MOVE Center

The MOVE Center at Kennesaw State University is dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research and innovation in rehabilitation and assistive technologies by bringing together faculty expertise across engineering, health sciences, computing, and related fields.

Our mission is to support the development of impactful solutions that can improve mobility, health, and quality of life for individuals and communities.

Pediatric Medical-Device Development & Clinical Translation

Friday, October 2, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
G-233, Marietta Campus

The MOVE Center and Prototype Living of Tomorrow (PLOT) are proud to present a pragmatic and interactive session on pediatric medical-device development, clinical translation, regulatory pathways, and CTIP opportunities.

Special guest: Dr. Greg Zapotoczny, MS Reg, Director of the Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University.

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Research Tracks

Events

Fall 2026 MOVE Center Research Kickoff Meeting

Thank you everyone who attended the MOVE Center Research Kickoff Meeting. I loved the energy, conversations, and connections throughout the morning. It was wonderful to see so many of us together, learn more about each other's work, and talk about opportunities for new collaborations.

I also want to thank everyone who contributed to making the event possible and all of our invited speakers who joined us in person and virtually.

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A presenter addresses a seated audience in a classroom while two screens display an “ORS Board Structure” slide.

Leadership

Dr. Ayse Tekes

MOVE Center Director

Dr. Ayse Tekes is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Kennesaw State University. Her research explores the design, development, and modeling of soft robots and flexible machines, in addition to engineering education and the development of lab equipment and AI-powered virtual labs.

Before arriving at KSU, Dr. Tekes earned her Ph.D. from Istanbul Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey and served as a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia Institute of Technology.

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News

MOVE Center receives National Science Foundation grant

We are thrilled to share that the MOVE Center has received its first National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, a $399,953 award supporting the development of AI-enhanced physical-digital tools for soft robotics, compliant mechanisms, physical prototypes, digitaltwins in MATLAB, and nonlinear modeling.

Dr. Ayse Tekes, Director of the MOVE Center, will serve as the principal investigator, alongside co-principal investigators Dr. Lei Shi and Dr. Razvan Voicu.

This award marks an exciting milestone for the MOVE Center and will help us advance innovative research and education in emerging soft robotic technologies.

We are deeply grateful to the National Science Foundation (NSF), MathWorks, and Kennesaw State University Research for their continued support. This project will also create meaningful hands-on research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, preparing them to contribute to the rapidly emerging fields of soft robotics, AI, and physical-digital engineering.

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