Papers
19
Total Citations
1,532
H-Index
13
About
Frank Daerden is a pioneering figure in two seemingly distinct fields: soft robotics and planetary atmospheric science. His most celebrated contribution is the development of the Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PPAM), a revolutionary actuator that overcomes the limitations of traditional pneumatic muscles through a unique pleated design. This innovation, detailed in his highly cited 2002 paper (138 citations) and its second-generation follow-up (101 citations), delivers exceptional contraction force and travel while eliminating dry friction, making it ideal for safe, compliant human-robot interaction. Daerden’s work on the PPAM directly enabled the creation of the bipedal robot “Lucy” (171 citations), a landmark achievement in legged locomotion. His research on proxy-based sliding mode control (120 citations) further advanced the safety of these systems. Simultaneously, Daerden made significant contributions to planetary science, co-authoring a seminal 2009 study on Mars’ water-ice clouds and precipitation (217 citations) using data from the Phoenix mission. With over 1,400 total citations across his publications, Daerden’s dual legacy lies in creating the foundational hardware for safe, compliant robots and in deepening our understanding of Martian climate.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Pneumatic artificial muscles: actuators for robotics and automation576 citations · 2002
- 2Mars Water-Ice Clouds and Precipitation217 citations · 2009
- 3The Pneumatic Biped ?Lucy? Actuated with Pleated Pneumatic Artificial Muscles171 citations · 2005
- 4Pleated pneumatic artificial muscles: actuators for automation and robotics138 citations · 2002
- 5Proxy-based Sliding Mode Control of a Planar Pneumatic Manipulator120 citations · 2009
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- 7Pleated pneumatic artificial muscles: compliant robotic actuators44 citations · 2002
- 8The Safety of a Robot Actuated by Pneumatic Muscles—A Case Study33 citations · 2010
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