- Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- J. Mike Walker '66 Chair Professor
- University Distinguished Professor
- Member, National Academy of Engineering
- Director for Space and Robotics Initiatives, TEES
- Affiliated Faculty, Aerospace Engineering
- Affiliated Faculty, Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Phone: 979-845-0991
- Email: rambrose@tamu.edu
- Office: MEOB 510A
- Website: Research Website
- Linkedin: Profile
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
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- Robot Manipulation
- Robot Mobility
- Wearable Robotics
- Electro Mechanical System Design
Industry Experience
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- 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.