My name is Jack Chang Liu. I am a Ph.D. student in the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Notre Dame, working with Professor Mark Plecnik. Currently we are a part of The Notre Dame Robotics. Prior to this, I earned my master’s degree and then worked as a Research Assistant, both in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.
My research focuses on mechanism designs for useful dynamic behaviors in legged locomotion, assistive devices for augmenting human movement, and bioinspired and otherwise machinery tools that would benefit and improve locomotion and otherwise systems. The mechanism designs in these applications exhibit dynamic behaviors and enables certain dynamic capabilities as they interact with and respond to the physical world, which will in return further inform mechanism design principles. Novel mechanism designs coupled with computational design methods made possible by kinematic synthesis and tuning, may enable substantial improvements to any physical actuated system, and these improvements, whether it be increased power output, improved energy efficiency, or enhanced stability/robustness and so on, are often unattainable through conventional control strategies and traditional mechanism designs alone.
I seek to create knowledge in the fundamental principles revolved around kinematic design and dynamic locomotion, as well as in enabling mechanical systems with new dynamic capabilities. I am heavily involved and extremely interested in novel design paradigms such as those in legged robots and assistive devices, as well as innovative bioinspired material technologies, as they have shown promise in expanding the limits of what mechanical systems are capable of. I am especially thrilled about mechanism design research that can benefit people in real-world applications in the present day and in the near future. My goal is to make innovative mechanism designs that enable robots and machines with new dynamic capabilities possible. Having worked on template dynamics models such as the spring-mass model, multi-body dynamics simulations engines including Chrono, and bio-medical devices that rapidly remove blood clots in Artery, I am excited to dive deeper in many of these areas as well as (but not limited to) legged robotics, prosthetics, soft robotics, bio-inspired robotics, orthotics, active exoskeleton research throughout my PhD career and beyond.
Outside of academia, I enjoy calisthenics training, weight training, running, cycling, swimming, hiking, traveling, and reading.
I am always open to collaborations, new ideas, and feedback. Please feel free to check out the content on this site, and let me know if you’d be interested to learn more or work together on something awesome!
Education:
PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, expected May 2025
MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, 2018
BE, Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, 2016