Clark B. Teeple
Inspire Institute, Harvard University, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Papers
19
Total Citations
1,269
H-Index
13
About
Clark B. Teeple is a leading roboticist whose research sits at the intersection of soft robotics, deep-sea exploration, and delicate manipulation. His most impactful contribution is the development of "ultragentle" soft robotic grippers, which for the first time allowed scientists to grasp and handle fragile gelatinous marine life without injury—a breakthrough detailed in his highly cited 2019 paper (344 citations). Teeple has also pioneered dexterous soft robotic hands capable of in-hand manipulation (239 citations) and a teleoperable, low-power soft arm designed specifically for deep-sea biological exploration (163 citations). His work extends to robust precision grasping, where multi-segment soft fingers achieve stable antipodal grasps (122 citations), and to increasing the payload capacity of soft arms through localized stiffening (59 citations). Notably, Teeple introduced 3D knitting as a fabrication method for pneumatic soft robots (87 citations) and developed soft optical waveguide sensors for deep-sea grasping (56 citations). He also created the SoMo simulation toolkit (42 citations) and its reinforcement learning extension, SoMoGym (34 citations), enabling faster design and control of continuum robots. With earlier work on legged microrobot locomotion (29 citations), Teeple’s career exemplifies how soft robotics can transform our ability to interact safely with the natural world.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Ultragentle manipulation of delicate structures using a soft robotic gripper344 citations · 2019
- 2A Dexterous Soft Robotic Hand for Delicate In-Hand Manipulation239 citations · 2020
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- 4Multi-segment soft robotic fingers enable robust precision grasping122 citations · 2020
- 53D Knitting for Pneumatic Soft Robotics87 citations · 2023
- 6Increasing the payload capacity of soft robot arms by localized stiffening59 citations · 2023
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