Yoav Golan
I like robots, do you?
About me
Experienced robotics engineer (PhD) with a passion for solving complex engineering problems. I hold 12 patents and counting on medical robotics, navigation and manipulation. I have taught numerous classes including Intro to ME and Intro to Electrical Engineering, have written a nice assortment of academic papers, and have presented at robotics conferences in Stockholm, Singapore, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo and more.
Wherever I work, I'm known as the guy with the crazy ideas. For example, when working with a team on figuring out how robotic hands could grab common objects, my idea to use stickers on the robot's 'fingers' was adopted as the core technology of an e-commerce picking startup. I integrated the fields of image processing and mechanical engineering to create an innovative method for item classification. I applied heat transfer principles to mobile robots to create a new navigation method with artificial temperature gradients. I invented a single-motor robotic hand that uses the novel concept of serial restructuring to maintain variability. And to spice up my own wedding, I invented a machine that blasted large multicolor LED foam glow sticks onto the dance floor!
I am particularly driven by new challenges that require thinking "outside the box." When I learned that it was generally believed in the industry that it was not possible to use machines to wrap Krembos (the chocolate-covered marshmallow snacks), I was eager to spend hours in my lab until I came up with a mechanical solution: a machine that uses pneumatics to gently wrap the delicate Krembo‒top first, then bottom‒without breaking it.
Throughout my career both in academia and as a Captain in the armed corps in the IDF, I've become dedicated to leading teams and inspiring individuals to collaborate together on projects that excite them. I believe that teams with diverse backgrounds and an open-minded culture are the ideal breeding ground for creative and effective solutions.
For a short version, check out my one-page CV here.
If you're starved for more details, I have a full CV with all publications and patents here.
Wherever I work, I'm known as the guy with the crazy ideas. For example, when working with a team on figuring out how robotic hands could grab common objects, my idea to use stickers on the robot's 'fingers' was adopted as the core technology of an e-commerce picking startup. I integrated the fields of image processing and mechanical engineering to create an innovative method for item classification. I applied heat transfer principles to mobile robots to create a new navigation method with artificial temperature gradients. I invented a single-motor robotic hand that uses the novel concept of serial restructuring to maintain variability. And to spice up my own wedding, I invented a machine that blasted large multicolor LED foam glow sticks onto the dance floor!
I am particularly driven by new challenges that require thinking "outside the box." When I learned that it was generally believed in the industry that it was not possible to use machines to wrap Krembos (the chocolate-covered marshmallow snacks), I was eager to spend hours in my lab until I came up with a mechanical solution: a machine that uses pneumatics to gently wrap the delicate Krembo‒top first, then bottom‒without breaking it.
Throughout my career both in academia and as a Captain in the armed corps in the IDF, I've become dedicated to leading teams and inspiring individuals to collaborate together on projects that excite them. I believe that teams with diverse backgrounds and an open-minded culture are the ideal breeding ground for creative and effective solutions.
For a short version, check out my one-page CV here.
If you're starved for more details, I have a full CV with all publications and patents here.
