Robotics program lead

Hardware for
extreme environments


15+ years taking complex robotic hardware from concept to field deployment — from 1,000 m ocean depths to autonomous aerial systems.

Photo: Kellon Spencer / Project CETI
About

Robotics program leader with 15+ years taking complex hardware from concept to field deployment in the world's most demanding environments. I lead multidisciplinary teams of 10–15 engineers and researchers, own programs end-to-end, and stay hands-on in mechanical design, fabrication, and embedded systems — with a track record of delivering field-proven robotic systems, licensed and patented IP, and translating hard R&D into deployable hardware.

Daniel M. Vogt on a research vessel with a soft robotic gripper
Selected work

Projects


Bio-logging whale tags

Bio-Logging Whale Tags

Project CETI

Field-proven tags recording synchronized audio, depth, GPS, and IMU on sperm whales to 1,000 m.

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Drone tap-and-go tag deployment

Drone “Tap-and-Go”

PLoS One · New York Times

Co-invented a drone method for gently tagging surfacing whales, cutting deployment time and disturbance.

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Deep-sea soft grippers

Deep-Sea Soft Grippers

PLoS One

Custom 3D-printed soft fingers that grasp fragile deep-sea life unharmed, deployed from ROVs.

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Origami artificial muscles

Origami Artificial Muscles

PNAS

Soft yet strong actuators, buildable for under $1, that lift many times their own weight.

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Soft sensing and wearables

Soft Sensing & Wearables

Licensed IP

Stretchable sensors for soft-robot feedback and wearable motion tracking; IP licensed to industry.

Additive manufacturing of soft matter

Additive Manufacturing

Advanced Materials

Embedded 3D printing of stretchable soft sensors and actuators in a single step.

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Research

Publications & patents


30+ peer-reviewed papers and 6 patents in soft robotics, sensing, and additive manufacturing — including work in PNAS and PLoS One, and coverage in the New York Times.

Contact
© 2026 Daniel M. Vogt