Surgery, 2013
- ROS open-source audio recognizer: ROAR environmental sound detection tools for robot programming, Romano, J.M. | Brindza, J.P. | Kuchenbecker, K.J., Autonomous Robots, 2013
- In vivo validation of a system for haptic feedback of tool vibrations in robotic surgery, Bark, K. | McMahan, W. | Remington, A. | Gewirtz, J. | Wedmid, A. | Lee, D.I. | Kuchenbecker, K.J., Surgical Endoscopy and Other Interventional Techniques, 2013
- Low bitrate source-filter model based compression of vibrotactile texture signals in haptic teleoperation, Chaudhari, R. | Çizmeci, B. | Kuchenbecker, K.J. | Choi, S. | Steinbach, E., MM 2012 - Proceedings of the 20th ACM International Conference on Multimedia, 2012
- Vibrotactile Display: Perception, Technology, and Applications, Choi, S. | Kuchenbecker, K.J., Proceedings of the IEEE, 2012