Team — Illimited Lab

Ed Habtour is an assistant professor in the University of Washington Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics. Prior to joining UW, he held technical positions at Sandia National Laboratories, US Army Research Laboratory, and Northrop Grumman, and was a visiting scientist at Twente University, The Netherlands. His research focuses on nonlinear structural dynamics and nature-inspired designs.

Bart Boom is a PostDoc Schoalar at the Friday Habrbor Labratories. His research interests are focused on exploiting the nonlinear behavior of nature–inspired metamaterials and dynamic structures with biomimetic actuation for aerospace and robotic applications. Bart’s professional experience includes technical positions in multi-disciplinary fields of engineering ranging from horticultural machinery to offshore platforms and robotics.

Thijs Masmeijer is a PostDoc Schoalar at University of Twente. He completed a Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. Past research consists of the exploitation of dynamical properties to track crack propagation in composites and aluminum. This gained him experience in both experimental and numerical methods. Currently he is conducting his PhD at the Aeronautics and Astronautics department of the University of Washington.

Julius Naehrig is a PhD Researcher at the University of Washington Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics. His research focuses on the noise attenuation of helmholtz resonator arrays, inspired by the central spiral of a sunflower. He is looking at applying his findings in a wide variety of technologies.

John Michael Racy is working towards his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle. He works with the Illimited Lab and the Friday Harbor Laboratories to bring together methods and collaborators from the fields of structures, dynamics, fluids, and biomechanics. From stingray fins to spongy bones, his interest lies in answering questions which open engineering applications and produce biological insights.

Osvaldo (Ozzy) Aldaz is a member of the Illimited LAB, working towards his bachelor’s degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Washington. Over the last year he joined the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, aiding underrepresented students reach their academic and career goals while providing a home away from home.

Griff Ahnert is a PhD Researcher at the University of Washington Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics. His research investigates how irregular structural patterns in the hearing organs of bush crickets could lead to highly sensitive frequency selective structures. His research area also includes hardware development for spacecraft robotics, as well as their analysis, operations, and sequencing.

Lauren Wingert is a first year PhD Researcher at the University of Washington of Aeronautics & Astronautics. She recently graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mathematics. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted research in the field of bio-mimicry and the mathematical modeling of the swimming motion of fish. At the UW, she plans to continue researching the dynamics of nature-inspired structures.

Liv Dawes is PhD Researcher at the University of Washington of Aeronautics & Astronautics. Their previous research includes designing hydrofoils to increase stall resistance and designing amphibious robotics. At the UW, they plan to research how bio-inspired designs can be used to create novel underwater robotics.

Thomas Bieniewicz is a PhD Researcher at University of Washington Department Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research investigates geometric patterns found in naturally occcuring structures, such as the Stingray and Gannet, as devices for embedding mechanical inteeligence in structures. Areas of research include: Nonlinear Multibody Dynamic Modeling, Graph theory, Group Theory, Physical Robotic Design. He hopes to unite the fields of Biomechanics and Robotics through creating the tools enabling collaborative development of next-generation systems.

Danny is a member of the Illimited LAB at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering with a focus on neurotechnology. Danny plans to develop technology inspired by and in concert with biology in order to improve as many lives as possible.