Soft Robotics

Eric Markvicka, a professor of mechanical and materials engineering, is leading a 4-year, $1.2 million NIH-supported project to develop a wearable monitoring device with multiple sensors to detect flare-ups of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease. The device may someday help everyday people monitor their overall health and attune to early warning signs of illness. Markvicka directs the Smart Materials and Robotics Laboratory, where computer science and material science combine to engineer new materials that mimic biological tissues and create wearable computing, soft robotics and multifunctional materials. He has won several significant awards for his innovative engineering, such as the 2021 NUTech Ventures Emerging Innovator of the Year, the 2024 Edgerton Innovation award, 2024 ASME Rising Star of Mechanical Engineering, and a 2024 NSF CAREER Award. He is also a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. (Updated June 2025.)