STEVE CULVER

Design of Robotic Leg Hardware

I am an expert in human walking biomechanics and robotic leg design. Robotic legs have the power to transform mobility, whether those legs are on labor-saving humanoids or someone with amputation or spinal cord injury. 

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For the last 7 years, I have focused my research on the robotic replication of human locomotion through the design of state-of-the-art robotic knees, ankles, and feet. My research is at the intersection of hardware design, control systems, biomechanics, and aesthetics. The multidisciplinary requirements of this challenge drove me to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, design a powered knee prosthesis, and design the lower legs of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot. These 7 years have earned me a level of mastery in solid mechanics, dynamics, kinematics, and the design of actuators, force sensors, linkages, and structures.