Webster-Wood named 35 Innovator Under 35

Kaitlyn Landram

Sep 12, 2023

Read more... MIT Technology Review

Vickie Webster Wood, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been named one of the 2023 35 Innovators Under 35 by MIT Technology Review for her bio-bots, aimed at making robotics more environmentally friendly.

The list, released each year, introduces the poeple driving the next wave of innovation across 5 topic areas: robotics, computing, biotechnology, climate and energy, and artificial intelligence.

"Joining the MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35 list is a tremendous honor. It is a privilege to join this distinguished group of innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs. This recognition also highlights the impact and importance of the work we are doing in my lab to advance sustainable, biodegradable robotics. I hope that this recognition will bring global awareness to the importance of sustainability in robotics and the potential for biomaterials to contribute to the field," shared Webster-Wood.

MIT Robotics Innovators — **Source:** MIT Tech Review

Per MIT Tech Review, Webster-Wood's influence in biohybrid robotics is extensive: her many feats include building bots with legs made from the muscle of sea slugs and modeling that animal's nervous system to study how robots derived from living materials might operate without external controls.

Webster-Wood believes innovation needs to happen across all technology readiness levels for engineering to advance. Wherever future innovators find their passion, whether in creating new tools and knowledge for scientific inquiry, or translating those findings to application, science, engineering, and creative inquiry are needed. "Stay curious," she says.