Dr. Jose James is an Assistant Professor in the A. Leon Linton Department of Mechanical, Robotics, and Industrial Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, where he leads the Jose Omni-Sensory Exploration (JOSE) Lab and conducts research in haptics, embodied intelligence, and human–robot collaboration. He earned his Ph.D. in Robotics and Haptics from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, India. Before joining LTU, he served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Bentley University, Brown University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and collaborations with Harvard Medical School and industries contributing to interdisciplinary projects in robotics, VR‑based training, and intelligent systems.

Dr. James specializes in haptic interface design, multi-modal multi-sensory human robot interfaces, and reinforcement‑learning‑based skill acquisition. His research focuses on tactile‑enabled embodied intelligence, human‑robot skill transfer, and adaptive robotic systems. He has designed haptic devices, developed real‑time control architectures, and created immersive training platforms integrating robotics, VR, and AI.

He brings expertise in multimodal robotic system design and experimental validation, with proficiency in MATLAB, Simulink, ROS, Gazebo, and advanced prototyping tools. His work combines computational modeling, hardware development, and human‑subject experimentation to address challenges in healthcare training, manufacturing, rehabilitation, and autonomous systems. With nearly 25 publications in scientific journals & conferences, and numerous academic awards, Dr. James continues to contribute significantly to his field while preparing students for careers in robotics and related technologies. Dr. James is committed to advancing engineering education through hands‑on learning, modular lab design, and student‑centered mentorship.

» Education

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Amrita University
• BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering, Kannur University

»  Research Interests

• Haptics
• Virtual reality and computer vision
• Human-robot interaction (HRI)
• Embodied Intelligence

»  Courses and Teaching

• MRE 2024 – Unified Robotics 1
• MRE 3014 – Unified Robotics II
• EME/MRE 5983 – Special Topics in ME/MRE: Robot Operating System (ROS)
• MRE5983 – Special Topics in ME/MRE: Haptics
• EME3653 – Measurement Systems
• EGE 1102 –  Engineering Computer Applications Lab

»  Publications & Research

• Ziat, Mounia, Jose James, Junjie Hua, Thaer Burgan, Muna Mohamed, and Roope Raisamo. “When does movement help touch? Interstimulus separation and task difficulty in vibrotactile frequency discrimination.” i-Perception 17, no. 1 (2026): 20416695261416355.
• “Discriminating Vibrotactile Frequencies: The Role of Active & Passive Touch at Varying Spatial Separations”, in The Psychonomic Society’s 65th Annual Meeting, November 2024, New York City, New York, USA. 
• “The Role of Spatial Separation and Motor Control in Vibrotactile Frequency Discrimination” in World Haptics Conference 2025 
• S. Deepu, R. P., J. James, S. Ramesh, V. Rajendran S, and B. Rao R (2023). “Design and Evaluation of Wearable Haptics Device for Weight Perception in Vocational Trade,” Proc. 6th Int. Conf. Adv. Robot., pp. 1–6.
• J. James (2022). “Multi-Finger Haptics: Analysis of Human Hand Grasp towards a Tripod Three-Finger Haptic Grasp Model,” arXiv preprint.
• J. James, B. Rao R., and G. Neamtu (2019). “Design of a bi-manual haptic interface for skill acquisition in surface mount device soldering,” Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, 31(2), 133–142.
• J. James, G. Mazzilli, S. Rapuano, L. De Vito, and P. Daponte (2018). “Multi-finger haptics enhanced virtual instrument interfaces,” Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1065(11).
• J. James, S. Rapuano, L. De Vito, and P. Daponte (2018). “Haptics enhanced interface for remote control of measurement instrumentation,” IEEE MeMeA, pp. 1–6.
• D. Davis, K. Gokulnath, and R. Bhavani Rao (2018). “Bilateral human-in-the-loop tele-haptic interface for controlling a robotic manipulator,” International Journal of Mechatronics and Automation, 6(2–3), 104–119.
• J. James and R. R. Bhavani (2018). “Bimanual haptic simulator for training hand palpation and lumbar puncture,” in Haptic Interaction: Science, Engineering, and Design, Springer.
• R. Rahul, J. Jose, M. T. Harish, and R. R. Bhavani (2017). “Design of a novel Three-Finger haptic grasping system,” Proc. Int. Conf. Adv. Robot., pp. 1–6.
• J. Jose, R. Unnikrishnan, D. Marshall, and R. R. Bhavani (2016). “Haptics enhanced multi-tool virtual interfaces for training carpentry skills,” RAHA Conference, pp. 1–6.
• J. Jose, R. Unnikrishnan, D. Marshall, and R. R. Bhavani (2014). “Haptic simulations for training plumbing skills,” IEEE HAVE, pp. 65–70.

» Honors & Awards

• Distinguished Technical Regular Paper Award at the 2026 IEEE Haptics Symposium
• Best Robotics Team Award in The Entrepreneurial Mindset in Robotics Workshop at the KEEN National Conference (KNC) 2025, Austin, Texas.
• STRAC–Brown University Research Collaboration Grant
• 2021 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award, U.S. Department of Labor (STRAC Institute)
• 2017 Erasmus Mundus LEADER Research Fellowship, European Union
• 2014 Erasmus Mundus Heritage Research Fellowship, European Union
• Elsevier Reviewer Recognition Award
• Amrita Chancellor’s Ph.D. Fellowship, Amrita University

» Affiliations & Service

• Member, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)
• Member, IEEE RAS Technical Committee for Haptics (TCH)
• NSF Panelist Member, Human-Centered Computing (HCC), Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (CISE/IIS)