Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio

Rebecca Kramer-Bottiglio is a robotics researcher whose work links machine learning with adaptable soft robots. She earned engineering degrees at Johns Hopkins, UC Berkeley, and Harvard before holding faculty appointments at Purdue and Yale. At Yale, she coauthored a 2020 Science Robotics review on electronic skins and machine learning, then led the 2022 ART study of a turtle-inspired robot that changes its limbs for land and water. Her lab built stretchable Arduino circuits for soft robots in September 2024, and NSF gave her the Waterman Award for robotics work in 2024. Since July 2026, she is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton.

Now at: Princeton University
Works: 150
Citations: 5,135
h-index: 36

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 27 October 2026.

Timeline

2007–2012

Engineering degrees

She earns a B.S. in mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins in 2007 and an M.S. in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley in 2008. She completes a Ph.D. in engineering sciences at Harvard in 2012.
By 2017

Postdoctoral and faculty work

After postdoctoral research at Harvard, she starts her academic career as an assistant professor at Purdue. In 2017, she joins Yale's faculty as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science.
2019

The Lee professorship

In 2019, Yale names her the John J. Lee Professor of Engineering. Her research focuses on materials, manufacturing, and robotics.
2020

Electronic skins and machine learning

She coauthors a 2020 Science Robotics review titled “Electronic skins and machine learning for intelligent soft robots.” It explores how e-skins and machine learning can support autonomous soft robots.
2022

Amphibious turtle robot ART

As principal investigator, she leads a 2022 study of ART, an amphibious turtle robot whose limbs change shape, stiffness, and behavior to move on land and in water.
2024

An NSF Waterman Award

She receives the 2024 Alan T. Waterman Award for contributions to robotics and research on machines that evolve on demand.
September 2024

Stretchable Arduino circuits

In September 2024, her lab develops stretchable Arduino circuits and embeds them in soft robots. The circuits keep working as they stretch and are designed for scalable reproduction.
Since July 2026

Professor at Princeton

Since July 2026, she is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton.

Career

Since 2026Princeton UniversityProfessor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
From 2017Yale UniversityAssistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, John J. Lee Professor of Engineering
Harvard UniversityPostdoctoral Researcher
Purdue UniversityAssistant Professor