Robert J. Wood
Harvard University, Inspire Institute, Harvard University Press, St. John's College of Nursing, University of California, Berkeley, Inspire, State Street (United States), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Association for Language Learning, Walsh University, Citigroup, Jiangyin Traffic Planning Survey & Design Institute (China), Charles River Laboratories (Netherlands), New America, Institut Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique
Papers
258
Total Citations
32,983
H-Index
74
About
Robert J. Wood is a pioneering roboticist whose work has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of what robots can be, look like, and accomplish. Based at Harvard University, Wood's research spans soft robotics, micro-aerial vehicles, and biologically inspired machines — fields he has helped define through consistently groundbreaking contributions. His insect-scale flying robots, including the landmark 2008 and 2013 studies on biologically inspired robotic insects (totaling nearly 2,000 citations combined), demonstrated that flight at the scale of a housefly was not only theoretically possible but achievable through elegant engineering. His soft robotics work is equally transformative: from fully autonomous soft robots and combustion-powered designs to untethered pneumatic systems, Wood has helped establish soft robotics as a legitimate and vibrant discipline, with individual papers accumulating over 1,000 citations each. His 2014 soft robotic rehabilitation glove bridges engineering and medicine, offering real-world impact for stroke patients. Wood also co-authored the influential "Grand Challenges of Science Robotics" (2018, 1,134 citations), helping set the intellectual agenda for the entire field. With most-cited works collectively exceeding 12,000 citations, Wood stands as one of the most influential voices in modern robotics research.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1An integrated design and fabrication strategy for entirely soft, autonomous robots2,096 citations · 2016
- 2Soft robotic glove for combined assistance and at-home rehabilitation1,580 citations · 2014
- 3Science, technology and the future of small autonomous drones1,400 citations · 2015
- 4The grand challenges of <i>Science Robotics</i>1,134 citations · 2018
- 5Controlled Flight of a Biologically Inspired, Insect-Scale Robot1,102 citations · 2013
- 6A Resilient, Untethered Soft Robot1,075 citations · 2014
- 7A 3D-printed, functionally graded soft robot powered by combustion1,036 citations · 2015
- 8Untethered soft robotics998 citations · 2018
- 9A method for building self-folding machines954 citations · 2014
- 10The First Takeoff of a Biologically Inspired At-Scale Robotic Insect905 citations · 2008