Joo H. Kim

Joo H. Kim comes to Polytechnic Institute of New York University from The University of Iowa, where he was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.  He holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering, as well as master’s degrees in mathematics, mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering from The University of Iowa.  Kim also was a postdoctoral research scholar at the university’s Center for Computer-Aided Design.

Both his postdoctoral and Ph.D. research focused on dynamics, control and optimization of multibody systems, with particular concentration on robotic/human manipulation, balance and locomotion.  In addition to his individual research, Kim has collaborated in developing a number of software packages for externally-funded projects which are currently being used and tested by the U.S. Army and a number of major U.S. corporations.  This research has been recognized by numerous industrial organizations and government entities including the state of Iowa, which selected this research for its Top Government Technology of the Year Award in 2007.

Kim is now studying how to apply some of the rules of complex dynamic systems and optimization to modeling robotic and human motion. This work can be applied to simulating astronauts’ or athletes’ performance, analyzing biomechanics and injury-prevention strategies and designing orthopedic prostheses and powered exoskeletons.  He has just begun research into the application of robotics to very large payloads such as those used as in firefighting or construction, where automation has lagged. In recent years, he succeeded in simulating the motions of football or baseball throwing, which are among the fastest motions that human perform.