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Tucker Rae-Grant

PUBLICATIONS

Tucker Rae-Grant, Luke Jimenez, Lea Albaugh. 2026.  Exploring Texture-Level Creative Decisions with penPal, a Novel Handheld Actuated Drawing Tool. ACM CHI’26.

Qiuyu Lu, Semina Yi, Tucker Rae-Grant, Tianyu Yu, Dinesh K Patel, Lining Yao. Morphing matter to support ecological restoration. Nature Reviews Materials, 2026.

Jianzhe Gu, Ziwen Ye, Tucker Rae-Grant, Shuhong Wang, Ding Zhao, Josiah Hester, Victoria A. Webster-Wood, Lining Yao. 2025. Optimization and control of actuator networks in variable geometry truss systems using genetic algorithms. Nature Communications 16 (8432).

Tucker Rae-Grant, Chris Harrison, Craig Shultz. 2024. DynaButtons: Fast Interactive Soft Buttons with Analog Control. IEEE Haptics Symposium ‘24.

Tucker Rae-Grant, Shuhong Wang, Lining Yao. 2024. ExCell: High Expansion Ratio Moisture-Responsive Wooden Actuators for DIY Shape-Changing and Deployable Structures. ACM CHI ‘24.

Zhitong Cui, Shuhong Wang, Violet Yinuo Han, Tucker Rae-Grant, Willa Yunqi Yang, Alan Zhu, Scott E Hudson, Alexandra Ion. 2024. Robotic Metamaterials. ACM CHI ‘24.

Vivian Shen, Tucker Rae-Grant, Joe Mullenbach, Chris Harrison, Craig Shultz. 2023. Fluid Reality: High-Resolution, Untethered Haptic Gloves using Electroosmotic Pump Arrays. In Proceedings of the 36th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '23).


EDUCATION

University of Chicago, Chicago — PhD in Computer Science
October 2024 - Present
University of Chicago, Chicago — MFA in Interdisciplinary Art
October 2012 - June 2014
Yale University, New Haven — BA, cum laude
August 2005 - May 2009

EXPERIENCE

Freelance Technologist, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Worked with a local special effects studio to develop hardware and software tools for animatronics.
  • Designed embedded electronics and control software for a long-term installation at the Phipps Botanical Garden (Pittsburgh) and for a major trade show exhibit in San Francisco.

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA — Research Associate
Morphing Matter Lab- Director: Lining Yao,  October 2022 - December 2023
  • E-Seed:  September 2023 - December 2023
    • Working with a team of three to parametrically re-engineered the E-Seed design to improve performance, simplify fabrication, and make manufacture more scalable.
  • CHI 2024:  June 2023 - September 2023
    • Initiated, led, and submitted a paper to CHI 2024,  mentored by Lining Yao.
  • London Design Biennial:  January 2023 - June 2023
    • Developed an E-Seed exhibit for the London Design Biennale 2023
    • Designed and built two automated steamers with overlapping safety features that ran successfully for the month of the show.
    • Assisted Prof. Yao in developing and running a workshop on morphing wooden actuators.
  • PneuMesh: October 2022 - March 2023
    • Developed a large-scale implementation of the PneuMesh system.
    • Designed and built a multichannel pneumatic control system.
    • Prototyped alternative pathways for fabricating versions of the PneuMesh system.

Future Interfaces Group- Director: Chris Harrison, November 2022- October 2023
  • Haptics Symposium 2024: June 2023 - October 2023
    • Led a research project on reprogrammable, fast, interactive haptic buttons.
    • Designed, built, and iterated on all aspects of the system from PCBs to control code and haptic effects.
    • Designed and ran three recognition studies with 14 users.
    • Identified, sourced, and stood up appropriate data-collection systems (and collected data).
  • UIST 2023: November 2022 - April 2023
    • Led fabrication and design of a high-resolution haptic glove (published at ACM UIST ‘23).
    • Designed and built a tabletop demo version of the glove (received Honorable Mention for Best Demo and for People’s Choice at UIST ‘23).

Interactive Structures Lab- Director: Alexandra Ion, May 2022 - October 2022
  • Worked on a reconfigurable robotic system, focusing on the redesign of the pneumatic actuators and angle sensors, as well as rewriting the control code.

HumbleCo, Los Angeles — Designer, Co-Founder, April 2021 - March 2022
  • Led product development and strategy for the production of  a small cargo EV and portable power system for media production.
  • Translated long-term product visions into features  that could be prototyped and tested within budget.
  • Served as point person for design and fabrication.


University of Southern California, Iovine and Young Academy, Los Angeles — Digital Fabrication Lab Specialist, September 2019 - April 2021
  • Taught college and graduate students how to create product prototypes using a wide range of fabrication techniques.
  • Provided individualized support and mentorship for projects.
  • Developed and led skill workshops online and in-person.
  • Created video content for social media and marketing.
  • Maintained and improved shop equipment and layout.


Friends Select School, Philadelphia — STEAM Program Director, August 2016 - August 2018
  • Developed and taught three high school classes (Intro to CS, Robotics, and Engineering). Focussed on making these topics fun and accessible.
  • Collaborated with other faculty to design hands-on projects for their classes.


Science Leadership Academy @Beeber, Philadelphia — Makerspace Teacher (mid-year replacement), March 2016 - June 2018

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia — Preparator, June 2014 - February 2016Saint Ann’s School, New York City — Associate Teacher, August 2010 - June 2012

SKILLS

  • Electronics: PCB design in KiCAD, EAGLE, production/customization with LPKF U4 laser, through-hole and SMT soldering.
  • Plastics: Laser cutting, bonding, silicone and urethane casting, vacuum forming, 3D printing.
  • Wood: Small and large scale construction, traditional joinery using hand tools, all contemporary power tools including lathes, CNC milling.
  • Composites: Vacuum bag layup.
  • Textiles: Hand and machine sewing, machine embroidery, tapestry weaving.


SERVICE

AC, ACM DIS 2026 Provocations/Works-in-Progress.
Hybrid Chair, ACM Conference on Tangible and Embedded Interaction (TEI 2026)
Co-Organizer, People and Technology Seminar (2025- 2026), University of Chicago, CS Department.
Reviewer: ACM UIST (2026), ACM UIST (2025), ACM CHI (2025), ACM DIS (2024), ACM SCF (2023).
Freeride Bicycle Collective. Pittsburgh, PA. Staffer (2022-2024), Volunteer (2021).
HR Committee, Schedule Committee. Friends Select School, Philadelphia, PA  (2016-2018).

AWARDS

Fast Company Innovation by Design, HM (2024, for Fluid Reality)
ACM UIST ‘23
  • Honorable Mention for People’s Choice Demo
LA Cleantech Incubator Admitted into third cohort of Incubation Program (2021)
Arts, Science, and Culture Initiative Grant (University of Chicago) Awarded for video documentary, “Slop Chest,” 2018


PRESS

  • Weekly Robotics ( 2026)  “Weekly Robotics #359.” May 4 [penPal].
  • Hackaday (2026) “penPal, a Robotic Drawing Assistant.” April 25.
  • Technology.org (2025) “Mighty morphing robots.” October 4.
  • Hackaday (2024) "Dynamic Buttons Are Weird Blobs You Can Press." May 24.
  • Hackster.io (2024) "DynaButtons Feel the Force." May 24.
  • Fast Company (2023). "This groundbreaking tech could finally bring a sense of touch to virtual reality." November 8.
  • IEEE Spectrum (2023). "Video Friday: Robots for Humanity Your weekly selection of awesome robot videos.” November 3.
  • Popular Science (2023). "This new haptic glove uses tiny valve ‘pixels’ to simulate pressure." October 30.
  • New Atlas (2023). “Fluid Reality introduces its untethered, high-res haptic VR gloves.” October 30.
  • Art Viewer (2019) “This Ready Flesh at Mother Culture” July 5.
  • Contemporary Art Daily (2016) “Tucker Rae-Grant at Paramount Ranch 3”


PROJECTS

Novel PPE for COVID
Helped design and fabricate laser-cut face shields and 3D-printed masks for Keck Hospital.

Slop Chest Filmed and edited an experimental documentary of transoceanic shipping with Hannah Burnett. Presented at the Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry at the University of Chicago in 2019.


SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

London Design Biennale, 2023, “E-Seed,” with Lining Yao, London, UK
This ready flesh..., 2019, with Young Joon Kwak and Cindy Conrad, presented by Mother Culture, Los Angeles, CA
Slop Chest, 2019, Documentary screening and panel discussion,  Arts, Science, and Culture Initiative, The University of Chicago
@}--}---, 2016, group exhibition at LORD LUDD Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Paramount Ranch 3, 2016, solo presentation with Full Haus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
University of Chicago Headquarters 3.0, 2015, EXPO Chicago,  Chicago, IL
Funeral for Ortolan, 2014, MFA thesis exhibitions, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL