Metin Sitti

Metin Sitti is a professor inDepartment of Electrical EngineeringandRobotics Institute in Carnegie Mellon University and currently the director of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart. He obtained his PhD in Tokyo University. He is interested in micro/nanorobotics, nanomanufacturing, MEMS/NEMS, biomimetic micro/nanosystems, directed self-assembly, bionanotechnology, haptic interfaces, and tele-robotics. He conducted the Micromechanical Flying Insect Project.

Sitti is currently working on the development of robots using a "sticky" elastic polymer capable of adhering to a variety of surfaces, inspired by the "hairs" which allow geckos to stick to walls. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Sitti's most recent innovation is to use the gecko-inspired technology to print electronics on sticky surfaces. This way, circuit transistors can be woven into fabric and clothing." New Scientist reported in an interview with Sitti that sticky robots using the gecko-hair technology could "tackle many jobs in the home including painting ceilings and clearing cobwebs. They could also play a part in exploration, inspection, repair and even search and rescue."

Working with graduate student Yun Seong Song, Sitti also designed a tiny robot that, mimicking a water strider insect, can walk on water by utilizing the waters' surface tension.