PhD Students

Jadon is a talented mechanical designer working at the intersection of fractal structures and human interface dynamics.

Anthony leads the strength amplification arm project, focusing on system theory and convex optimization for robust identification and control.

Jed Simms (left) received a B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station in 2021 and 2023 respectively. Jed is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering under Dr. Gray Thomas at Texas A&M. Jed has interned at Jacobs as a Thermal Analysis Engineering Intern and at KBR as a Flight Dynamics Officer Intern in support of the NASA Johnson Space Center, as well as for Trane Technologies as an Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Intern. During his undergraduate degree, Jed was a member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, serving in multiple leadership positions.

Anthony Barcio is a PhD-track student who works closely with the HERC Lab. His current research is focused on the optimal design of planar rotary springs for use in robotic manipulators. He received a B.S. in Aerospace engineering and a B.A. in Saxophone Performance from the University of Oklahoma before coming to study at Texas A&M University.

Zach is a Wisenbaker Fellow and is researching robust joint-level impedance controllers for space-rated robotic applications. He is currently developing nonlinear controllers for magnetically geared actuators and high-friction, series-elastic actuators. He received his B.S. in Engineering Science from Trinity University.

Alex is researching control techniques for compliant, multi-degree-of-freedom actuation systems. Concurrently, he works as an engineer in NASA Johnson Space Center’s Robotic Systems Technology Branch. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and an M.S. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Chinmay is developing state-estimation based control of prosthetic legs during dynamic and outdoor locomotion. He received his M.S. in Computer Science from University at Buffalo

Matt’s research centers around complex robotic grasping and force feedback integration within novel control systems. He also has experience with the development of swarm robotics platforms and human-robot collaboration.

Zachary is a Ph.D. student in the lab working on control and planning for multicontact robot systems, emphasizing model-based optimization methods that account for controller dynamics, actuator limits, and environmental uncertainty. His research interests include adaptive real-time planning, optimal control, and hybrid learning-augmented control frameworks for reliable robot behavior in complex environments. Zachary is also a recipient of the Avilés–Johnson Doctoral Fellowship. 

After earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2025, Landry continued with the HERC Lab to pursue research in advanced robotic control systems. He was awarded the Chancellor’s National Academy STEM PhD Fellowship, enabling him to be co-advised by Dr. Gray Thomas and Dr. Robert Ambrose. Currently, Landry is contributing to the HAND Engineering Research Center, where he is developing sensors to measure tendon tension in robotic hands. His work aims to create a model that quantifies how friction influences energy loss in force transmission from actuators to fingers through Bowden tubes. Landry is also mentoring a capstone team whose project involves the development of a strength-amplifying robotic glove.