Mark Yim

Mark Yim serves as the Asa Whitney Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also holds positions as Director of the GRASP Laboratory and Faculty Director of the Design Studio at Venture Lab. After earning his BS in Engineering Mechanics from Johns Hopkins University in 1987 and both his MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University by 1994, he gained valuable industry experience at Virtual Technologies and Xerox PARC before transitioning to academia. His groundbreaking research focuses on modular reconfigurable robots that can transform their shape to suit different tasks, from snake-like configurations to humanoid forms and multi-legged robots. As a recognized innovator, he was named a 2018 National Academy of Inventors Fellow for his contributions to robotics and society. His recent work includes the development of SMORES-EP, an advanced modular robot system, while expanding research into flying robots and task specification optimization. His innovative approach to robotics has earned him recognition as a leading expert in mechanical systems design and robotic locomotion, with projects spanning from self-assembling aquatic bots to humanoid robots for elder care.