Laura H. Blumenschein

Laura H. Blumenschein is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, where she leads the RAAD Lab focused on soft robotics, bioinspired mechanisms, continuum robot architectures, and growing robots capable of navigating and interacting with complex environments. Her research combines design, materials, mechanics, and control to develop robots that extend, deform, and adapt their morphology in ways conventional rigid systems cannot. Blumenschein’s work explores soft continuum actuation, geometric and mechanical modeling of inflated beam robots, reconfigurable structures, and haptic interfaces for wearable or assistive technologies. She also investigates applications of soft, growing, or shape-changing robots in biomedical contexts, human–robot interaction, and remote exploration. Prior to joining Purdue, she completed her Ph.D. at Stanford University under the supervision of Allison Okamura, where she contributed foundational advances to the theory and design of soft “vine robots.” She holds MS and BS degrees from Rice University and has received multiple distinctions, including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Her research program emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration across design, manufacturing, materials, soft matter mechanics, and human-centered robotics.