Fulbright Alumni Spotlight: Bas Overvelde
For the March edition of Fulbright Netherlands’ alumni newsletter, we interviewed Dutch Fulbright alum Johannes (Bas) Overvelde (Fulbright NL Graduate Student, Harvard University, 2012) – an engineer working in the field of soft robotics (explained simply in this video made for the children’s program Het Klokhuis) – about the field he works in, his projects, and how his Fulbright grant impacted his life and career. Read the full interview below.
Could you please give us a short interview about yourself and what you currently do?
B: My name is Bas Overvelde. I currently work one day a week as an Associate Professor at TU Eindhoven, and the rest of my time I lead my own research group at AMOLF in Amsterdam, a physics institute focused on fundamental research. My work lies at the intersection of soft robotics and nonlinear mechanics.
When did you get your Fulbright grant?
B: I was awarded the Fulbright grant in 2012, just after completing my master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Delft University of Technology. That same year, I began my PhD at Harvard University in the United States.
At Harvard, was there a certain area of engineering that you were specifically studying?
B: Yes, I eventually specialized in soft robotics. During my master’s, I had the opportunity to do an internship at Harvard. I simply reached out by email and was fortunate to be selected—right place, right time. After the internship, I decided to return to Harvard for my PhD.
After getting your Fulbright grant, completing your PhD at Harvard, and returning to the Netherlands in 2016, how did your career develop from there?
B: I made a significant leap. Typically, after a PhD in the technical sciences, one would pursue a postdoctoral position before starting a research group. However, upon returning to the Netherlands, I was offered the opportunity to start my own research group at AMOLF, where I still work today. It was a bold step, but I suppose I had some momentum.
What are your key takeaways from working with an international research group at Harvard, and how have you applied those takeaways to your research and leading your research group here in the Netherlands?
B: That experience was invaluable. While I had some international exposure through my internship, immersing myself in another culture taught me a lot. Even within the Western world, the differences between the U.S. and the Netherlands are significant. Interestingly, the graduate program at Harvard was incredibly international and there were in fact very few Americans, which meant we built a culture of our own, rooted in global collaboration. The environment was open and collaborative, which isn’t always the case in academia. That openness is something I’ve tried to bring into my own group: a culture of flexibility, inclusivity, and shared learning across perspectives.
Can you explain a bit about soft robotics, as well as what you research and what you work on in your day-to-day?
B: Soft robotics is gaining attention as an alternative to the AI-driven, centrally processed approach to intelligence in machines. Instead, we draw inspiration from nature and explore how mechanics and shape contribute to intelligence. For instance, the human body has built-in reflexes that make walking feel intuitive. Similarly, we investigate how the structure and materials of a robot can enable it to move and interact intelligently with its environment, without needing a central brain. “Soft robotics” means we use flexible materials, with stiffnesses like the tissue of sea creatures, that deform and adapt in response to external forces. In a way, we build robots that to some extend mimic sea creatures.
And so do you only work with sea creatures, or also with other forms of natural media?
B: We draw inspiration from anything in nature that we can learn from. While we don’t work directly with natural organisms, we use them as models for our designs. In the lab, we use tools like 3D printers and molding techniques to create flexible components, and we focus on understanding the fundamental principles behind how these artificial systems behave—how they change shape, respond to their environment, and how we can guide them to perform specific tasks. As soon as you’re working with soft robotics, things become inherently more complex. Unlike traditional engineering, which often deals with rigid materials and predictable behavior, soft systems move more freely. You still want them to perform specific actions, but modeling and controlling them is far more challenging. That’s the essence of what we study.
Just to clarify… you mention that you work with sea creatures, but does that mean you make models that imitate the movements and the behaviors of sea creatures, or–
B: It’s more the latter. We observe biological systems, such as how sea stars move, and try to replicate those behaviors in artificial systems. A sea star, for instance, has hundreds of small legs that move in synchrony to propel it forward. We study those dynamics and try to reproduce that kind of coordination in our robotic designs.
Can you give an example of a practical application of one of the systems that you’ve studied and you’ve been able to apply its action/behavior to a soft robotics system?
B: One of the best examples is a project we’re working on with a surgeon, Jolanda Kluin, to develop an artificial heart. It’s not a robot for movement, but a device that mimics the mechanical behavior of the human heart. The heart regulates blood pressure through its structure and movement, and we’re exploring how to replicate that using soft robotic principles. Essentially developing a heart replacement that mimics its natural behavior without relying on rigid mechanical components.
You have a side project called Studio Overvelde – is that related to your robotics or is that a different passion project?
B: Yes, Studio Overvelde is something I started with my wife. Our idea was to bridge science, design, and art. For example, we explored using origami and my research from my PhD the design of flexible structures that could serve both artistic and practical purposes, such as in lamps. It reflects my broader interest in visualizing and communicating scientific ideas in creative ways.
So you made all of the art [for Studio Overvelde], it’s not like you had projects and concepts and then you gave it to an artist to carry out?
B: Yes, we created everything ourselves. I wouldn’t call myself an artist, but I do have a background in mathematics, and sometimes that leads to beautiful structures. I’ve also collaborated with designers and architects, both during my time at Harvard and now, to apply these principles in broader contexts like architecture. Recently, I joined the board of CUCo, the Centre for Unusual Collaborations, in Utrecht. It’s a collaboration between four universities focused on connecting very different fields in unconventional ways, which ties in well with my interest in interdisciplinary work.
Any closing thoughts?
B: Fulbright played a crucial role in enabling my time in the U.S. It’s more than just a grant, it’s a community that offers support and connection. My wife even found housing in Washington, D.C. through the Fulbright network. When returning to the Netherlands, the Fulbright name also served as a mark of credibility, especially in academia. I’ve always felt part of the Fulbright community, and I’ve found it to be an inspiring and vibrant one.
Thank you, Bas!
