UW Engineer Wins ‘Genius’ Award

Yoky Matsuoka, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, has been named one of this year's MacArthur Fellows, according to an article by Hannah Hickey at UWNews.org.

Matsuoka, whose research combines neuroscience and robotics to create more realistic prosthetics, was one of 24 people honored by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The $500,000, no-strings-attached prizes are often referred to as the "genius" awards. Recipients cannot apply for the honor and don't know they are nominated until notified that they have won. Matsuoka was at home on maternity leave when she got a call from an official with the foundation.

"It's unbelievable," Matsuoka said of the award. "He told me, 'Sit down, put your baby down. I've got some very surprising news.' "

Matsuoka directs UW's Neurobotics Laboratory, a name combining "neuroscience" and "robotics." Its research creates novel robots that can help people with disabilities or those with restricted mobility.

A major focus of Matsuoka's work investigates how our central nervous system produces signals that control our limbs' movements and then uses that information to create lifelike robotic prosthetics. The goal is to help people with reduced mobility use robots that integrate seamlessly with their bodies' motions.

One of Matsuoka's inventions is a lifelike robotic hand. Each bone was modeled on a human bone, and white strings that look like tendons run along each digit. In the current model, seven motors power the tendons' movements of the index finger. Each motor is supposed to represent a muscle. When people eventually attach the prosthetic to their arm, the idea is that the same signals they once used to move a biological hand would work to control the electronic replica.

Robotics and rehabilitation are common threads in Matsuoka's wide-ranging research pursuits. One project involves measuring the electric current along each muscle in the hand as a person reaches for and grasps an object. Another consists of a six-foot robotic arm that lets patients do rehabilitation exercises while it tracks their progress. When the patient begins to veer slightly offcourse, a virtual-reality display warns them of the error. People can then make the correction and learn to move more smoothly.

"What's different about Yoky is that she's a mechanical engineer, neuroscientist, bioengineer, robotics expert, and computer scientist all in one," said Matthew O'Donnell, dean of the UW's College of Engineering. "She has the ability to see what is possible by combining all these disciplines."

The MacArthur grants are given each year to United States residents of any age and in any field who show "exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future." The award is designed to give recipients the flexibility to pursue their creative activities in the absence of specific obligations or reporting requirements.

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