Alyssa Novelia

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About

Alyssa Novelia is a researcher at the forefront of soft robotics and computational mechanics, whose work bridges the gap between biological inspiration and numerical simulation. Her primary research areas include the locomotion of soft robots, discrete differential geometry, and the modeling of bio-inspired actuators. Novelia’s most significant contribution is her pioneering application of Discrete Elastic Rod (DER) models—a framework originally developed in computer graphics—to the study of soft robot locomotion. Her landmark 2019 paper, "On Planar Discrete Elastic Rod Models for the Locomotion of Soft Robots," has garnered 65 citations, establishing her as a key figure in this emerging field. This work demonstrates how DER theory can provide a numerically efficient and geometrically accurate method for simulating the complex, surface-based movements of soft robots. Earlier, her 2017 study on a biologically inspired SMA caterpillar robot, which analyzed the forward crawling motion of the *Manduca sexta*, laid the groundwork for robustly designing and fabricating soft robots with shape memory alloy actuators. Novelia’s research is notable for its innovative cross-pollination of discrete differential geometry and robotics, offering powerful new tools for the next generation of soft, adaptable machines.