Lab undergraduates win 3rd Place Best Paper Award (and $250) at RSS 2025 Workshop

Created in July 20, 2025

2025

Congratulations to undergraduate capstone students Kai Garcia and Mairi Yoshioka for winning the 3rd Place Best Paper Award (with a $250 prize sponsored by Apple) at the RSS 2025 Workshop on Navigating Contact Dynamics in Robotics.

Their project, PolarTact3D, uses polarization imaging for single-shot tactile shape and color sensing—an innovative approach to enhancing contact perception in robotic manipulation. Learn more about the project here: https://polartact3d.github.io/

Mahalo to the workshop organizers, sponsors, and collaborators Tyler Ray, Frances Zhu, and Tianlu Wang.

We’re also grateful for funding support from NSF’s AI Institutes Virtual Organization (AIVO).