Wei-Hsi Chen
​Postdoctoral researcher in GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania

My name is Wei-Hsi, meaning “being the light (of the world)” in Mandarin, and I think of it as a reminder for me to brighten people up with everything I have.

Believing that everything is created for a purpose, I am driven with the curiosity to research how things work and why. I started picking up the study of robotics as a tool to deepen my understandings for how things behave while studying in the Bio-inspired Robotics Lab directed by Professor Pei-Chun Lin. Since then, burgeoned have my interests in bio-inspired robotics behavior, integration of systems, computational morphology, and embodied intelligence while pursuing my Ph.D. in Kod*Lab directed by Professor Daniel E. Koditschek and sunglab directed by Professor Cynthia Sung. 

Currently I am working on the SLICE muri project to imbue bio-inspired robots with the kind of “embodied intelligence” that allows a squirrel to leap between unstable platforms with agility. In contrast to traditional robots, I am focusing on establishing practical, mathematically rigorous design principles that can design dynamic robots through the origami fabrication process. 
​Visit my research to rejoice with me in the astonishment of robotics.

Education and Training

Postdoctoral Researcher     Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, present.
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​Ph.D.     Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 2022
​M.S.       Robotics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 2022
​M.S.       Mechanical Engineering, System and Control Division, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 2013
B.S.        Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 2011

Recent News

[12/05/2022]     Technical.ly: Artists and Penn PhDs collabed to explore the intersection of art and engineering - Press release.
[12/01/2022]     Hackaday: Ply your craft with tubular Origami - Article on my research.
[08/22/2022]     Starting a postdoc position at UPenn!
[07/14/2022]     I have successfully defended my dissertation: “Creating dynamical robots of different morphologies and sizes through automatic origami design”! Thanks to everyone who made this a reality!
[05/23/2022]     Presenting GRASP lab to ICRA attendants.
[05/22/2022]     Invited talk at the Festschrift in honor of Daniel E. Koditschek.
[04/ -- /2022]     Honored to mentor/collaborate with Nikkita Staggs in the "Robotics Art Residency".
[04/21/2022]     I have presented my research proposal!
[10/14/2021]     Invited talk at the GRASP SFI talk at the University of Pennsylvania.
[06/17/2021]     The Pennsylvania Gazette: X-RHex, Movie Star​ - Press release.

Contact Me

Feel free to contact me at weicc@seas.upenn.edu.