Published 3.30.22 Can you spot the future superstar soccer player in this crowd? If your choice is anyone other than short, slight boy on the second row, second from the right, bad news: You missed Lionel Messi. Dr. Mark Williams, Senior Research Scientist at IHMC, has made it his business to learn what makes an elite athlete like Messi the best. His March 2022 talk as part of the IHMC’s popular Evening Lecture Series shared some of the common traits of the greats. The Evening Lecture Series has returned to both the Pensacola and Ocala IHMC campuses. To keep up with the latest schedule of talks, visit https://www.ihmc.us/life/evening_lectures/ Environment, birth order, adaptations, learning, and practice are all factors that build sports expertise, Williams said. So, too, is there room for science to explore the psychological and cognitive differences sports experts possess when compared to sub-experts in their field, Williams said. For example, as soccer players in the Premier League Academy system age up, game intelligence skills become more key than the strictly physical gifts that can set them apart from their peers early on. Elite athletes have some common psychological characteristics. They: Pick up more visual cues from their opponents’… Read More

Published 3.29.22 Progress is continuing on the new building project for IHMC’s Pensacola campus.  An architect was chosen in March 2022 for the project, which will create a research hub for human healthspan, resilience, and performance work. The winning team was a group of lead locally by DAG Architects, whose principle is Dave Luttrell, in partnership with Brent Amos from Cooper Carry, headquartered in Atlanta.   DAG is a Northwest Florida firm. Cooper Carry is a national firm with substantial experience in biomedical facilities.   DAG and Cooper Carry have stepped up to the plate within days of being selected and have been working with IHMC team on an NIH research building funding application. The next step will be soliciting a construction management firm to join the team.   The new IHMC Healthspan, Resilience and Performance Research Complex will be a leading-edge lab and office building. The projected four-story 44,000 square foot facility will include space for administrative support, outreach and training, in addition to state-of-the-art laboratories for the scientific team.  It expands IHMC’s downtown campus to three primary buildings and dedicates a space for the center’s research into improving the resilience and performance of people.  Since IHMC’s founding in 1990,… Read More

Published 2.28.22 The work that put bipedal robots on their feet came from IHMC — and its key authors were honored by an international conference recently. The groundbreaking work of IHMC’s Senior Research Scientist Dr. Jerry Pratt was honored at the 20th International Conference for Humanoid Robots virtually in late summer of 2021. A journal article authored by Pratt with co-authors Sergey Drakunov, Ambarish Goswami, and John Carff, an IHMC senior research associate, was named Most Influential Paper — a distinction spanning the 20-year history of the conference. “Capture Point: A Step toward Humanoid Push Recovery” has been cited more than 1,000 times since its publication in 2007. Today, key ideas from this project are the foundation of multiple humanoid robots’ ability to balance and recover from unexpected pushes. The Capture Point paper has become a critical reference point for the field of bipedal robotics. Expanding on mathematical models of balance, Pratt and his team developed formulas that allows bipedal robots to identify the area on the ground that they must step or shift to in order to avoid a fall if pushed. The original paper was demonstrated in simulation, but soon after publication, Dr. Pratt says, IHMC researchers, collaborators, and… Read More

Published 2.16.22 How can you put the “spring in your step” for an exoskeleton?   The answer could exploit key principles of locomotion neuromechanics to build wearable devices that improve the economy, stability and agility of human movement.    It’s something Dr. Gregory Sawicki has been working on at Georgia Institute of Technology. Sawicki is bringing his expertise to the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition as a senior research scientist.   He joined IHMC in January 2022 on a part-time appointment.   Sawicki will embed with the robotics, exoskeletons and human robotics interdependence group focusing on two broad areas.   “One is to help guide current human exoskeleton projects, such as developing exoskeletons for injury mitigation in industrial settings for the (U.S. Department of Energy)  and improving controllers for the Quix Exoskeleton for improving mobility for people with spinal cord injury,” Sawicki said.   The second is to help expand the research portfolio in human-machine robot interaction by consulting on preparation of new proposals to the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense, he said.   His work at the Physiology of Wearable Robotics (PoWeR) Lab has focused on how the biology behind the power of lower-limb joints can… Read More

Published 1.28.22 A $20 million hub of research into human healthspan, resilience, and performance is moving closer to coming out of the ground.  The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition has issued a Request for Qualifications for architectural, engineering and construction administration services. This RFQ can be found at https://www.ihmc.us/2022building/  Proposals are due Feb. 11. Once finalists are culled from the applications, presentations will be scheduled. A decision is expected by Feb. 28, 2022; construction is expected to begin later this year.  The new IHMC Healthspan, Resilience and Performance Research Complex will be a leading-edge lab and office building. The projected four-story 44,000 square foot facility will include space for administrative support, outreach and training, in addition to state-of-the-art laboratories for the scientific team.  It expands IHMC’s downtown campus to three primary buildings and dedicates a space for the center’s research into improving the resilience and performance of people.  Since IHMC’s founding in 1990, it has built an international reputation for excellence and innovation in robotics and artificial intelligence.  The HRP Center will extend that reputation for excellence in a new direction and reflects a strategic expansion of the vision of IHMC founder and CEO Ken Ford.  “IHMC’s international… Read More

Published 1.21.22 Science Saturday is back in business for 2022. IHMC’s popular STEM outreach program hosted four sessions in the fall of 2021 for grade-schoolers in both Ocala and Pensacola. The free, monthly event featured increased safety measures in response to the pandemic and still brought students a lineup of hands-on projects geared toward sparking the love of science for students in grade 3-6. The educational series is moving forward in 2022, says Ursula Schwuttke, director of educational outreach for IHMC, continuing its longstanding tenure as a community fixture that sees IHMC and community scientists lead half-day sessions that use “fun science” to spark learning, Schwuttke says. “Fun science gives kids the ability to discover their interest and ability in science, and to develop self-confidence,” she says. “Opportunity is vitally important for kids. Without the opportunity to discover their interest, they can’t know that it’s something they should pursue.” In fall of 2021, Science Saturday hosted sessions on computer game design, robotics, neural networks and machine learning, and the physics of roller coasters. Roughly 35-40 students attended each of these sessions. The Science Saturday lineup for 2022 includes sessions on game design, robotics, circuits, monarch butterflies and more. Parents find… Read More

Published 1.10.22 Taher Rahgooy, a Ph.D. candidate of the intelligent systems and robotics program launched by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and University of West Florida, became the program’s first graduate at UWF’s Fall Commencement in December 2021. Rahgooy was among the initial cohort of five students to join the program when it was established two years ago and was one of two students who transferred to UWF from Tulane University on the heels of Dr. Brent Venable, the program’s founding director. Venable previously held a joint appointment as a professor of computer science at Tulane and research scientist at IHMC. “The graduation of our first doctoral student is an incredible milestone for the intelligent systems and robotics program,” Venable said. “Only two years after its establishment, our program is contributing to the highly skilled workforce in the intelligent systems field, which is a national priority with a high demand market. His graduation validates and motivates all of our students, as well as UWF and IHMC mentors, to continue pursuing our innovative and personalized approach to graduate education in intelligent systems and robotics.” Rahgooy was a second year doctoral student at Tulane University when Venable accepted the director… Read More

Published 11.10.21 The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Wednesday that the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition has received a 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Award for the research center’s commitment to employing veterans. The Medallion Award is the only federal-level veterans’ employment award that recognizes a company or organization’s commitment to recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans. IHMC joins 848 other companies and organizations across the country who also were recognized for hiring veterans and providing them with career opportunities that take advantage of the diverse skills they acquired during military service. “I’m a Navy veteran and so many of the other people who were part of IHMC’s beginning are also veterans,” said IHMC founder and CEO Ken Ford. Between its Pensacola and Ocala branches, nearly 13% of IHMC’s new hires last year were veterans. IHMC’s Associate General Counsel Stephanie Tillery coordinated IHMC’s submission for the HIRE Vets Medallion Award. “To be considered for the award, an entity must meet a seven percent hiring requirement, and we greatly exceeded that high standard,” she said. “We submitted our hiring and retention percentages and demonstrated that IHMC values our veterans and provides ample support and resources.” IHMC is a not-for-profit research… Read More

Published 10.22.21 Dr. Mark Williams, the former Chair of the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Utah and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sports Sciences, has joined the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition as a Senior Research Scientist. A native of North Wales, Williams previously held senior leadership positions at Brunel University in London and the University of Sydney in Australia before moving to the United States in 2016. He has published more than 250 articles in peer-reviewed journals in fields ranging from exercise and sports science to experimental psychology to neuroscience. Williams’ research focuses on the neural and psychological mechanisms that underpin the acquisition and development of cognitive and perceptual-motor skills.  In addition to his role at the Journal of Sports Sciences, he also is the editor of the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and the journal Human Movement Science. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, National Academy of Kinesiology, British Association of Sport and Exercise Science and the European College of Sports Sciences. “Mark has a great international reputation and we’re very fortunate to have him become part of our team,” said IHMC’s founder and CEO Dr. Ken… Read More

Published 5.7.21 IHMCs Director and CEO Dr. Ken Ford announced that Dr. Morley O. Stone, the former senior vice president for research at the Ohio State University is joining the institute as Chief Strategic Partnership Officer. Dr. Stone is recognized as an international leader in human performance and biomimetics with nearly 30 years of experience in research and development. At IHMC, he will assume a leadership role in developing external strategic relationships with federal agencies, research universities and the private sector as well as implementing, coordinating and initiating scientific projects and assisting and mentoring IHMC scientists and research staff. As senior vice president for research, Dr. Stone oversaw an annual budget of over $1billion in basic and applied research while at Ohio State. Prior to OSU, Morley served as the Chief Technology Officer for the Air Force Research Laboratory where he was responsible for assisting with the planning and execution of an annual $2.1 billion Air Force science and technology program and an additional $2.3 billion in externally funded research and development. From 2003 to 2006, Dr. Stone accepted an assignment as Program Manager in the Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Dr. Stone earned… Read More

Published 1.20.21 Dr. Bonnie Dorr of The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition has been named a fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery. She is one of 95 fellows ACM is honoring this year for their contributions in computing and information technologies. Dorr is the associate director of IHMC’s Ocala branch and one of the institute’s senior researchers. She is recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in the field of natural-language processing. “This is a great honor for Bonnie,” said IHMC CEO Ken Ford. “She has had such a distinguished career. Her expertise extends from cyber security to social computing to artificial intelligence. It is great to see her recognized for the important work she does.” ACM has members from around the world who work in AI, cloud computing, computational biology, data science, software engineering, human-computer interaction, virtual reality and other areas. The ACM Fellows program recognizes the top one percent of the association’s worldwide membership. “These men and women have made pivotal contributions to technologies that are transforming whole industries as well as our personal lives,” said ACM President Gabriele Kotsis. “We fully expect these new ACM Fellows will continue in the vanguard of their respective… Read More

Published 11.24.20 IHMC Associate Director and Senior Research Scientist James Allen has been elected to the rank of AAAS Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Each year the association elects members whose efforts to advance science and its applications are considered distinguished and scientifically valid. AAAS specifically cited Allen for his “broad contributions to artificial intelligence and natural-language understanding, including seminal contributions in temporal logic.” In addition to his work at IHMC, which he joined in 2006, Allen also has an appointment as the John H. Dessauer Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. Since earning his Ph.D. in computer science in 1979 from the University of Toronto and receiving the Presidential Young Investigator award from the National Science Foundation in 1984, Allen has built an international reputation as a leader in AI and collaborative human-machine interaction. “This is such a well-deserved honor for James,” said IHMC Chief Executive Officer Ken Ford. “Throughout his career, James has been an AI thought leader. I, as well as the rest of James’ colleagues here at IHMC, are extremely happy for him.” The designation of AAAS Fellows began in 1874. James’ official election as… Read More

Published 10.15.20 Dr. Marcas Bamman is an internationally recognized researcher known for his scientific contributions to the biology of human skeletal muscle and medical rehabilitation. He is the founder and former director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Exercise Medicine. Bamman and the UAB center are recognized as world leaders in the biological mechanisms underlying exercise-induced adaptations and their clinical utility in disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. He joins IHMC as a Senior Research Scientist and will become part of a biologically-motivated team that IHMC founder and CEO Ken Ford has been forming for the past several years. Since its founding in 1990, IHMC has primarily conducted advanced research in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics. The past few years, however, Ford has been building a research team focused on health span, resilience and performance. IHMC is particularly focused on innovative ways to extend the capabilities and resilience of high-performing humans such as astronauts, fighter pilots, and elite special operators. “Marcas has become known worldwide for his work in understanding the molecular responses to exercise and how they relate to health and performance,” said Ford. “His research is highly valued by such organizations as the National… Read More

Published 6.9.20 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has named Dr. Bonnie Dorr of IHMC to its Information Science and Technology (ISAT) Study Group for a three-year term. Dorr is a leading researcher in the field of natural language processing. She serves as an associate director and senior research scientist at IHMC’s Ocala branch. The ISAT Study Group brings together 30 scientists and engineers from across the country who provide continuing and independent assessments of advanced information science and technology as it relates to the U.S. Department of Defense. DARPA is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the agency in 1958 in response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik in 1957. The agency created the ISAT Study Group in 1987 to support its technology offices and identify future research directions. “I am truly honored to be part of such a bright and talented group,” said Dorr. “To be able to have a hand in shaping future research for an agency like DARPA is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m really looking forward to this.” Dorr has worked with DARPA on a… Read More

Published 4.28.20 The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announced this week that STEM-Talk has been nominated for the Webby Awards, an international competition recognizing internet excellence. STEM-Talk, an educational service of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC), received nominations in the science and education podcast categories for the Webby Awards as well as the Webby People’s Voice Awards.  Academy members select winners for the Webby Awards while the People’s Voice Awards are voted on by the public. People have until May 7th to visit vote.webbyawards.com to cast their ballots. As a Webby nominee, STEM-Talk has been singled out as one of the five best podcasts in the world in the science and education category. Last year, more than three million people from 230 countries cast ballots in the People’s Voice awards. STEM-Talk won first place the past two out three years in the science and medicine category of the Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards. Ken Ford, IHMC’s co-founder and CEO, co-hosts the podcast with IHMC Research Scientist Dawn Kernagis. STEM-Talk, with more than 100 episodes, features conversations with some of the most interesting people in the world of science and has been downloaded by more… Read More

Published 10.23.19 For the second time in its three years in existence, IHMC’s podcast STEM-Talk has won first place in the science and medicine category at the 14th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards. The international competition features thousands of nominees in more than 20 categories. According to Todd Cochrane, who founded the competition in 2005, People’s Choice recognizes the top podcasts in the world as nominated by listeners. “The awards are truly independent and the shows that are nominated and win have significant bragging rights as being listener favorites,” said Cochrane. STEM-Talk is nearing its 100th episode and also closing in on 2 million downloads. In 2017, STEM-Talk not only took home the top prize in the science and medicine category, but also was runner-up for the competition’s grand prize. STEM-Talk bills itself as “conversations with some of the most interesting people in the world of science and technology.” The guests have ranged from Nobel Prize winners in physics to NASA Astronauts to numerous thought leaders in the medical sciences. The podcast uploads to iTunes, Stitcher, Google, Overcast and other podcast apps twice a month. IHMC CEO Dr. Ken Ford co-hosts the podcast with IHMC Research Scientist Dr. Dawn Kernagis…. Read More

Published 10.8.19 Doctoral program director Brent Venable, center, with Jacques Perry, left, and Duncan Calvert, right This fall, the University of West Florida and the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition welcomed the inaugural cohort of five students to the newly established intelligent systems and robotics doctoral program. The program centers on developing leading-edge software and hardware technology that combines human and machine elements to exploit their respective strengths and mitigate their respective weaknesses. It aligns with the University’s strategic vision for research that impacts Northwest Florida’s economic development and technology enterprise. The first of its kind in Florida and one of only a few in the nation, the program will serve the manufacturing, health care, defense and other high-tech industries, providing critical support to high-demand career fields. “UWF welcomes an esteemed group of eager doctoral students, each with a uniquely impressive background,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “They are ready, and we are confident that UWF and IHMC will guide them to their individual success.” The doctorate in intelligent systems and robotics program will provide students with individualized paths tailored to their interests. The program is comprised of foundational courses in robotics and artificial intelligence, or AI, that… Read More

Published 7.31.19 The University of West Florida and the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition announce Dr. Kristen “Brent” Venable as the inaugural director of the Ph.D. in Intelligent Systems and Robotics program. UWF is partnering with IHMC for the program, which begins in Fall 2019. Venable will shape and direct the new program, hire faculty and recruit doctoral students. “The highly-anticipated doctoral program has found a well-suited leader in Dr. Venable,” said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. “Her expertise in artificial intelligence matches well with the program’s vision to develop thought-leaders in these exciting fields.” Venable joins UWF from Tulane University, where she held a joint appointment as a professor of computer science and research scientist for IHMC. “I have known Brent for a long time and she is the perfect choice to head up the new program,” said Dr. Ken Ford, IHMC CEO and director. “Brent has broad expertise in AI and related topics, and we are fortunate that she has agreed to take this position.” Venable’s primary research interests are within artificial intelligence including constraint-based reasoning, preferences, temporal reasoning and computational social choice. Her research focuses on providing a solid framework for the design and deployment… Read More

Published 6.17.19 Pensacola’s cutting-edge research center The Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) and the Andrews Research & Education Foundation (AREF), the research arm of the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, have signed an agreement to collaborate on human-performance research. “We’re really fortunate to have two world leaders in human-performance right here in our community,” said Ken Ford, co-founder and CEO of IHMC. “This partnership is going to leverage the work of both organizations for the benefit of sports medicine as well as programs geared toward improving the capabilities and resilience of astronauts, fighter pilots, divers and other elite members of our military.” IHMC and AREF will share office and lab space at their Pensacola and Gulf Breeze facilities. The scientists and doctors will collaborate on research into areas ranging from optimizing physical and cognitive performance to developing technologies aimed at helping high-performing humans like professional athletes, astronauts and fighter pilots. “People here at AREF are thrilled they’ll be able to work with IHMC in areas that will help us with neurosurgery, neuroscience, ophthalmology and, of course, sports medicine,” said Ashton Hayward, president of Andrews Research & Education Foundation. IHMC is a not-for-profit research institute that has grown… Read More

Published 4.22.19 FloridaWest EDA is pleased to announce that Ryan Tilley of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition has been appointed to the FloridaWest Board of Directors by the Escambia County Commission. Tilley joins Karen Sindel as one of the two county appointees to serve the community on the economic development alliance board. Tilley is currently the Director of Strategic Program Execution and Innovation at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) and is also a partner in two Pensacola based software engineering companies. Prior to joining IHMC, Ryan was the Chief Operating Officer for VetCV Inc., a software application company focused on supporting veterans and their families. Tilley was also the COO for KontactIntelligence Inc., a leading healthcare industry physician recruitment software platform. Tilley earned his master’s in Business Administration as well as Bachelor of Science in both Finance and Global Economics from the University of West Florida. He also received his master’s certificate in Entrepreneurship from the University of West Florida. He is married to his lovely wife Kelly and together they have two amazing sons. “With his experience with technology based companies, Ryan Tilley will be a key asset to our board,” said… Read More