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About

Andrew Pullin is a leading roboticist whose work bridges biology and engineering to create highly agile, bio-inspired robots. His research focuses on terradynamics—the study of locomotion on complex, yielding, and cluttered terrains—and the development of novel actuation and manufacturing methods for small-scale robots. Pullin’s major contributions include pioneering the use of a tail for dynamic turning in legged robots, demonstrating that a palm-sized robot (TAYLROACH) could achieve precise, rapid turns on low-friction surfaces, a feat previously challenging with leg modulation alone (over 100 citations). He also introduced the concept of “terradynamically streamlined” shapes, showing that fusiform bodies help animals and robots traverse dense clutter (96 citations). His work on the sprawl-tuned autonomous robot (STAR) and ground fluidization for rapid running on granular media further expanded understanding of adaptive locomotion. Pullin’s integrated manufacturing of exoskeletons and sensing structures for folded millirobots has advanced the fabrication of lightweight, multifunctional robots. With over 400 cumulative citations, his research has profoundly influenced the design of small, maneuverable robots capable of operating in natural and unstructured environments.