Matthew Frost
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Papers
11
Total Citations
448
H-Index
7
About
Matthew Frost is a leading roboticist whose work spans planetary exploration, extreme-terrain mobility, and dexterous manipulation. His research focuses on developing robots that can operate in the most challenging environments on Earth and beyond—from the surface of Mars to the microgravity of asteroids. Frost’s major contributions include the design of the Sampling and Caching Subsystem (SCS) for NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, a critical system that enables the collection and caching of rock and soil samples for potential return to Earth (134 citations). He also led the development of RoboSimian, a statically stable quadrupedal robot that achieved a 5th-place finish at the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, demonstrating semi-autonomous mobile manipulation in disaster-response scenarios (130 and 86 citations). Frost pioneered microspine anchoring technology, enabling gravity-independent drilling and mobility on natural rock surfaces for use on comets, asteroids, and Martian cliffs (36 citations). His work on force-torque sensor calibration for the Mars 2020 robotic arm further underscores his impact on precision manipulation in space. With over 400 total citations, Frost’s innovations are shaping the future of robotic exploration and autonomous operation in extreme environments.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 4Gravity-independent mobility and drilling on natural rock using microspines36 citations · 2012
- 5Microgravity coring: A self-contained anchor and drill for consolidated rock15 citations · 2012
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- 8Docking the Mars 2020 Perseverance Robotic Arm7 citations · 2022
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