Curtis Sparks

Arizona State University, University of California San Diego

Papers

Total Citations

119

H-Index

About

Curtis Sparks is a pioneering roboticist whose work sits at the intersection of soft robotics, assistive technology, and bio-inspired locomotion. His most impactful contribution is the development of the **Soft Poly-Limb (SPL)**—a fluid-driven, wearable continuum arm designed to provide safe, compliant mobile manipulation for daily living tasks. This concept, introduced in his 2018 paper (106 citations), reimagines assistance for both healthy individuals and those with physical impairments, leveraging the inherent compliance of soft materials to work safely alongside humans. Sparks extended this paradigm with a fabric-based version (fSPL, 2019), demonstrating a commitment to practical, comfortable wearable systems. Beyond assistance, his research explores novel locomotion strategies, as seen in his amoeba-inspired swimming robot (2022), which uses isoperimetric body shape modulation for propulsion—a radical departure from traditional propeller-based designs. Most recently (2025), he has addressed the classic reach-versus-stowage tradeoff in robotics by developing deployable tape spring “fingers” capable of grasping and in-plane rolling manipulation. With a growing citation footprint and a portfolio that spans from soft wearable limbs to deployable space structures, Sparks is establishing himself as a creative force in rethinking how robots can move, assist, and interact with the world.