Cynthia Sung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cynthia Rueyi Sung
|
|
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Rice University (BS) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Robotics |
| Institutions | University of Pennsylvania |
| Thesis | Computational design of foldable robots via composition (2016) |
| Doctoral advisor | Daniela Rus |
Cynthia Rueyi Sung is an American scientist who builds robots. She is famous for her work with foldable robots. These are robots that can change their shape by folding. She teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she is a professor of Mechanical Engineering.
About Cynthia Sung
Her Early Life and Schooling
Cynthia Sung learned origami (the art of paper folding) when she was a child. Her mother taught her this skill. Later, as a high school student, she became very interested in robots. She followed the exciting journeys of the Mars rovers, Opportunity and Spirit. These robots explored the planet Mars.
Cynthia Sung went to Rice University. In 2011, she earned a degree in mechanical engineering. She then continued her studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2016, she earned her PhD. Her advanced degree was in electrical engineering and computer science. Her special research was about designing foldable robots using computers.
Her Work with Robots
While at MIT, Cynthia Sung led a team that created the Robogami system. This system helps people design and 3D print robots easily. You can make robots by putting together flat parts. These parts then fold at special connections. She still works on improving this system at the University of Pennsylvania. She is adding better ways for the robots to move and be controlled.
She also developed a cool method called "additive self-folding." Imagine a robot that starts as a long, flat strip. This strip is made of a special material. When you put it into hot water, it folds itself into the robot's final shape! For this amazing work, Popular Mechanics magazine gave her an award in 2017.
Cynthia Sung has received many honors for her work. In 2017, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers chose her for a special program. In 2020, she won the Johnson & Johnson Women in STEM2D Scholars Award. This award recognized her work in foldable robotics. It also highlighted how her robots could help in healthcare and medicine. She and her team also won an award for their work on flying robots. These robots have wings that can fold. This allows them to fly like a plane or like a drone.
