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About

Kaitlyn P. Becker is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics and marine biology, whose work has fundamentally transformed how scientists interact with fragile deep-sea ecosystems. Her most celebrated contribution — a soft robotic gripper designed for biological sampling on deep reefs — has amassed over 820 citations, reflecting its profound influence on both robotics and ocean science. Where industrial-grade manipulators once dominated underwater exploration, Becker's bio-inspired, compliant systems offer a gentler alternative capable of handling delicate organisms without damage. Beyond grippers, Becker has advanced the entire soft robotic manipulation pipeline, developing dexterous teleoperable arms, modular wrist joints, and integrated optical waveguide sensors for proprioception and contact-force feedback — all engineered to function reliably under extreme deep-sea conditions. Notably, she demonstrated that custom soft manipulators could be designed and 3D-printed directly aboard research vessels, dramatically accelerating field deployment. Her later work addresses a persistent challenge in the field: soft actuation control. Through innovations in soft fluidic valves, DEA-based control systems, and microfluidic demultiplexers, Becker is working to eliminate the rigid hardware that has long constrained fully soft robotic systems, pushing the discipline toward truly compliant, autonomous machines.