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Berkeley Autonomous Microsystems Lab

Led by Prof. Kristofer Pister, we work toward fully autonomous milli- to micro-scale robots and sensor networks. Our research includes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and fabrication, low power circuits for wireless systems, and wireless sensor network and robot control algorithms.

We are part of the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center and are housed within the Berkeley Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences department. Our lab space is located in the Swarm Lab on the fourth floor of Cory Hall.


Lab History

  • 2019: First all-CMOS crystal-free radios that can talk to cell phones with Bluetooth
  • 2008: Created OpenWSN, an open source implementation of IEEE/IETF standards
  • 2008: Created the Time Synchronized Mesh Protocol, the basis of International Wireless standards WirelessHART (IEC62591), ISA100.11A, IEEE 802.15.4 TSCH, IETF 6TiSCH
  • 2006: Created Mixer-first 2.4 GHz RF architecture, now in Apple air pods
  • 2003: First autonomous solar powered silicon robot
  • 2002: First SOI electrostatic inchworm motors
  • 2002: First MEMS vibration to electrical power converter
  • 2000: First open source TinyOS paper
  • 1999: First open source “Berkeley mote” hardware
  • 1998: First open-source nodal analysis for MEMS
  • 1998: First commercial XeF2 etcher built from BSAC design
  • 1997: Smart Dust proposal
  • 1989: First out-of-plane polysilicon hinged MEMS