Papers
69
Total Citations
6,965
H-Index
36
About
M. Buehler is a pioneering roboticist whose career has fundamentally advanced the fields of legged locomotion, robotic manipulation, and autonomous vehicles. Best known for his seminal work on the RHex hexapod robot — a mechanically elegant, six-actuator platform that demonstrated remarkable mobility across challenging real-world terrain — Buehler helped establish compliant-legged design as a cornerstone of modern mobile robotics. The RHex papers alone have garnered over 1,700 citations, reflecting their enduring influence on the field. His research extended to quadrupedal systems, most notably the Scout II robot, which achieved dynamically stable bounding gaits with minimal actuation, and to early monopod running machines that pushed the boundaries of electrically actuated locomotion. Buehler also contributed to robotic manipulation through the iHY underactuated hand, and played a role in the landmark DARPA Grand and Urban Challenges, which accelerated autonomous vehicle development globally. His earlier theoretical work on robotic juggling introduced elegant "mirror algorithms" that remain influential in dynamic manipulation research. Across more than two decades, Buehler's contributions — exceeding 4,200 cumulative citations — reflect a career defined by bridging elegant mechanical design with rigorous control theory.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1RHex: A Simple and Highly Mobile Hexapod Robot1,312 citations · 2001
- 2A compliant, underactuated hand for robust manipulation597 citations · 2014
- 3The DARPA Urban Challenge536 citations · 2009
- 4RHex: A Biologically Inspired Hexapod Runner408 citations · 2001
- 5
- 6The 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge266 citations · 2007
- 7Design, control, and energetics of an electrically actuated legged robot242 citations · 1997
- 8Planning and Control of Robotic Juggling and Catching Tasks228 citations · 1994
- 9Mechanical aspects of legged locomotion control192 citations · 2004
- 10Reliable stair climbing in the simple hexapod 'RHex'189 citations · 2003