NIFTI PI Sarah Bergbrieter, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, was named to InStyle’s” 50 bad-ass women” list” (see No. 17 in the list). This list spotlights women from various fields (science, social justice, entertainment, and others) who have made inspiring contributions. InStyle named Dr. Bergbrieter alongside other successful women including Rihanna, Marie Kondo, Alex Morgan, Greta Thunberg, and Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt.
Dr. Bergbrieter’s work includes researching micro-robotics. Micro-robots work in many different fields, all allowing for impact where humans have trouble going. In medical fields, micro-robots can conduct microsurgery, where they do tiny tasks, such as repair blood vessels and nerves. These robots, at sub-millimeter sizes, can also help prevent catastrophic failures by inspecting places that are inaccessible for humans. Their size allows for inspectors to investigate under bridges, within pipes, and inside jet engines, finding faults before failures. Researchers are also investigating how these robots can aid in search-and-rescue, accessing tight spaces and dangerous conditions.
Recently Dr. Bergbrieter is included in a multidisciplinary university research initiative (MURI) award awarded to Bing Brunton.