DH

Dennis Hong

UCLA

Professor
Dr. Dennis Hong is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Founding Director of the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa). His research focuses on humanoid robotics, locomotion and manipulation, and autonomous systems, with an emphasis on human-centered design. He is known for creating imaginative and unconventional robotic systems that challenge traditional assumptions in engineering. He has developed over 50 unique robotic systems, including more than a dozen humanoid robots. His work spans high-performance humanoid robots such as ARTEMIS—one of the first electrically driven dynamic humanoids—as well as novel mechanisms inspired by nature, biology, and everyday phenomena. His research explores not only how robots move, but how design, embodiment, and interaction shape behavior and meaning. Dr. Hong’s work has been widely featured in international media, and The Washington Post described him as “the Leonardo da Vinci of robotics.” He is a recipient of numerous honors, including the NSF CAREER Award, the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, and the ASME Freudenstein/GM Young Investigator Award, and was named to Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10.” He has also led teams to major international competition successes, including the DARPA Urban Challenge and multiple RoboCup world championships. Beyond engineering, Dr. Hong is an artist whose kinetic installations explore motion, emotion, and the human condition. His work seeks to create machines that transcend utility—robots that not only move, but move us. Dr. Hong received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1994), and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University (1999, 2002).
Dr. Dennis Hong is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Founding Director of the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa). His research focuses on humanoid robotics, locomotion and manipulation, and autonomous systems, with an emphasis on human-centered design. He is known for creating imaginative and unconventional robotic systems that challenge traditional assumptions in engineering. He has developed over 50 unique robotic systems, including more than a dozen humanoid robots. His work spans high-performance humanoid robots such as ARTEMIS—one of the first electrically driven dynamic humanoids—as well as novel mechanisms inspired by nature, biology, and everyday phenomena. His research explores not only how robots move, but how design, embodiment, and interaction shape behavior and meaning. Dr. Hong’s work has been widely featured in international media, and The Washington Post described him as “the Leonardo da Vinci of robotics.” He is a recipient of numerous honors, including the NSF CAREER Award, the SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, and the ASME Freudenstein/GM Young Investigator Award, and was named to Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10.” He has also led teams to major international competition successes, including the DARPA Urban Challenge and multiple RoboCup world championships. Beyond engineering, Dr. Hong is an artist whose kinetic installations explore motion, emotion, and the human condition. His work seeks to create machines that transcend utility—robots that not only move, but move us. Dr. Hong received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1994), and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University (1999, 2002).
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