Lael Odhner

Lael Odhner is the Co-Founder and CTO at RightHand Robotics. Lael previously spent five years at Yale University developing high-performance, low-cost robot hands for DARPA's Autonomous Robotic Manipulation project. Her work has focused on ways to make dexterous tasks simpler and more reliable using simple mechanisms such as compliant couplings, rather than expensive, high-performance actuators and sensors. The current product of their work, a collaboration with researchers at Harvard University and iRobot Corporation, is a robot hand in use by the DARPA Robotics Challenge on a full-scale humanoid robot.

Before their work at Yale, Odhner was a software developer for the Academy of the New Church and the General Church of the New Jerusalem. Lael developed a searchable electronic catalog of lesson plans and educational materials, and also performed contract work developing a database for curating the translated works of philosopher and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.

Odhner is also a Doctoral Candidate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lael Odhner received their Doctor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to that, they received their Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and their Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Their manager is Yaro Tenzer, Co-Founder & CEO. They work with Johnna Joy Fieldman - Head of People Operations, Tom Barone - CFO, and Brendon Bielat - VP, Product. Andrew Campanella - Head of Hardware, Joshua Dion - VP, Engineering report to Lael Odhner.