Hardware Podcasts

Episode 161: Collaborative haptic systems - Allison Okamura

Robot Talk · 19 Jun 2026 · 39m · Episode 161

AI in practice: one real use of AI described

What this episode covers

Allison Okamura, a professor at Stanford University and director of the CHARM lab, discusses collaborative haptic systems and soft robotics for medical and rehabilitation applications. She details projects including generative AI design co-pilots for continuum robots, ARPA-H funded 3D bioprinting of biological hearts, and wearable haptic devices using knitted fabrics and self-donning mechanisms. The conversation also covers vine robots for infrastructure inspection and the use of haptics in educational settings to teach physics and numeracy.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Design

The speaker describes a project to develop an AI design co-pilot that uses generative AI to accelerate the creation of new robot mechanisms and material choices, aiming to keep the human designer in the loop.

“with generative AI, I would love to find new ways of coming up with ideas for how to create new robots. What are the mechanisms, what are the materials we should use? … one of our new projects is that we, we joking, we call it, though, why didn't I think of that project? Because we love it when we see someone come up with some very cool, interesting new robot design and we'd love to accelerate that process.”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 4:49

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Stanford University
Products
Vine Robot
Also
CHARM Lab, ARIA

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