Systems Designer & Research Engineer making environmental complexity legible and actionable.
COMPUTATIONAL ECOLOGY:
BIOPOD Co.
ECOLOGY · INFRASTRUCTURE · SYSTEMS
Designing deployable ecological infrastructure for wetland restoration based on environmental research.
Ecological AI
PREDICTION · INTERFACE · DATA
A Decision-Support System for Targeted Ecosystem Restoration.
Algorithmic Morphogenesis
BIO-COMPUTATION · DATA MATERIALIZATION
inscribing real-time human neurological data (EEG) into living algal morphology using phototactic actuation
HARDWARE & INTERFACES:
Threads
EDGE ML · HARDWARE · TEXTILES
Sentient Surfaces + Edge ML on Textiles. Human-AI Symbiosis through Ubiquitous Computing.
S(kin)-orb
HAPTICS · BIOSENSING · AFFECTIVE COMP.
A bio-digital interface translating electromyographic (EMG) signals into haptic feedback for remote affective communication.
Vermiform
COMPONENT · SOFT ROBOTICS · WEARABLE
Bio-mimetic architectures for wearable computing.
Chito-bot
BIOCOMPOSITES · TRANSIENT ELECTRONICS
Investigating material compliance and structural integrity in bio-composite hexapods.
STRATEGIC SYSTEMS:
PFV
MOBILITY · ECOLOGY · SYSTEMS
Autonomous Mobility as Urban Bio-Infrastructure.
Aero
SENSING · MATERIALS · DATA
Developing robotic material systems for localized air-quality sensing and pollutant sequestration through embedded environmental intelligence.
Bio - intelligence
COPMUTATION · SYSTEMS · BIOLOGY
Exploring biological computation as an alternative model for system intelligence and control.
Archive
© 2019-2026 Manini Banerjee
Information
in·for·ma·tion
Manini Banerjee is a Systems Designer and Research Engineer making environmental complexity legible and actionable.
Operating at the intersection of biological intelligence, software, and hardware, she builds tools that translate messy ecological data into precise engineering solutions. Her work moves beyond digital simulation, focusing on giving agency to material systems, from wetland infrastructure to robotics.
She is the co-founder of BIOPOD Co., where she leads the development of AI-driven tools to deploy modular ecological infrastructure. Previously, as a Research Fellow at Hyundai Motor Group, she designed bio-mimetic behaviors for the Atlas robot, translating biological logic into mechanical actuation.
Manini is currently pursuing a Master of Design Engineering at Harvard University and holds a BFA in Industrial Design from RISD. Her work has been featured in Popular Science, Dezeen, and Design Milk, and she has shared her research on "Living Machines" at TEDx.
WORK HISTORY
The Biopod Collective
Tufts University - SilkLab
Northeastern U - Biointeractive Surfaces Lab
MIT Media Lab - Fluid Interfaces
Hyundai Motor Group R&D HQ
Grow Your Own Cloud (GYOC)
RISD Research
RISD Nature Lab
CVS HQ x Design For America
Brown University
Design for America
Naya Studios
Co-Founder
Biodesigner and Researcher
Visiting Scholar
Design Collaborator
Automotive and Robotic design
Product Design - DNA Data Storage
Grant Recipient - Living Machines
Biodesign consultant
UI/UX + Sustainable Systems design
Biomedical Device Design
Leadership + Project Management
UI/UX + Project Management
Boston, USA
Boston, USA
Boston, USA
Boston, USA
Seoul, Korea
Paris, France (Remote)
Providence, USA
Providence, USA
Providence, USA (Remote)
Providence, USA
Providence, USA
Boston, USA
EDUCATION
Harvard University (2025-2027)
Masters of Design Engineering
RISD (2019 - 2023)
BFA Industrial Design
Minors: Computation + Sustainability studies
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2023)
Course: Computing Fabrics
Brown University (2019 - 2023)
Courses: Social Impact of Emerging Technologies,
Fluid Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering Design
Harvard Business School Online (2020)
Courses: Business Analytics,
Financial Accounting, Economics for Managers
RECOGNITION
Popular Science Journal: A look at the weird intersection of taxidermy and car design
Dezeen Magazine: RISD researchers create floating mycelium pods to cleanse waterways
A+D Museums' topical Exhibit explores the ‘future of space.’
Exhibited Designer: New York Climate Week 2024, NewLab Startup Showcase: New Climate Futures 2024, Haptic Futures @ Fifth Avenue Hotel 2024, Providence Climate Week 2024, KIA Automotive Sustainable Futures 2022, RISD Museum 2021, A+D Museum - Future of Space 2020AWARDS
Winner (Biopods): Terra Carta Design Competition for the Sustainable Markets Initiative
Grant Recipient: Somerson Sustainability Innovation Grant
Scholarship Recipient: Mary E. Wardwell Scholarship 2023
Design Award: RISD Robert O’ Neil Creativity Award 2024
Honors Designation: RISD 2020-2023
Semi-Finalist Team (GYOC): Google x Biodesign Challenge Sprint 2021
PUBLISHED WORKS
Cambridge University Press: Biopods: Co-Creating Bioremediation Systems
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA): Biopods: Integrating Regenerative Technologies into Urban Ecologies SPEAKING
TEDx: Dissecting the Living Machine
Educator: IDSA International Design Conference 2024 “Embracing Nature-Centric Design”
Guest Lecturer: RISD Design Principles, RISD Biodesign
INTERDISCIPLINARY PRACTICE
Manini’s practice prioritizes ecological systems over isolated objects, and long-term environmental performance over short-term solutions. Her work embraces humans as part of natural systems, focusing on biodiversity, regeneration, and systems-level thinking across scales.