Thomas McKay

Papers

Total Citations

189

H-Index

About

Thomas McKay is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics, bio-inspired actuation, and autonomous energy systems. His work centers on dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs)—often called artificial muscles—and their integration into self-sustaining robotic platforms. McKay’s most influential contribution is the development of a thin membrane artificial muscle rotary motor (2009, 91 citations), which demonstrated how soft, electroactive polymers could produce rotational motion, a critical step toward lifelike robotic movement. He further advanced the field by exploring power delivery strategies for DEA-driven robots (2011, 61 citations), particularly for EcoBot, an autonomous robot developed at Bristol Robotics Lab that uses microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to extract energy from biomass like flies. McKay also contributed to sensing and control, designing capacitance feedback systems for DEAs (2015, 28 citations), and pioneered a hybrid dielectric elastomer generator–MFC energy harvester (2010, 9 citations), enabling robots to both scavenge and store energy from their environment. His work is foundational for creating truly autonomous, soft-bodied robots that can operate without external power sources—a vision that continues to inspire researchers in bio-inspired robotics and sustainable engineering.