Dr. David Braun

My research is centered on the foundations of robotics, with an emphasis on the dynamics, control, and design of mechanically adaptive robots. The research conducted in my Laboratory has been disseminated in top academic journals in the fields of robotics (IEEE Transactions on Robotics), control (Automatica), biomechanics (IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering), physics (APS Physical Review Letters), other multidisciplinary science journals (AAAS Science Advances), and was featured by several news outlets, including The Conversation US, The Guardian UK, Die Welt Germany, The Next Big Future, among others.

I received the IEEE King-Sun Fu Transactions on Robotics Memorial Best Paper Award in 2014 and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2022. I was a Scientific Program Co-Chair of the 2015 IEEE International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics, Area Chair of the 2018 Robotics: Science and Systems Conference, Associate Editor of the 2019-2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, and Editor for the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics.

I received a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2009. From 2010 to 2013, I was a postdoctoral research fellow with the Statistical Machine Learning and Motor Control Group at the University of Edinburgh, and a visiting researcher with the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics at the German Aerospace Center. In 2014, I joined Singapore University of Technology and Design as a founding faculty member. In 2019, I moved to Vanderbilt as an Assistant Professor of mechanical engineering, with a secondary appointment in computer engineering.

Alumni

Beau Johnson

Beau is a postdoctoral researcher at the Braun Lab working on variable stiffness human augmentation devices. Beau received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt, studying under Dr. Michael Goldfarb. His research interests include the design and control of assistive and augmentative devices with an emphasis on lower limb prostheses and exoskeletons. His works include the design and […]

Ali Kilic

Ali Kilic is a Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2021 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He received the 2021 Dynamics & Controls Award presented to an outstanding student showing the most promise in the study and pursuit of dynamics and controls engineering at Vanderbilt University. […]

Ashley Fu

Ashley is an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt studying Electrical & Computer Engineering, with a minor in piano performance. She is also a member of the SyBBURE Searle Undergraduate Research Program.

Benjamin Racape

Ben is an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at Vanderbilt University from Wilmington Delaware seeking to apply foundational knowledge in robotics and dynamics to challenging complex problems.

Jack Abrams

Jack is an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University. He likes to do research related to dynamics, control, and robotics. He has held multiple internships in the renewable energy industry for NextEra Energy and is interested in pursuing a master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering post-graduation.

Kaijia Chen

Kaijia is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in computer science. He is passionate about research and has been involved with numerous research projects related to robotics. He possesses a strong penchant for road trips and is ambitiously endeavoring to explore all 50 states prior to graduation.

Christin Sanchez

Christin is an undergraduate student in computer science at the School of Engineering at Vanderbilt University and a part of the SyBBURE Searle Undergraduate Program. She is passionate about research and likes math and programming. Outside of research and school, she enjoys running, drawing, and reading.

Jordyn Heil

Jordyn is an undergraduate student at Vanderbilt University studying Electrical & Computer Engineering and Mathematics with minors in Computer Science, Physics, and Economics. He is also a member of the SyBBURE Searle Undergraduate Research Program. His passion for the intersection of software and hardware, coupled with a love for solving complex physics problems, aligns seamlessly with […]

George Dzadzamia

Hello, I’m George Dzadzamia from Georgia, studying Physics and Computer Science at Vanderbilt University. My research interests have recently expanded to include nonlinear optics and nanoparticles, in addition to my ongoing work with non-linear parametric oscillators. Outside of my academic and research activities, I enjoy playing strategy board games, exploring the fantasy world of ‘The […]

Vincent Chalvet

Vincent Chalvet was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Braun Lab at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Vincent obtained his Engineering Diploma in Mechatronics from the National Engineering Institute of France in 2008, and the Ph.D. degree in Automatic Control from the University of Franche-Comté in 2013. Prior to joining SUTD, he was a […]

Farnaz Adib Yaghmaie

Farnaz Adib Yaghmaie was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Braun Lab at Technology and Design. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering-Control at K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in 2009 and 2011, respectively. Subsequently, she received her Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at Nanyang (NTU) Technological […]

Tokens of Appreciation

For Dr. Braun
While this summer was my first time working in a research lab, Dr Braun has provided me with tremendous guidance by being a conscientious and nurturing Principal Investigator. He was prompt and responsive to my requests, and his advice in formulating research objectives has been crucial in inspiring my academic learning throughout this endeavor. Despite the initial challenges and occasional sense of overwhelmingness stemming from my new exposure to robotics, Dr. Braun’s adept explanations of project-related theories have consistently underscored the subject matter, facilitating my immediate understanding. By the end, I was able to grasp a lot more difficult concepts and become familiar with extensive professional knowledge. At times Dr Braun provides a lot of freedom, which can make me feel a slight sense of anxiousness as a more clearly defined path would be more beneficial in enabling me to effectively manage my time and enhance my productivity. Nevertheless, Dr Braun encourages my aspirations and expresses care for my personal growth. This support, along with the friendly environment fostered in the Braun Lab, contributed to a meaningful summer research experience. I really enjoyed applying classroom knowledge to real-world situations, and the research topic and related concepts inspired me to pursue a major in electrical engineering. I look forward to continuing working with Dr Braun in the following semester.
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Dear Dr. Braun,
Thank you so much for the opportunity to perform research in your lab this summer! As stated previously, I was in a separate lab before joining yours in the spring, and in that lab, the PI very rarely met with me to offer me guidance and help me through roadblocks. When I joined this lab, I was expecting the same relationship with my PI, but I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. You have always been extremely kind and caring, and your constant support has allowed me to accomplish much more than I could otherwise. Thank you for investing time into my development as a researcher. I hope that I can continue adding value to the lab wherever I can!
Sincerely, …

I had the privilege to work with Dr. Braun on independent research for the 2023 Fall and I can genuinely say that the experience exceeded expectations. Our meetings, while consistently productive, maintained an atmosphere that was refreshingly informal. Dr. Braun was always eager to answer questions and was extremely approachable.
Overall, Dr. Braun did an excellent job in providing challenging tasks that remained within my grasp while still pushing my knowledge and skill set. The work each week consistently felt productive yet never overwhelming. The guidance provided ensured that each step of the process felt meaningful, and his structured approach simplified the complex research process and ensured a sense of direction and purpose throughout. Furthermore, Dr. Braun was always diligent in providing relevant additional materials that were pivotal in clarifying difficult subjects or tasks.
Dr. Braun’s responsiveness to emails and other forms of communication made the process as a student clear and productive. Any questions or concerns I had were met with prompt response creating an environment of fluid dialogue. Additionally, Dr. Braun was always extremely personable and reasonable in any circumstantial requests, oftentimes understanding that the rest of my busy schedule disallowed me from making significant progress one week.
If I were to offer a constructive critique, it would be that at times, the process felt a bit too independent. While I acknowledge that this may have been more a result of my own approach and lack of self-advocacy, a greater emphasis on peer involvement could have enriched the process.
In conclusion, the semester working with Dr. Braun was both intellectually and personally enriching. His guidance, responsiveness, and balanced approach created an environment conducive to both productivity and personal growth. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to spend significant time with an accomplished faculty member and look forward to future endeavors.

Hi Dr. Braun,
I apologize for not having sent this earlier, as it was a very busy past few days for me.
However, I know we discussed the feedback a little in our final meetings, but I wanted to reiterate how helpful it was having you come in multiple times a week for progress updates. I think there were definitely moments where we’d discuss, and then I’d be able to head in a certain direction, but after a few days, I would no longer be progressing. Had we not had those meetings I think I wouldn’t have accomplished what was done this summer. As well, it was helpful to have great communication even when you weren’t here for the first 2 weeks. Even though you weren’t in the lab, we were still easily communicating over emails and Zoom meetings, and I think that the expectations for the summer research were very clearly set after our first meeting.
In terms of constructive feedback, I think it would have been slightly more helpful to have a ReadMe sort of file for the MATLAB code beforehand. When I first started attempting to solve the BVP, I went in a different direction than the existing example code, because it was very foreign to me and there wasn’t much literature documenting the code logic. I suppose that’s why we created those ReadMe files in the final week of summer research, but it would’ve helped speed up the research process at first.
Finally, I know we discussed a document being set up to see what is left for the research paper to be submitted on September 15th. I would still be interested in trying to push through those few weeks before the deadline, but a checklist similar to the summer research expectations that you created would be helpful for me to visualize how much we have left.
Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to conduct research at your lab this summer, I definitely feel that I gained new skills while also being able to use what I’ve already learned. Any feedback would be appreciated to help me improve both professionally and academically.
Thank you,
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