Madi Babaiasl, Ph.D.

CBL Assistant Professor of Robotics & Autonomous Systems

Lab Website • Google Scholar • PhD Thesis • YouTube Channel • LinkedIn • CV • Academic Genealogy

I obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Robotics) from Washington State University (WSU) advised by Prof. John P. Swensen. I am currently a Clare Boothe Luce assistant professor of robotics at Saint Louis University. My research at SLU involves developing robots for assistance, rehabilitation, agriculture, and education.

Current Research

Note: For more information on the current research, please check out my lab website: https://mecharithmlab.com/

My main research focus at SLU is on developing systems & robots for assistive, rehabilitation, agriculture, and education purposes, and we mainly focus on developing a safe and efficient human-robot interaction for assistive and rehabilitation robots, human intention detection, automating agricultural procedures, and developing better ways to improve robotics, mechatronics, and AI education. These involve research at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, control theory, artificial intelligence, game development, psychology, physical therapy, agriculture, and education. Interested in working in my lab? Contact me (through email) if:

  • You are an undergraduate or master's student enrolled at SLU, and you are looking for research experience in Robotics
  • You have applied to a Ph.D. program at SLU, and you would like to be advised by me
I also regularly advertise the available positions through my LinkedIn and lab website.

Here are some essential skills and qualities:
  • Being a team player, positive, creative, organized, and principle-centered person
  • A solid foundation in robotics (robot kinematics, dynamics, control, and perception)
  • Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python (preferred), C++, or MATLAB)
  • Familiarity with Robot Operating System (ROS)
  • Familiarity with machine learning techniques, computer vision, natural language processing, and AI algorithms for developing intelligent and adaptive robotic systems
  • Experience with integrating various sensors (e.g., cameras, depth sensors, force sensors) into robotic systems and processing sensor data
  • Knowledge of software development principles, software architecture, and version control systems
  • Strong research background (showcased by publications), analytical thinking, and experiment design & data analysis skills
  • Photography & videography skills are a plus
Please include your CV, link to publications, your website, or GitHub page (if applicable). Tips for successful emails from potential students:
  • Describe your research and projects in a coherent way and then lead your discussion to how they can be applied to the research in my lab.
  • Back up your research and projects with descriptive photos and especially videos.
  • If you have publications from your research, highlight them.
  • Show that you are an up-and-coming independent researcher and a self-learner. This can be shown by research internships, joining clubs that allow hands-on experience, etc.

My Ph.D. Research

My main research focus during Ph.D. was on developing fracture-directed steerable needles, which are a new type of steerable needles that can be directed to a target location by making a fracture in the soft tissue and then following with the superelastic needle with applications in surgery and biopsy. My Ph.D. research led to a patent titled "Fracture-directed steerable needles" .

Fracture-directed steerable needle projects (stylet&tube and waterjet) webpages and codes: Research and Projects for my Master's in Mechatronics Engineering

Here are the main research and projects that I was part of during my Master's in Mechatronics Engineering years:

  • 3-DOF Shoulder Rehabilitation Robot: design, modeling and control (Sliding Mode, Lyapunov-based, Inverse Dynamics and Neural Network-based Asymptotic Tracking controller)
  • Hand Tremor Suppression Rehabilitation device : successfully eliminated the hand tremor of a Parkinson's disease sufferer
  • Designed and tested a motor driver to run the 6 DC motors of the 6-DOF Surgical Robot
  • Six-legged ant robot : studied the locomotion of the ants
  • Shrimp Rover robot : successfully completed a rescue task
  • Designed and built a Segway (Two-Wheeled) Robot
Teaching, Mentoring & Entrepreneurship

Here are some teaching and entrepreneurial experience:

News, Media Coverage, Honors & Awards
  • [Jan 2022] Featured in RSIP Vision Magazine as a Woman in Science
  • [Apr 2022] Featured in "A Day in The Life of Robotics Engineer" article for Society of Women Engineers (SWE)'s blog
  • [Aug 2019] Featured on the cover of both MME Department and Robotics, & Autonomous Systems Initiative magazines at WSU
  • [July 2019] Featured in WSU Insider Magazine for my research on Steerable Needles
  • [May 2019] Received Wanda Munn (SWE Eastern Washington Section) Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement as well as strong engineering potential
  • [Feb 2018] Featured in Daily Evergreen Magazine for my research on Steerable needles
  • [Sep 2013]2nd Rank among all Mechatronics Engineering Graduate Students, School of Engineering Emerging Technologies, University of Tabriz
  • [Sep 2006] Top 0.2% of Math and Physics University Entrance Exam Contestants (300,000 total), NOET, Iran
Invited Talks and Presentations
Publications
generated by bibbase.org
  2025 (2)
Deployment of Large Language Models to Control Mobile Robots at the Edge. Sikorski, P., Schrader, L., Yu, K., Billadeau, L., Meenakshi, J., Mutharasan, N., Esposito, F., AliAkbarpour, H., & Babaiasl, M. In 2025 3rd International Conference on Mechatronics, Control and Robotics (ICMCR), pages 19–24, 2025. IEEE
link   bibtex  
Improving Robotic Arms Through Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, and Edge Computing. Sikorski, P., Yu, K., Billadeau, L., Esposito, F., AliAkbarpour, H., & Babaiasl, M. In 2025 3rd International Conference on Mechatronics, Control and Robotics (ICMCR), pages 35–41, 2025. IEEE
link   bibtex  
  2024 (4)
EMG-TransNN-MHA: A Transformer-Based Model for Enhanced Motor Intent Recognition in Assistive Robotics. Aikkarakudiyil Joby, J., Sikorski, P., Sultan, T., Akbarpour, H., Esposito, F., & Babaiasl, M. In 2024 IEEE BigData Conference, 2024. Accepted
link   bibtex  
Vision-aided Screw Theory-based Inverse Kinematics Control of a Robot Arm Using Robot Operating System (ROS2) - Part 1. Babaiasl, M., MacGavin, B., Tolon, D. M., & Roy, N. Computer Vision News,6-9. March 2024.
link   bibtex  
Vision-aided Screw Theory-based Inverse Kinematics Control of a Robot Arm Using Robot Operating System (ROS2) - Part 2. Babaiasl, M., MacGavin, B., Tolon, D. M., & Roy, N. Computer Vision News,6-13. April 2024.
link   bibtex  
Vision-aided Screw Theory-based Inverse Kinematics Control of a Robot Arm Using Robot Operating System (ROS2) - Part 3. Babaiasl, M., MacGavin, B., Tolon, D. M., & Roy, N. Computer Vision News,6-19. May 2024.
link   bibtex  
  2022 (2)
Characterization and modeling of a thermoplastic elastomer tissue simulant under uniaxial compression loading for a wide range of strain rates. Chen, Y., Ding, J., Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., & Swensen, J. P Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 131: 105218. 2022.
link   bibtex  
Robotic needle steering: state-of-the-art and research challenges. Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., & Swensen, J. P. Intelligent Service Robotics,1–33. 2022.
link   bibtex  
  2020 (6)
Neural network-based asymptotic tracking control of unknown nonlinear systems with continuous control command. Jabbari Asl, H., Babaiasl, M., & Narikiyo, T. International Journal of Control, 93(4): 971–979. 2020.
link   bibtex  
Predictive mechanics-based model for depth of cut (DOC) of waterjet in soft tissue for waterjet-assisted medical applications. Babaiasl, M., Boccelli, S., Chen, Y., Yang, F., Jow-Lian, D., & Swensen, J. P. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing,1–28. 2020.
link   bibtex  
Waterjet Fracture-directed Steerable Needles. Babaiasl, M. Ph.D. Thesis, Washington State University, 2020.
link   bibtex  
Duty Cycling of Waterjet Can Improve Steerability and Radius-of-Curvature (ROC) for Waterjet Steerable Needles. Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., & Swensen, J. P In 2020 International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR), pages 50–56, 2020. IEEE
link   bibtex  
Fracture-directed waterjet needle steering: Design, modeling, and path planning. Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., Boccelli, S., & Swensen, J. P In 2020 8th IEEE RAS/EMBS International Conference for Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics (BioRob), pages 1166–1173, 2020. IEEE
link   bibtex  
Resultant Radius of Curvature of Stylet-and-Tube Steerable Needles Based on the Mechanical Properties of the Soft Tissue, and the Needle. Yang, F., Babaiasl, M., Chen, Y., Ding, J., & Swensen, J. P In 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pages 3200–3207, 2020. IEEE
link   bibtex  
  2019 (7)
Fracture-directed steerable needles. Yang, F., Babaiasl, M., & Swensen, J. P Journal of Medical Robotics Research, 4(01): 1842002. 2019.
link   bibtex  
Predicting depth of cut of water-jet in soft tissue simulants based on finite element analysis with the application to fracture-directed water-jet steerable needles. Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., Chen, Y., Ding, J., & Swensen, J. P In 2019 International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR), pages 1–7, 2019. IEEE
link   bibtex  
Design, Mechanical Simulation and Implementation of a New Six-Legged Robot. Ghanbari, A., Babaiasl, M., & Veisinejad, A. arXiv preprint arXiv:1902.03547. 2019.
link   bibtex  
Static Compression Tests on SEBS Soft Tissue Simulants. Babaiasl, M., Chen, Y., Swensen, J., Yang, F., & Ding, J. 2019.
link   bibtex  
Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar SHPB tests on SEBS Soft Tissue Simulants. Babaiasl, M., Ding, J., Swensen, J., Yang, F., & Chen, Y. 2019.
link   bibtex  
Data for the paper entitled "Predictive Mechanics-based Model for Depth-of-Cut of Waterjet in Soft-Tissue for Waterjet-assisted Medical Applications". Babaiasl, M., Chen, Y., Yang, F., Ding, J., & Swensen, J. 2019.
link   bibtex  
Force Measurements for Needle Insertions into SEBS Soft Tissue Mimicking Simulants with and without Waterjet Running Through the Needle. Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., & Swensen, J. 2019.
link   bibtex  
  2018 (1)
Towards water-jet steerable needles. Babaiasl, M., Yang, F., & Swensen, J. P In 2018 7Th IEEE international conference on biomedical robotics and biomechatronics (biorob), pages 601–608, 2018. IEEE
link   bibtex  
  2016 (1)
A review of technological and clinical aspects of robot-aided rehabilitation of upper-extremity after stroke. Babaiasl, M., Mahdioun, S. H., Jaryani, P., & Yazdani, M. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 11(4): 263–280. 2016.
link   bibtex  
  2015 (1)
Sliding mode control of an exoskeleton robot for use in upper-limb rehabilitation. Babaiasl, M., Goldar, S. N., Barhaghtalab, M. H., & Meigoli, V. In 2015 3rd RSI International Conference on Robotics and Mechatronics (ICROM), pages 694–701, 2015. IEEE
link   bibtex  
  2014 (1)
Anthropomorphic mechanical design and Lyapunov-based control of a new shoulder rehabilitation system. Babaiasl, M, Ghanbari, A, & Noorani, S Engineering Solid Mechanics, 2(3): 151–162. 2014.
link   bibtex  
  2013 (1)
Mechanical design, simulation and nonlinear control of a new exoskeleton robot for use in upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke. Babaiasl, M., Ghanbari, A., & Noorani, S. M. R. In 2013 20th Iranian Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME), pages 5–10, 2013. IEEE
link   bibtex  

If you like this template, check out this guy's website.