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Pablo Valdivia y Alvarado

VALDIVIA Y ALVARADO Pablo

Associate Professor
Director (DManD)
Director (NAMIC Hub)
Cheng Tsang Man Chair Professor
EMAIL
pablov
sutd.edu.sg
WEBSITE
OFFICE
1.402.13
CONTACT
+65 6499 8883
RESEARCH AREAS
Robotics & Electronics
Silicone Printing
Soft Mechatronics

Biography

Dr Valdivia y Alvarado is an Associate Professor in the Engineering Product Development Pillar at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and a Research Affiliate in the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT and the Center of Environmental Sensing and Modeling at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology.
Education
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
  • Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
Institutional and professional activities
  • Editorial Board Member, Taylor & Francis – Virtual and Physical Prototyping (May 2025 – Present).
  • General Chair, IEEE international Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), Singapore 2023.
  • Associate Editor, IOP Journal of Multifunctional Materials (Mar. 2018 – Dec 2022).
  • Associate Editor, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, RA-L (Oct. 2018 – Oct 2021).
  • Associate Editor, IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft).
  • Chair (Dec. 2015 – Nov. 2016) EPD Development Committee.
  • Chairman (Nov. 2012 to Nov. 2013) and Vice Chairman (Nov. 2011 to Nov. 2012) IEEE Ocean Engineering Society (OES) Singapore Chapter.
  • Grant reviewer for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
  • Grant reviewer for the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres.
  • Member of the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) Technical Committee for Electrical and Infocomm Technology (EIT TC) July 2018 to June 2021.
  • Technical reviewer for: Soft Robotics; IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine; Journal of Fluids and Structures; IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics; IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems; PLOS Computational Biology; IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS); IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA); IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC).
Professional activities
  • American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
  • American Physical Society (APS), The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE)
  • Materials Research Society (MRS)
Selected publications

For a current list of publications please visit: http://www.dedoux.com/publications/
Honours and awards
  • Cheng Tsang Man Chair Professorship, May 2025.
  • 2nd place in the Human to Robot Handover track of the Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition (RGMC) 2025 at the IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA, 19-23 May 2025.
  • 3rd place in the Simulation Sorting Track of the Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition (RGMC) at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA, 19-23 May 2025.
  • SUTD Research Breakthrough Award, April 2025.
  • 1st place in the Manipulation Competition during the IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics – Retractable Nail Soft Gripper – RoboSoft 2023, April, Singapore.
  • ASTM International Best Paper Award, Freeform Liquid 3D Printing of Hydraulically Enhanced Dielectric Elastomer Actuators, The International Conference of Additive Manufacturing for a Better World, Singapore, August 2022.
  • A’ Design Award Winner: “Bloom Reconfigurable Soft Robotic Gripper, in 2021-2022 Robotics, Automation and Automation Design Award Category (1 of 12 awardees in this category Worldwide), May 2022.
  • 1st place in the Manipulation Competition during the IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics – Retractable Nail Soft Gripper – RoboSoft 2022, April 8, Edingburgh, Scotland.
  • Elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member for significant contributions to the profession. February 2022.
  • Purmundus Challenge “Innovation Price” winner at Formnext, the leading international meeting for additive manufacturing, industrial 3D printing, and next generation intelligent industrial production held in Frankfurt, Germany (2021).
  • 3rd place in the Manipulation Competition during the IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics – Retractable Nail Soft Gripper – RoboSoft 2021, April 16, Yale University, USA.
  • Cities of Love Award (COLA), Sustainability Special Mention for “Dynamic Soft Facade for Active Air Flow Control (SFAAC)” (2020).
  • Asia Pacific Society for Computing and Information Technology Award for Outstanding Research Achievements and Contributions for “Design and Optimization of Soft Robots (International Conference for Leading and Young Computer Scientists IC-LYCS, 2019).
  • Cities of Love Award (COLA), A recognition for ground-up sustainability, for work on “Passive Soft-Robots for Long-Term Marine Pollution Studies” (2018).
  • Winner of MIT’s Technology Review 2012 TR35 Young Innovator Award for South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand for work on soft robots for long-term exploration of harsh environments.
  • Design of biomimetic compliant devices (my doctoral work) featured in the permanent exhibition, “A Journey Through Creativity”, at the ARTSCIENCE Museum in Singapore.
  • Finalist, Best Conference Paper, IEEE Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO) 2011: P. Valdivia y Alvarado, “Hydrodynamic Performance of a Soft Body Under-actuated Batoid Robot”.
Research interests
  • Design and Advanced Digital Fabrication of Soft and Hybrid Robotic Systems for Challenging Environments.
  • Soft and Materials based Bio-inspired Robotics.
Research opportunities

I’m looking for creative and highly motivated postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students to undertake research in bio-inspired design and soft robotics.

Please email me a short PDF document that includes your CV, research portfolio samples, and your motivation for applying to the position.
Selected patents
  • Intervertebral internal screw guide and fixation apparatus including screw lock, US Patent 12,232,973, Issued Feb. 25 2025.
  • Intervertebral implant, US Patent 12,144,743, Issued Nov. 19 2024.
  • Expandable intervertebral device, US Patent 12,011,367, Issued Jun. 18 2024.
  • Intervertebral implant and tool assembly, US Patent 11,903,849, Issued Feb. 20 2024.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar disc system, US Patent 11,806,244, Issued Nov. 7 2023.
  • Spinal bone fusion system, US Patent 11,759,243, Issued Sep. 19, 2023.
  • Artificial disc system, US Patent 11,478,359, Issued Oct. 25, 2022.
  • Expandable spinal implant and tool system, US Patent 11,376,136, Issued July. 5, 2022.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs having a central screw locking lever, and pliers and devices for spinal fusion, US Patent 11,229,525, Issued Jan. 25, 2022.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs, US Patent 11,141,288, Issued Oct. 12, 2021.
  • Zero-profile expandable intervertebral spacer devices for distraction and spinal fusion and a universal tool for their placement and expansion, US Patent 11,096,797, Issued Aug. 24 2021.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar disc system, US Patent 11,083,591, Issued Aug. 10 2021.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs, US Patent 10,925,753, Issued Feb. 23 2021.
  • Spinal bone fusion system, US Patent 10,842,542, Issued Nov. 24 2020.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar discs, disc plate insertion gun for performing sequential single plate intervertebral implantation enabling symmetric bi-disc plate alignment for interplate mobile core placement, US Patent 10,610,371, Issued Apr. 7 2020.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs having a central screw locking lever, and pliers and devices for spinal fusion, US Patent 10,603,183, Issued Mar. 31 2020.
  • Bidirectional fixating intervertebral implant system, US Patent 10,537,442, Issued on Jan. 21 2020.
  • Tension based automated extrusion, layering, and embedding of long continuous fibers. PCT application number PCT/SG2020/050219, Submitted on 9 April 2020.
  • Soft Gripper. IPOS Applicaiton Number 10202001712Q, Submitted on 26th February 2020.
  • System with tool assembly and expandable spinal implant. US Patent No. 10,478,319, Issued on Nov. 11 2019.
  • Zero-profile expandable intervertebral spacer devices for distraction and spinal fusion and a universal tool for their placement and expansion. US Patent No. 10,426,633, Issued on Oct. 1st 2019.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 10,390,969, Issued on Aug. 27 2019.
  • Spinal Staple. US Patent No. 10,376,386, Issued on Aug. 13 2019.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar discs, disc plate insertion gun for performing sequential single plate intervertebral implantation enabling symmetric bi-disc plate alignment for interplate mobile core placement. US Patent No. 10,376,376, Issued on Aug. 13 2019.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs. US Patent No. 10,376,383, Issued on Aug. 13 2019.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar discs, disc plate insertion gun for performing sequential single plate intervertebral implantation enabling symmetric bi-disc plate alignment for interplate mobile core placement. US Patent No. 10,369,003, Issued on Aug. 6 2019.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,895,238, Issued on Feb. 20 2018.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,889,022, Issued on Feb. 13 2018.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,867,719, Issued on Jan. 16 2018.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar discs, disc plate insertion gun for performing sequential single plate intervertebral implantation enabling symmetric bi-disc plate alignment for interplate mobile core placement. US Patent No. 9,867,712, Issued Jan. 16 2018.
  • Zero-profile expandable intervertebral spacer devices for distraction and spinal fusion and a universal tool for their placement and expansion. US Patent No. 9,848,993, Issued Dec. 26 2017.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs. US Patent No. 9,744,052, Issued Aug. 29 2017.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs having a central screw locking lever, and pliers and devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,622,875, Issued Apr. 18 2017.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint stapling guns and devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,603,713, Issued Mar. 28 2017.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs with vertical hemi-bracket screw locking mechanism. US Patent No. 9,532,821, Issued Jan. 3 2017.
  • Flexible robotic manipulation mechanism. US Patent No. 9,357,708, Issued Jun. 7 2016.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,301,854, Issued Apr. 5 2016.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar discs, disc plate insertion gun for performing sequential single plate intervertebral implantation enabling symmetric bi-disc plate alignment for interplate mobile core placement. US Patent No. 9,056,018, Issued Jun. 16 2015.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 9,005,293, Issued Apr. 14 2015.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs having a central screw locking lever, and pliers and devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 8,734,516, Issued May 27 2014.
  • Artificial cervical and lumbar discs, disc plate insertion gun for performing sequential single plate intervertebral implantation enabling symmetric bi-disc plate alignment for interplate mobile core placement. US Patent No. 8,535,379, Issued Sept. 17 2013.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 8,353,913, Issued Jan. 15 2013.
  • Posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint staples, stapling guns, and devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 8,257,370, Issued Sept. 4 2012.
  • Bi-directional fixating/locking transvertebral body screw/intervertebral cage stand-alone constructs and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint stapling guns and devices for spinal fusion. US Patent No. 7,972,363, Issued Jul. 5 2011.
  • Bi-directional fixating transvertebral body screws and posterior cervical and lumbar interarticulating joint calibrated stapling devices for spinal fusion. US patent 7,942,903 B2, Issued May 17, 2011.
  • Mechanical fish robot exploiting vibration modes for locomotion. US patent 7,865,268 B2, Issued Jan 4 2011.
  • Applicator. US patent 7,055,528, Issued Jun. 6, 2006.
  • Citrus Harvester U.S.S.N.: 61/126,382 (Provisional US patent application). Filed May 5 2008.