I am currently an Associate Professor in Engineering in the School of Engineering and Informatics, Head of Teaching and Learning of the Department of Engineering and Design, and a member of the Centre for Robotics and Sensing Technologies (CROSS-Tech). I received my PhD degree in Control Engineering from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France in 2016. I also hold an M.Eng. degree in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Mechatronics from Polytech Annecy Chambéry, Annecy, France. From 2016 to 2020, I have been working on two EPSRC-funded projects for medical robotics at The University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, and King's College London. Before my PhD degree, I worked for 18 months for 2 French start-ups where I used to design Mechatronic solutions for industrial applications. My research interests are focused on the development of new technologies for Robotic Systems. I am particularly interested in Mechatronics Design and Control Engineering for compliant and soft robots. I aim to address the scientific challenges that limit Human-Robot or Robot-Environment interactions. My research is applied in various several fields such as industrial robotics, biomedical, and nuclear decommissioning. 

Benedict Fletcher has received his BEng degree in robotics from The University of Plymouth, England in 2021. Since, January 2022, Benedict started his PhD program at Sussex University under the supervision of Dr Nicolas Herzig. His current project is about developing a passively compliant foot for quadrupeds to assist in their navigation of wetland environments, such as rice paddies. 

Nashil Sowaruth graduated with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Mauritius in 2017. He then pursued his Master's degree in Robotics & Automation at the University of Salford, Manchester in 2020. In between his studies, he gathered working experience in automation settings in textile industries as well as in engineering consultancy firms. He has also got a publication in the 2022 International Conference on Renewable and Environment Engineering (REEE 2022) paper. Nashil started his PhD studies by joining the CSR lab at the University of Sussex in September 2023. His current project is about the design and implementation of soft exosuits for lower-limb rehabilitation.

Naijia Ye graduated from Guizhou Normal University in 2019 with a degree in Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. She then completed her MSc in Robotics & Automation Systems from the University of Sussex in 2024. Naijia joins the University of Sussex for PhD study in 2024. Her current project is on the measurement and analysis of the expansion height of hyperelastic balloon membranes.

Qianyu Ma is currently pursuing his PhD in Engineering at the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, under the supervision of Dr Nicolas Herzig and Dr Hareesh Godaba. His research focuses on the development of low-cost optical tactile and stiffness sensors for soft robotic and minimally invasive surgical applications. His current work aims to enable robotic systems to perceive the mechanical properties of tissues and surrounding environments through compact and cost-effective sensing technologies.

His research project received the Best Innovation Award at the 2025 Hamlyn Symposium Challenge. His work has also been accepted for publication in Advanced Robotics Research, Wiley, with the paper titled A Low-Cost, Handheld Optical Stiffness Sensor for Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Before starting his PhD, Qianyu received his MSc in Robotics & Automation Systems from the University of Sussex in 2023.

Zhenghong Dai obtained his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Design and Automation from China Jiliang University in 2023. He then pursued a master's degree in Robotics and Automation Systems at the University of Sussex, graduating in 2025. Since 2025, he has been pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Sussex. His current research focuses on the development of haptic interface devices for applications in medical robotics, virtual reality, and other human–machine interaction scenarios.

Dr Dip Kumar Saha received his PhD in Engineering from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, in 2025. He carried out his research under the supervision of Dr Nicolas Herzig and Dr Hareesh Godaba in the Compliant and Soft Robotics Laboratory. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechatronics Engineering at RUET, Bangladesh. His research interests centre on developing fully soft, life-like robots through embodied intelligence in soft robotics. He has substantial expertise in designing and developing dielectric elastomer actuators, electroadhesion actuators, electrofluidic actuators, tactile sensors, and piezoresistive sensors, supported by both experimental validation and numerical modelling. His work has been published in several reputable venues, including IEEE, Elsevier, and Wiley.

Before entering academia, he worked as a research and development engineer at Walton, a leading refrigerator manufacturing company in Bangladesh, where he was responsible for designing and developing refrigerator cooling circuits. Dr Saha earned his BSc and MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET) in 2012 and 2021, respectively.