diff --git a/include/aikido/io.hpp b/include/aikido/io.hpp
index 8ea5e69b86..eb4d576706 100644
--- a/include/aikido/io.hpp
+++ b/include/aikido/io.hpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 #include "io/CatkinResourceRetriever.hpp"
 #include "io/KinBodyParser.hpp"
+#include "io/util.hpp"
 #include "io/yaml.hpp"
diff --git a/include/aikido/io/util.hpp b/include/aikido/io/util.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ef3f02d124
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/aikido/io/util.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#ifndef AIKIDO_IO_UTIL_HPP_
+#define AIKIDO_IO_UTIL_HPP_
+
+#include <dart/dart.hpp>
+
+namespace aikido {
+namespace io {
+
+/// Load a DART Skeleton from a URDF and set its pose.
+///
+/// \param[in] retriever DART retriever to resolve the URI
+/// \param[in] uri URI to the object URDF
+/// \param[in] transform Initial transform for the Skeleton
+/// \return the created Skeleton
+dart::dynamics::SkeletonPtr loadSkeletonFromURDF(
+    const dart::common::ResourceRetrieverPtr& retriever,
+    const std::string& uri,
+    const Eigen::Isometry3d& transform = Eigen::Isometry3d::Identity());
+
+} // namespace io
+} // namespace aikido
+
+#endif // AIKIDO_IO_UTIL_HPP_
diff --git a/src/io/CMakeLists.txt b/src/io/CMakeLists.txt
index 90b64ffba3..2d8b7f975b 100644
--- a/src/io/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/io/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ set(sources
   CatkinResourceRetriever.cpp
   KinBodyParser.cpp
   yaml.cpp
+  util.cpp
 )
 
 add_library("${PROJECT_NAME}_io" SHARED ${sources})
diff --git a/src/io/util.cpp b/src/io/util.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5a1b1a44e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/io/util.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+#include "aikido/io/util.hpp"
+#include <dart/utils/urdf/DartLoader.hpp>
+#include "aikido/io/CatkinResourceRetriever.hpp"
+
+namespace aikido {
+namespace io {
+
+//==============================================================================
+dart::dynamics::SkeletonPtr loadSkeletonFromURDF(
+    const dart::common::ResourceRetrieverPtr& retriever,
+    const std::string& uri,
+    const Eigen::Isometry3d& transform)
+{
+  dart::utils::DartLoader urdfLoader;
+  const dart::dynamics::SkeletonPtr skeleton
+      = urdfLoader.parseSkeleton(uri, retriever);
+
+  if (!skeleton)
+    throw std::runtime_error("Unable to load '" + uri + "'");
+
+  if (skeleton->getNumJoints() == 0)
+    throw std::runtime_error("Skeleton is empty.");
+
+  auto freeJoint
+      = dynamic_cast<dart::dynamics::FreeJoint*>(skeleton->getRootJoint(0));
+
+  if (!freeJoint)
+    throw std::runtime_error(
+        "Unable to cast Skeleton's root joint to FreeJoint.");
+
+  freeJoint->setTransform(transform);
+
+  return skeleton;
+}
+
+} // namespace io
+} // namespace aikido