Zeynep Temel

Zeynep Temel is an Associate Professor in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, where she leads the Zoom Lab and investigates bio-inspired strategies for increasing mechanical intelligence in robots. Her research focuses on designing compliant, flexible, and mechanically adaptive structures that enable robots to navigate and manipulate objects in complex environments without relying solely on high-bandwidth control or precise sensing. Temel’s group explores mechanisms inspired by biological systems, reconfigurable robot swarms, micro-robot locomotion, origami-based actuation, and soft robotic components that physically adapt to environmental constraints. By embedding intelligence into mechanical structures, her work aims to reduce algorithmic burden while expanding robot capabilities. Applications span search-and-rescue robots, medical and assistive devices, dexterous manipulation, and educational robotics platforms. Temel is also dedicated to teaching unconventional robotics and engaging broader communities in science and engineering, promoting new ways of designing robots that naturally harmonize structure, material, and control.