Nicholas Naclerio, working under the supervision of Professor Elliot Hawkes, has been awarded both the 2019 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship, and has accepted the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship.  His research focuses on the mechanical design of soft robots, using flexible and compliant components to overcome the limitations of conventional robotics. Nicholas’ current projects include a soft, pneumatic, robot that can grow like a vine and burrow into sand; and a continuously variable, high gear reduction transmission that uses gecko-inspired adhesives and flexible elements in place of gear teeth.