Reid R. Harrison

About

Reid R. Harrison is a versatile researcher whose work spans robotics, neuromorphic engineering, and bioelectronics — bridging biological intelligence and artificial systems in ways that continue to influence multiple fields. His early career focused on autonomous robot navigation, including contributions to Mars microrover navigation (103 citations), establishing him as a pioneer in real-world robotic mobility and sensor-driven behavior. Harrison's fascination with biological systems led him to develop analog VLSI circuits modeled on insect vision, most notably a fly-inspired motion sensor (58 citations) that demonstrated how evolution's solutions could be reverse-engineered into silicon hardware. A significant thread throughout his research is the cricket as a model organism: Harrison built robot systems capturing cricket phonotaxis and sensorimotor integration, exploring how animals coordinate hearing, vision, and movement — work that drew substantial cross-disciplinary attention (50 citations). His 2014 development of a specialized microchip amplifier for whole-cell patch-clamp recording (27 citations) marked an important pivot toward precision bioelectronics, addressing longstanding limitations in electrophysiology instrumentation. Collectively, Harrison's contributions reflect a researcher unusually comfortable moving between planetary robotics, neuroethology-inspired computation, and cutting-edge biomedical hardware — demonstrating that insights from insect nervous systems can illuminate both robotics and clinical neuroscience.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Mars microrover navigation: Performance evaluation and enhancement

   103 citations · 1995
2. 2
   A Robust Analog VLSI Motion Sensor Based on the Visual System of the Fly

   58 citations · 1999
3. 3
   Sensorimotor control of navigation in arthropod and artificial systems

   50 citations · 2004
4. 4
   Microchip amplifier for in vitro, in vivo, and automated whole cell patch-clamp recording

   27 citations · 2014
5. 5
   <title>Integrating sensorimotor systems in a robot model of cricket behavior</title>

   25 citations · 2000
6. 6
   Phonotaxis in Crickets and Robots

   10 citations · 2002
7. 7
   Sweep Strategies for a Sensory-Driven, Behavior-Based Vacuum Cleaning Agent

   9 citations · 1993
8. 8
   Eyes and ears: combining sensory motor systems modelled on insect physiology

   8 citations · 2002
9. 9
   Mobile robot navigation in enclosed large-scale space

   5 citations · 2002

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links