Papers
105
Total Citations
7,535
H-Index
35
About
Matthew T. Mason is a pioneering roboticist whose foundational contributions to robotic manipulation have shaped the field for decades. Based at Carnegie Mellon University, his research centers on the mechanics of manipulation, motion planning, grasping, and nonprehensile manipulation — the science of moving objects without necessarily grasping them. Mason's most celebrated work includes his landmark 1989 book *Robot Hands and the Mechanics of Manipulation* (919 citations) and his 1984 paper on automatic synthesis of fine-motion strategies (896 citations), both of which established rigorous theoretical frameworks for understanding how robots interact with objects under friction and uncertainty. His 1986 and 1996 studies on pushing mechanics (574 and 474 citations respectively) revealed that even seemingly simple pushing operations require sophisticated mathematical treatment to predict and control reliably. Beyond classical grasping, Mason has continuously expanded the frontier — exploring dynamic nonprehensile manipulation, extrinsic dexterity, and even robotic origami folding. His 2001 textbook *Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation* remains a definitive graduate-level reference. With a cumulative citation record exceeding 4,800 across his top works alone, Mason's influence on how researchers conceptualize, plan, and engineer robotic manipulation is both profound and enduring.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Robot Hands and the Mechanics of Manipulation919 citations · 1989
- 2Automatic Synthesis of Fine-Motion Strategies for Robots896 citations · 1984
- 3Robot Motion: Planning and Control614 citations · 1983
- 4Mechanics and Planning of Manipulator Pushing Operations574 citations · 1986
- 5Mechanics of Robotic Manipulation489 citations · 2001
- 6Stable Pushing: Mechanics, Controllability, and Planning474 citations · 1996
- 7Extrinsic dexterity: In-hand manipulation with external forces279 citations · 2014
- 8Dynamic Nonprehensile Manipulation: Controllability, Planning, and Experiments234 citations · 1999
- 9Robotic origami folding192 citations · 2008
- 10Toward Robotic Manipulation180 citations · 2018