Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Nicholas W. Bartlett is a pioneering researcher in the field of soft robotics, whose work has fundamentally advanced the design, actuation, and control of compliant machines. His most significant contribution is the creation of the first 3D-printed, functionally graded soft robot powered by combustion, a landmark 2015 study that has garnered over 1,000 citations and demonstrated how soft bodies can achieve rapid, powerful motion. Bartlett further expanded the capabilities of soft robots by developing an untethered jumping robot that combines pneumatic and explosive actuators, enabling agile locomotion previously thought impossible for soft systems. His innovations extend to manufacturing and control, including injection-induced self-folding for creating complex soft microstructures and a fluidic demultiplexer for managing large actuator arrays. Bartlett has also applied soft robotics to rehabilitation, designing a soft orthosis for wrist recovery in stroke patients. His work on tunable friction through elastomeric membrane inflation has opened new avenues for robotic grasping and locomotion. Through these achievements, Bartlett has established himself as a leading figure in creating more capable, versatile, and practical soft robotic systems.