PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Robert D. Howe

Harvard roboticist Robert Howe connects sensing and motor control in humans and robots, and coauthored 2026 work applying a variational autoencoder and one-class SVM to sidewalk hazards. He studied physics at Reed College, worked as a design engineer in Silicon Valley, earned a mechanical-engineering PhD at Stanford in 1990, and then joined Harvard. His group developed the TakkTile tactile sensor, and its robotic hand outperformed rivals in a DARPA competition. He also coauthored a study on individualized exosuit assistance. As of October 2026, he is Harvard’s Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering and co-director of the MS/MBA program.

Works
423
Citations
14,442
h-index
66
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 27 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. By 1990

    Physics and Stanford engineering

    He earns a bachelor's degree in physics at Reed College, works as a design engineer in Silicon Valley's electronics industry, earns an S.M. in mechanical engineering at Stanford in 1985, and completes a PhD in mechanical engineering at Stanford in 1990.

  2. 1990

    Starting the BioRobotics Lab

    In 1990, he founds the Harvard BioRobotics Laboratory, whose research examines sensing and mechanical design in motor control across humans and robots.

  3. 2007

    An AIMBE fellowship

    He joins the AIMBE College of Fellows in the Class of 2007 for contributions to the biomechanics of sensing and motor control in humans and robots.

  4. 2012

    A robotic hand at DARPA

    In 2012, the robotic hand designed by Howe and his team outperforms rivals in a competition sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; it autonomously picks up a basketball, swings a hammer, and lifts a door key.

  5. 2013

    TakkTile touch sensing

    In 2013, Harvard BioRobotics Laboratory researchers develop TakkTile, an inexpensive tactile sensor for robot hands that can detect a slight touch.

  6. 2021

    Individualized exosuit assistance

    In 2021, he coauthors a study on individualizing exosuit assistance from measured muscle dynamics during versatile walking.

  7. 2026

    AI for sidewalk hazards

    In 2026, he coauthors a paper that applies a variational autoencoder and one-class SVM to sidewalk hazard detection.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor and program co-director

    As of October 2026, he is the Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering at Harvard, director of the Harvard BioRobotics Laboratory, and co-director of its MS/MBA program. His research includes robotic surgery, robotic hands, tactile sensing, and haptics.

Career

  1. NowHarvard UniversityAbbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering
  2. NowHarvard UniversityDirector of Harvard BioRobotics Laboratory
  3. NowHarvard UniversityCo-director of MS/MBA program
  4. 2004–2020Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  5. 2002–2005Stanford University
  6. From 1990Harvard UniversityFounder of Harvard BioRobotics Laboratory

Education

  1. 1990Stanford UniversityPhD in Mechanical Engineering
  2. 1985Stanford UniversityS.M. in Mechanical Engineering
  3. Reed CollegeBachelor's degree in Physics

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Checked career sources: biorobotics.harvard.edu.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. People Directory – Harvard Biorobotics Lab biorobotics.harvard.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  2. Robert D. Howe, Ph.D. COF-0429 - AIMBE aimbe.org. Checked 27 October 2026.
  3. Robot hands gain a gentler touch — Harvard Gazette news.harvard.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  4. Publications List – Harvard Biorobotics Lab biorobotics.harvard.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  5. Robert D. Howe | Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology hst.mit.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.