Biosketch

Robert Joseph Full

Robert Full completed his undergraduate studies at SUNY Buffalo in 1979. He also did his graduate work at SUNY Buffalo, receiving a master's degree in 1982 and a doctoral degree in 1984. He held a research and teaching post doctoral position at The University of Chicago from 1984 to 1986 during which time he did research at Harvard University. In 1986 he joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley as an Assistant Professor of Zoology. He was promoted to Associate Professor of Integrative Biology in 1991, and to Full Professor of Integrative Biology in 1995, a position he holds today. In 1996 he was given a Distinguished Teaching Award. In 1997 Professor Full became a Chancellor's Professor and the director of a new biological visualization center. In 1998 Professor Full received a Goldman Professorship for teaching.

Professor Full directs the Poly-P.E.D.A.L. Laboratory which studies the Performance, Energetics and Dynamics of Animal Locomotion (P.E.D.A.L.) in many-footed creatures (Poly). His research laboratory applies the same techniques used in the study of human gait - 3D kinematic, force platform, and EMG analysis - but in miniature. His internationally recognized research program in comparative physiology and biomechanics has shown how examining a diversity of animals leads to the discovery of general principles of locomotion. General principles can then be used as hypotheses to explain the remarkable diversity in physiology and morphology in nature. His programmatic theme is Diversity Enables Discovery. At the same time, discovering the function of simple, tractable neuromechanical systems along with a knowledge of evolution can provide new design ideas applicable to the control of animal and human gait. Recently, Professor Full's research has focused on the role of the mechanical system in self-stabilization.

Full's research also has provided biological inspiration for the design of multi-legged robots and computer animations. His research interests extend from analyzing the pitching motion of a Hall of Fame pitcher to assisting computer animators make children's movies (Pixar/Disney Bug;s Life). In 1990 Full received a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigators Award. In 1994 he presented his research at the Annual Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Full's research has been featured in the popular press such as newspapers, various science magazines and on several television shows (CNN, NBC Today Show, ABC World News Tonight, Discovery Channel).

Education

1984 Ph.D. State University of New York at Buffalo 1982 M.A. State University of New York at Buffalo 1979 B.A. State University of New York at Buffalo

Professional Experience

Goldman Professor, University of California, Berkeley 1999 - 2001; Chancellor's Professor, University of California, Berkeley 1996 - 1999; Professor; University of California, Berkeley 1995 - present; Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley 1991 - 1995; Assistant Professor University of California, Berkeley 1986 - 1991; Post doctoral Lectureship, The University of Chicago, 1984 - 1986; N.S.F. Research Assistant S.U.N.Y. Buffalo, Summers 1979 - 1984

Honors and Awards

Summa Cum Laude , S.U.N.Y. Buffalo; Phi Beta Kappa , S.U.N.Y. Buffalo; Bookout Scholarship, Duke University Marine Laboratory; Sigma Xi, Willard B. Elliot Award - Outstanding Research Accomplishments; Excellence in Teaching Award for Graduate Students, S.U.N.Y. Buffalo; Master's Scholar Award, Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools; COCOS Foundation Lecturer, Duke University, University of California at Berkeley; Presidential Young Investigator Award, NSF; Invited Scholar - Oklahoma Scholars Leadership Enhancement Program; Frontiers of Science Speaker - National Academy of Sciences; National Academy of Sciences Invited Speaker - Annual Meeting 1995; G.W. Thorn Award - Distinguished Alumni, S.U.N.Y. Buffalo; Friday Evening Lecturer - MBL, Woods Hole; Distinguished Teaching Award - U.C. Berkeley; Chancellor's Professorship - U.C. Berkeley; Goldman Professorship - U.C. Berkeley

Relevant Publications

1. Spenko, M.J., G. C. Haynes, J. A. Saunders, M. R. Cutkosky, A. A. Rizzi, R. J. Full, D. E. Koditschek. Biologically Inspired Climbing with a Hexapedal Robot. Journal of Field Robotics. Volume 25, Issue 4-5, 223-242, 2008. Full text of this article in PDF

2. Lee, J., S. Sponberg, O. Loh, A. Lamperski, R.J. Full, and N. Cowan. Templates and anchors for antenna-based wall following in cockroaches and robots. IEEE Transactions on Robotics. 24, 130-143, 2008. Full text of this article in PDF

3. Jusufi, A., D. I. Goldman, S. Revzen, and R. J. Full. Active tails enhance arboreal acrobatics in geckos. PNAS. 105, 4215–4219, 2008. Full text of this article in PDF

4. Sponberg, S., Full, R. J. 2008. Neuromechanical response of musculo-skeletal structures in cockroaches during rapid running on rough terrain. JEB, 211, 433-446. Full text of this article in PDF

5. Peattie, A.M., Full, R. J. 2007. Phylogenetic analysis of the scaling of wet and dry biological fibrillar adhesives. PNAS, 104, 18595-18600. Full text of this article in PDF