Matt A. Estrada

Stanford University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Papers

Total Citations

178

H-Index

About

Matt A. Estrada is a roboticist whose work bridges the gap between aerial and terrestrial locomotion, pushing the boundaries of what small robots can achieve in complex, outdoor environments. His key research areas include multimodal locomotion, bio-inspired robotics, and elastic actuation for dynamic maneuvers. Estrada’s most significant contribution is the development of the Stanford Climbing and Aerial Maneuvering Platform (SCAMP), the first robot capable of perching on and climbing vertical outdoor surfaces—a breakthrough that extends the mission life of micro air vehicles by allowing them to reposition with minimal power, regardless of weather. This work, published in 2016, has garnered 158 citations, underscoring its impact on field robotics. More recently, Estrada has advanced the understanding of elastic actuation for repetitive hopping, introducing an inverted cam mechanism that combines power modulation with cyclic trajectory generation—a feat inspired by animal locomotion and detailed in his 2022 paper. His research not only demonstrates technical ingenuity but also offers practical solutions for persistent, energy-efficient robotic operations in unstructured environments, making him a notable figure in the evolution of agile, multi-modal robots.