Jeff Trinkle
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey C. Trinkle is Professor and former Chair of Computer Science
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in Troy, New York
. He is known for his work in robot
ic manipulation, multibody dynamics, and automated manufacturing. He has bachelor's degrees in physics (1979) and engineering (1979) from Ursinus College
and Georgia Institute of Technology
, respectively, and a PhD (1987) from the University of Pennsylvania
. He has taught at the University of Arizona
and Texas A&M University
. From 1998 to 2003 he was a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
.
Trinkle's primary research interests lie in the areas of robotic manipulation, multibody dynamics, and automated manufacturing. With continuous support from the National Science Foundation since 1988, he has written over 100 technical articles. One of these articles (with David Stewart
) was the first to develop a popular method for simulating multibody systems. Variants of this method are key components of several physics engines for computer game development, for example, NVIDIA PhysX
and Bullet
. For his work in the area of robotic grasping and dexterous manipulation, Trinkle was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 2010. He spent most of 2010 as a Humboldt Fellow at the Institute for Mechatronics and Robotics at the German Aerospace Center
and the Institute for Applied Mechanics at Technical University of Munich
.
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. He is known for his work in robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic manipulation, multibody dynamics, and automated manufacturing. He has bachelor's degrees in physics (1979) and engineering (1979) from Ursinus College
Ursinus College
Ursinus College is a liberal arts college in Collegeville, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.-History:1867Members of the German Reformed Church begin plans to establish a college where "young men could be liberally educated under the benign influence of Christianity." These founders were hoping to...
and Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, respectively, and a PhD (1987) from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. He has taught at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
and Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. From 1998 to 2003 he was a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories
The Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
in Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Trinkle's primary research interests lie in the areas of robotic manipulation, multibody dynamics, and automated manufacturing. With continuous support from the National Science Foundation since 1988, he has written over 100 technical articles. One of these articles (with David Stewart
David Stewart
David Stewart may refer to:*David Stewart, Earl of Strathearn *David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland *David Stewart , Scotland international goalkeeper...
) was the first to develop a popular method for simulating multibody systems. Variants of this method are key components of several physics engines for computer game development, for example, NVIDIA PhysX
PhysX
PhysX is a proprietary realtime physics engine middleware SDK developed by Ageia with the purchase of ETH Zurich spin-off NovodeX in 2004...
and Bullet
Bullet (software)
Bullet is an open source physics engine featuring 3D collision detection, soft body dynamics, and rigid body dynamics. It is used in games, and in visual effects in movies. The Bullet physics library is published under the zlib license. Erwin Coumans, its main author, worked for Sony Computer...
. For his work in the area of robotic grasping and dexterous manipulation, Trinkle was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 2010. He spent most of 2010 as a Humboldt Fellow at the Institute for Mechatronics and Robotics at the German Aerospace Center
German Aerospace Center
The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in...
and the Institute for Applied Mechanics at Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
.