Anette Hosoi facts for kids

Anette E. "Peko" Hosoi is an American scientist who works in several exciting fields. She is a mechanical engineer, a biophysicist, and a mathematician. Currently, she is a special professor and a leader in the engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Amazing Discoveries and Inventions

Peko Hosoi's research focuses on how liquids move (called fluid dynamics), creating unusual robotics, and designing things inspired by nature (called bio-inspired design).

Robots That Move Like Animals

One of her cool projects involved building a robot that moves like a snail. This robot creates a special "slime" and then ripples over it, just like a real snail.

She also studied how razor clams dig into sand. These clams can make the sand around them act like quicksand, which helps them burrow quickly.

Wetsuits Inspired by Otters

Peko Hosoi and her team have even designed wetsuits. These wetsuits use materials that copy how otter fur keeps otters warm in cold water. Otter fur traps air, which helps with thermal insulation.

Sports Engineering at MIT

In 2011, Peko Hosoi started a special sports engineering program at MIT. She got the idea after feeling frustrated with her cross-country bicycle while riding downhill. This program helps improve sports equipment using science and engineering.

Her Journey: Early Life and Education

Peko Hosoi got her nickname "Peko" from her Japanese grandmother. She looked like Peko-chan, a girl on Japanese candy wrappers!

She first studied physics at Princeton University. Later, she earned her doctorate degree in physics from the University of Chicago in 1997.

Teaching and Research Career

Peko Hosoi began her career at MIT in 1997 as a math instructor. After more studies and teaching at Harvey Mudd College, she returned to MIT in 2002. Since 2010, she has also worked in the mathematics department at MIT.

She is a big supporter of women in engineering. She was the first woman to become an associate chair in mechanical engineering at MIT.

Peko also appeared on two episodes of the TV show Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2012, Peko Hosoi became a fellow of the American Physical Society. This honor recognized her amazing work with thin liquids and how fluids interact with flexible surfaces. It also highlighted her studies on how biological systems move efficiently.

She gave the important G.K. Batchelor Lecture in 2009, talking about how to make things move best at very slow speeds. In 2018, she received the Stanley Corrsin Award from the American Physical Society. This award was for her important work on how nectar-eating bats feed.