Rate My Professor Daniel Aukes

Daniel Aukes is an Associate Professor in the Polytechnic Engineering Programs and the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He serves as the director of the Integrating Design, Engineering, and Analysis Laboratory (IDEAlab), where his research explores the intersection of design, manufacturing, robotics, and data-driven decision-making. Aukes focuses on developing affordable and accessible robotic systems capable of operating in specialized environments through innovative fabrication techniques such as laser cutting and 3D printing. His work emphasizes embedding analytical and simulation-based methods into the design process to predict the behavior of complex robotic structures, including soft robotics, compliant mechanisms, foldable robots, and bio-inspired designs like self-burrowing robots and tunable compliant legs.

Aukes earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2013, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2009, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University. Prior to joining Arizona State University as an Assistant Professor in 2015, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory. He received the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, recognizing his contributions to making robot development pipelines more accessible using affordable materials. His research has significantly influenced the field, with highly cited publications including 'Self-folding origami: shape memory composites activated by uniform heating' (Smart Materials and Structures, 2014, 379 citations), 'Highly stretchable self-sensing actuator based on conductive photothermally-responsive hydrogel' (Materials Today, 2021, 216 citations), 'Design and testing of a selectively compliant underactuated hand' (The International Journal of Robotics Research, 2014, 210 citations), 'Tunable sponge‐like hierarchically porous hydrogels with simultaneously enhanced diffusivity and mechanical properties' (Advanced Materials, 2021, 209 citations), and 'The flying monkey: A mesoscale robot that can run, fly, and grasp' (IEEE ICRA, 2016, 100 citations). Aukes has presented his work at venues such as the DREAMS/CPAR Seminar at UC Berkeley and the ATLAS Institute.