Professor Voyles helped to create the National Robotics Initiative at the National Science Foundation, served at the NSF in various programs and was appointed as the Assistant to the President for CyberPhysical Systems and Robotics, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), at the White House (Obama Administration).

Professor Voyles was the Associate Dean of the School of Technology at Purdue University and currently Professor and Head of the Collaborative Robotics Lab at Purdue, Director of the Robotics Accelerator and Director of the NSF Program on Robots and Sensors for Humans (ROSEHUB).

Professor Voyles research integrates electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer science. His research interest include novel robotic mechanisms, sensors, self-adaptive software, real-time control, and gesture-based human/robot interaction. Projects include research related to [a] infrastructure tools for self- adaptation in real-time and embedded systems, [b] miniature robotics/drones for search and rescue, [c] small crawlers or ground robots for penetration into rubble, hybrid serpentine robots for moving over rubble, and [d] high-precision UAVs for inspecting very high value highly hazardous environments/structures (for example, nuclear power plants and chimneys).

His industrial experiences include IBM, Avanti Optics, Integrated Systems, Dart Controls and Mark V Automation Systems. His academic experiences include tenured academic positions at the University of Minnesota, University of Denver, and Purdue University. His government positions with the federal government include leading the National Robotics Initiative at the National Science Foundation and Assistant Director for Robotics and Cyber-Physical Systems at the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. Other positions include Board of Director positions on The Works, Easton Family Foundation, Minnesota Virtual Simulations and Mark V Automation.

His formal training includes PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, MS in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Stanford University, and BS in Electrical Engi- neering from Purdue University.