2026
- [Publications][06/2026] Our paper “Gait switching enables body pitch modulation in a self-burrowing robot” is accepted to IROS 2026!
- [Workshops] [05/2026] Dr. Treers attends and presents a poster at the kickoff meeting for the NSF MESH Network (“Mechano-computation for Expanding Scientific Horizons”)
- [Presentations][05/2026] Dr. Treers is invited to present the lab’s research in the Dartmouth College Autonomy Seminar Series in Hanover, NH.
- [Awards][04/2026] Adam Boyle receives the Undergraduate Research Award from the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS)
- [Presentations][03/2026] Chhayank Srivastava presents his research at the APS Global Physics Summit Robophysics session in Denver, Colorado: “Three-Dimensional Leg Kinematics Enhance Burrowing Performance in Granular Substrates.”
- [Publications][02/2026] Paper on robotic interaction with cohesive media is published in Granular Matter: “Robot excavation and manipulation of geometrically cohesive granular media.”
- [Presentations] [01/2026] Dr. Treers is the session chair for “Jumping and Burrowing,” and presents the lab’s work on “Robophysical exploration of mole crab appendage kinematics” at the Society for Integrative Biology (SICB) Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon.
2025
- [Grants] [12/2025] Dr. Treers and collaborators at Applied Research Associates (ARA) in Randolph, Vermont receive third-round grant funding from Vermont’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, for their project titled “Microbots for Microplastic Removal in Vermont’s Aquatic Ecosystems”
- [Awards] [12/2025] Lab member Callie Levitt wins first place at the 2025 UVM CS Fair for her study “Substrate Detection and Classification for Robotic Excavation”
- [Press] [11/2025] The lab’s up and coming research on robotic microplastic remediation is featured in a news article by the Leahy Institute
- [Awards] [11/2025] Dr. Treers receives the IEEE Green Mountain Section Faculty of the Year Award
- [Presentations] [10/2025] Dr. Treers presents the lab’s work on burrowing mechanics at the NSF Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) PI Meeting in Washington, DC.
- [Publications] [09/2025] Review paper on social insect nest construction is published in Insectes Sociaux: Architecture of the insect society: comparative analysis of collective construction and social function of nests
- [Presentations] [06/2025] Dr. Treers is invited to present her research for the University Research Lecture Series at NUWC Newport, titled “Locomotion in a Messy World: The Power of Simple Models in Complex Environments.”
- [Workshops] [05/2025] Dr. Treers is a co-organizer and panelist for a workshop at the International Conference on Robotics & Automation (ICRA) 2025 on mechanical intelligence, titled Towards Agility and Robustness: Mechanical Intelligence in Robotics, Biology, and Smart Materials https://sites.google.com/view/mechanicalintelligence-icra25/
- [Grants] [05/2025] Dr. Treers and collaborators at Applied Research Associates (ARA) in Randolph, Vermont receive a Capacity Grant from Vermont’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships to study Microbots for Environmental Remediation
- [Grants] [04/2025] Dr. Treers receives a NASA EPSCoR small-scale research grant from the Vermont Space Grant Consortium (VTSGC) to study Rapid Terrain Characterization for Mobile Robots Using Resistive Force Theory.
- [Grants] [04/2025] Dr. Treers receives an NSF Engineering Research Initiation Award to work on Advancing Subterranean Navigation by Legged Robots through Foundational Research in Robotics (FRR) https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2501934
- [Fellowships] [03/2025] Lab member Adam Boyle is selected for the CEMS Research Experiences for Undergraduates Award to conduct research in the lab during summer 2025.
- [Events] [03/2025] Dr. Treers gives an opening speech for the first-ever FIRST Robotics Competition Event in the state of Vermont, in Patrick Gymnasium on UVM campus. https://www.uvm.edu/cems/first-robotics-uvm
- [Fellowships] [02/2025] Dr. Treers is selected for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program to conduct biologically-inspired design research at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport during summer 2025.
- [Presentations] [01/2025] Dr. Treers presents her work on collective behavior and workload distribution in fire ants at the Society for Integrative Biology (SICB) Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia: “The onset of laziness: intrinsic motivation and local cues interact to mitigate traffic in fire ants.”
2024
- [Grants] [11/2024] The lab receives a UVM OVPR EXPRESS Grant for work on Granular Fluidization Bed Construction.