Nicole Xu
- Scientists and engineers are modifying animals with mechanical parts to create next-generation biohybrid cyborg animals that can perform difficult and unappealing tasks for humans. But do humans have the right to overlook animal consciousness for personal gain? In this article by Salon, Assistant Professor Nicole Xu blazes this new terrain and explores the ethical considerations behind these biohybrid creatures using her jellyfish case study as an example.
- Living organisms have evolved across the span of millions of years to do things that are nearly impossible even for today's machines. But what happens when you combine biology and engineering to create more capable robots? Assistant Professor Nicole Xu shares her lab's efforts to create the next generation of cyborg jellyfish explorers.
- The Paul M. Ray Department of Mechanical Engineering has launched a new research area in design. The new focus area, geared toward PhD students, involves the study of the design process and how various contexts (environmental, psychological, political, etc.) affect the artifacts that today’s engineers aim to create.