Faculty Directory
Michael A. Peshkin

Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Allen K. and Johnnie Cordell Breed Senior Professor in Design

Contact

2145 Sheridan Road
Tech B288
Evanston, IL 60208-3109

847-491-4630Email Michael Peshkin

Website

Center for Robotics and Biosystems

Peshkin Homepage


Departments

Mechanical Engineering

Affiliations

Master of Science in Robotics Program

Education

Ph.D. Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987

M.S. Experimental Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1984

B.A. Physics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 1979


Research Interests

Robotics, cobots, surface haptics, human-machine interface, bioinspired electrosense, sensors and actuators.


Significant Recognition

  • ASEE Ralph Coats Roe National Educator Award (2017)
  • Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2014)
  • Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence, 2011-2014

Selected Publications

Tactile Paintbrush: A Procedural Method for Generating Spatial Haptic Texture 

David J. Meyer, Michael A. Peshkin, and J. Edward Colgate

2016 IEEE Haptics Symposium, April 8-11, Philadelphia

Enhanced detection performance in electrosense through capacitive sensing

Yang Bai, Izaak D. Neveln, Michael Peshkin, and Malcolm A. MacIver

Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 11, no. 5 (2016): 055001

Development of a Model Osseo-Magnetic Link for Intuitive Rotational Control of Upper-Limb Prostheses

IEEE Transactions On Neural Systems And Rehabilitation Engineering, 2011

Tactile Pattern Display through Variable Friction Reduction 

Eurohaptics Conf. on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2007

Physical Collaboration of Human-Human and Human-Robot Teams

IEEE Transactions on Haptics, 2008

Cobot architecture

IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, 2001

KineAssist: Design and Development of a Robotic Overground Gait and Balance Therapy Device

Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 2008

In the Classroom

Professor Peshkin was named 2011 Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence, an all-University award.

Recently, he has been teaching and developing the innovative course Electronics Design, in which students learn to design and debug circuits using a portable "workbench in a backpack" in place of the traditional fixed labs. Earlier, he created the course Engineering Analysis 3: System Dynamics, which is taken by almost all first-year students in the school of engineering. EA3 is part of Northwestern's signature Engineering First curriculum, which engages undergraduate students in the concepts and experience of engineering from the beginning of freshman year. He also teaches a Mechatronics Projects course, and offers walk-in assistance to many students and teams doing mechatronics-related independent projects.