M. Khalid Jawed
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING
46-147E, Engr IV
Email: khalidjm@seas.ucla.eduPhone: (310) 206-5453
Websites
RESEARCH AND INTERESTS
Structures-Computer Interaction Lab works at the intersection of mechanics, robotics, machine learning, and computer graphics. The lab uses mechanics to create robots and smart structures with unprecedented capabilities. In parallel, it employs robotics to uncover the fascinating mechanics behind advanced materials and biological locomotion. Machine learning-assisted physics-based modeling of flexible structures and robots is a core theme of the group's research. Applied research projects include robotics and automation for precision agriculture.
NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS
Google Scholar Page (https://scholar.google.com/ citations?user=s3tbPWMAAAAJ& hl=en)
IN THE NEWS
- Spider Man, June 2022 (https://newsroom.ucla.edu/
magazine/m-khalid-jawed- spider-flight/) - How Spiders Fly: Untangling the Mystery of Arachnids’ Electrically Charged Ability to
Soar, May 2022 (https://samueli.ucla.edu/how-
spider-fly-untangeling-the- mystery-of-arachnids/) - Simulations Shed Light on Interactions that Help Spiders Fly, March 2022 (https://physicsworld.com/a/
simulations-shed-light-on- interactions-that-help- spiders-fly/) - Airborne Spiders Drift on Multiple Silk Threads, March 2022 (https://physics.aps.org/
articles/v15/31) - Soft Focus: A Flexible Future for Robots, June 2022 (https://newsroom.ucla.edu/
magazine/soft-robots- engineering) - Cinema-Inspired Simulation Spawns Soft Robots, August 2020 (https://www.asme.org/topics-
resources/content/cinema- inspired-simulation-spawns- soft-robots) - UCLA and Carnegie Mellon Researchers Develop First Real-Time Physics Engine for Soft Robotics, May 2020 (https://samueli.ucla.edu/
first-real-time-physics- engine-for-soft-robotics/) - Buckling in Bacteria Tails, October 2015 (https://physics.aps.org/
articles/v8/s117) - Physics May Reveal How to Tie the Perfect Knot, September 2015 (https://www.science.org/
content/article/physics-may- reveal-how-tie-perfect-knot) - Knot so Simple, October 2015 (https://www.nature.com/
articles/nphys3514) - What’s the Best Way to Tie Your Shoes? Physics May Have the Answer, September 2015 (https://gizmodo.com/whats-
the-best-way-to-tie-your- shoes-physics-may-have- 1729896581)
EDUCATION
- Postdoctoral Research (Soft Robotics), Carnegie Mellon University, 2016-17
- Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering: Mechanics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016
- S.M. (Mechanical Engineering), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014
- B.S.E. (Aerospace Engineering), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2012
- B.S.E. (Engineering Physics), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2012
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- 2022 Editor’s suggestion and "Focus" story in "Physics" magazine for "Ballooning in spiders using multiple silk threads"
- 2021 Finalist for Best Paper Award in "Robot Mechanisms and Design" category, IROS 2021
- 2021 Finalist for Best Paper Award in “Agri-Robotics” category, IROS 2021
- 2021 CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
- 2020 Inside Front Cover, Journal: Soft Matter
- 2019 Outstanding Teaching Award, UCLA Mechanical Engineering
- 2015 Wunsch Foundation Silent Hoist and Crane Teaching Assistant Award, MIT Mechanical Engineering
- 2014 GSNP Student Speaker Award, American Physical Society March Meeting, Denver, CO