• Professor, Mechanical Engineering
  • J. Mike Walker '66 Chair Professor
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering
  • Director for Space and Robotics Initiatives, TEES
  • Affiliated Faculty, Aerospace Engineering
  • Affiliated Faculty, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Dr. Robert Ambrose

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin — 1991
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis — 1987
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis — 1986

Research Interests

    • Robot Manipulation
    • Robot Mobility
    • Wearable Robotics
    • Electro Mechanical System Design

Industry Experience

    • 8 years of industrial experience as a project leader at MITRE and Metrica Inc.
    • Over 20 years of government experience at NASA
      • Member of the U.S. Senior Executive Service
      • Division Chief, Johnson Space Center
      • Principal Technologist, NASA Headquarters
      • Retired 2021
    • IEEE Robotics and Automation Society VP for Industrial Activities

Awards & Honors

  • 2024 Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor
  • 2022 ASME Thomas A Edison Patent Award
  • 2020 Robo-Glove, NASA Commercialized Invention of the Year
  • 2020 Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
  • 2016 Selected for Senior Executive Service (SES)
  • 2015 Robonaut 2, NASA Invention of the Year
  • 2013 Robo-Glove: R&D Magazine One of the 100 Most Significant New Products of the Year
  • 2013 University of Texas Distinguished Alumni Award
  • 2013 NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, for leading NASA’s Multi-center human robotics team
  • 2010 GM Most Valuable Colleague Award
  • 2010 NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, for leading the Human-Robotic Systems team
  • 2005 NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal, for advancing dexterous space robotics
  • 2005 NASA JSC Director Commendation
  • 2003 Rotary Stellar Award Nominee

Selected Publications

  • Siddharth Shrivastava, Andras Karsai, Yasemin Ozkan Aydin, Ross Pettinger, William Bluethmann, Robert O. Ambrose, Daniel I. Goldman,, “Material remodeling and unconventional gaits facilitate locomotion of a robophysical rover over granular terrain”, Science Robotics (2020), Vol.5, Issue 42.
  • Bluethmann, W., Herrera, E., Hulse, A., Figuered, J., Junkin, L. Q., Markee, M., Ambrose, R.O., "An active suspension system for lunar crew mobility", Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference 2010, Big Sky Montana, March 2010.
  • Ambrose, R.O. and Ambrose, C.G., “Primate Anatomy, Kinematics and Principles for Humanoid Design”, International Journal of Humanoid robots, Volume 1, Pages 175-198, 2004.
  • O’Malley, M.K., Hughes, K.J., Magruder, D.F. and Ambrose, R.O., “Simulated Bilateral Teleoperation of Robonaut”, Journal Environments, Volume 8, September 2003.
  • Bluethmann, William, Ambrose, Robert, Diftler, Myron, et. al., “Robonaut: A Robot Designed to Work with Humans in Space”, Jou. of Autonomous Robots, Volume 14, pages 179-197, December 2002.