Luke J. Currano

DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Papers

Total Citations

135

H-Index

About

Luke J. Currano is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of micro-robotics and advanced materials, whose work pushes the boundaries of autonomous systems at the smallest scales. His primary research areas include micro-robotic actuation, energetic materials, and soft robotics, with a focus on achieving true autonomy in untethered platforms. Currano’s major contributions are twofold: he demonstrated the first autonomous thrust-driven microrobot using nanoporous energetic silicon (70 citations), a breakthrough that harnessed on-chip chemical energy for high-force actuation, and he later developed an untethered soft robot powered by liquid crystal elastomers (57 citations), achieving wireless Bluetooth control and repeatable strains over 20% across hundreds of cycles. His early work on porous silicon microthrusters (8 citations) laid critical groundwork for integrating energetic materials into microfabricated systems. Currano’s research has been recognized for its novelty in enabling robust, lightweight architectures that combine actuation, control, and power on a single chip—a key step toward practical microrobots for exploration, medicine, and manufacturing. His work continues to inspire new approaches to autonomous microsystems.