Honors & Awards

  • Finalist, Best Technical Paper, IEEE Haptics Symposium (2020)
  • One-Year Graduate Research Grant, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) - German Academic Exchange Service (2019-2020)
  • Research Award Semi-Finalist, Fulbright U.S. Student Program (2019)
  • Centennial Teaching Assistant Award, Stanford University (Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning) (2019)
  • Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation (2018-2023)
  • Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study Finalist, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2018)
  • Predoctoral Fellowship Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation (2018)
  • Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) Doctoral Fellowship, Stanford University (Vice Provost for Graduate Education) (2016-2018)
  • Bioengineering Departmental Award, Stanford University Bioengineering Department (2016-2018)

Professional Affiliations and Activities

  • Student Activities Committee Chair, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (2020 - Present)
  • Student Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (2017 - Present)

Education & Certifications

  • Master of Science, Stanford University, Mechanical Engineering (2018)
  • Bachelor of Science, University of Rhode Island, Biomedical Engineering (2016)
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of Rhode Island, Spanish (2016)

Stanford Advisors

Patents

  • Heather Culbertson, Allison M. Okamura, Cara M. Nunez, Sophia R. Williams. "United States Patent pending under application #62/644330 Improved Haptic Devices to Create the Sensation of Continuous Lateral Motion", Mar 16, 2018

Contact

  • Academic
    nunezc@stanford.edu
    University - Student Department: Bioengineering Position: Graduate

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 4125

All Publications

  • Understanding Continuous and Pleasant Linear Sensations on the Forearm From a Sequential Discrete Lateral Skin-Slip Haptic Device IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON HAPTICS Nunez, C. M., Williams, S. R., Okamura, A. M., Culbertson, H. 2019; 12 (4): 414–27

    Abstract

    A continuous stroking sensation on the skin can convey messages or emotion cues. We seek to induce this sensation using a combination of illusory motion and lateral stroking via a haptic device. Our system provides discrete lateral skin-slip on the forearm with rotating tactors, which independently provide lateral skin-slip in a timed sequence. We vary the sensation by changing the angular velocity and delay between adjacent tactors, such that the apparent speed of the perceived stroke ranges from 2.5 to 48.2 cm/s. We investigated which actuation parameters create the most pleasant and continuous sensations through a user study with 16 participants. On average, the sensations were rated by participants as both continuous and pleasant. The most continuous and pleasant sensations were created by apparent speeds of 7.7 and 5.1 cm/s, respectively. We also investigated the effect of spacing between contact points on the pleasantness and continuity of the stroking sensation, and found that the users experience a pleasant and continuous linear sensation even when the space between contact points is relatively large (40 mm). Understanding how sequential discrete lateral skin-slip creates continuous linear sensations can influence the design and control of future wearable haptic devices.

    View details for DOI 10.1109/TOH.2019.2941190

    View details for Web of Science ID 000505585900003

    View details for PubMedID 31536015

  • Design and Analysis of Pneumatic 2-DoF Soft Haptic Devices for Shear Display IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS Kanjanapas, S., Nunez, C. M., Williams, S. R., Okamura, A. M., Luo, M. 2019; 4 (2): 1365–71

    View details for DOI 10.1109/LRA.2019.2895890

    View details for Web of Science ID 000459538100025

  • Evolution and Analysis of Hapkit: An Open-Source Haptic Device for Educational Applications. IEEE transactions on haptics Orta Martinez, M., Nunez, C. M., Liao, T., Morimoto, T. K., Okamura, A. 2019

    Abstract

    We present the design, evolution and analysis of "Hapkit", a low-cost, open-source kinesthetic haptic device for use in educational applications. Hapkit was developed in 2013 based on the design of the Stanford Haptic Paddle, with the goal of decreasing cost and increasing accessibility for educational applications, including online teaching, K-12 school use, and college dynamic systems and control courses. In order to develop Hapkit for these purposes, we tested a variety of transmission, actuation, and structural materials. Hapkit 3.0, the latest version, uses a capstan drive, inexpensive DC motor, and 3-D printed structural materials. A frequency-domain system identification method was used to characterize Hapkit dynamics across the various designs. This method was validated using a first principles parameter measurement and a transient response analysis. This characterization shows that Hapkit 3.0 has lower damping and Coulomb friction than previous designs. We also performed a user study demonstrating that Hapkit 3.0 improves discrimination of virtual stiffness compared to previous designs. The design evolution of Hapkit resulted in a low-cost, high-performance device appropriate for open-source dissemination and educational applications.

    View details for DOI 10.1109/TOH.2019.2948609

    View details for PubMedID 31634847

  • 3-DoF Wearable, Pneumatic Haptic Device to Deliver Normal, Shear, Vibration, and Torsion Feedback Yoshida, K. T., Nunez, C. M., Williams, S. R., Okamura, A. M., Luo, M., IEEE IEEE. 2019: 97–102

    View details for Web of Science ID 000538798200017

  • A Social Haptic Device to Create Continuous Lateral Motion using Sequential Normal Indentation Culbertson, H., Nunez, C. M., Israr, A., Lau, F., Abnousi, F., Okamura, A. M., Kuchenbecker, K. J., Gerling, G. J., Visell, Y. IEEE. 2018: 32–39

    View details for Web of Science ID 000434958700006