Papers
26
Total Citations
707
H-Index
14
About
Yeongjin Kim is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of medical robotics, MRI-compatible systems, and minimally invasive neurosurgery. Best known for developing the Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Intracranial Robot (MINIR and MINIR-II), Kim has dedicated much of his career to creating continuum robots capable of navigating the brain's complex anatomy under real-time MRI guidance — a critical advancement for improving brain tumor resection outcomes. His most cited work, "Toward the Development of a Flexible Mesoscale MRI-Compatible Neurosurgical Continuum Robot" (128 citations), exemplifies his focus on combining flexibility, precision, and imaging compatibility in surgical tools. A hallmark of Kim's research is his innovative use of shape memory alloy (SMA) spring actuators, which offer high power density while remaining MRI-compatible. He has made significant contributions to active stiffness tuning, thermal cooling strategies for SMA control, and novel actuation mechanisms — collectively garnering hundreds of citations. His earlier work on robotic palpation and haptic-based tissue characterization (59 citations) further demonstrates his breadth in medical robotics. Across more than a decade of research, Kim has consistently pushed the boundaries of what surgical robots can achieve in challenging clinical environments, making him a notable figure in the field of surgical robotics and human-robot interaction.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 9Towards the development of a spring-based continuum robot for neurosurgery18 citations · 2015
- 10Inclusion detection with haptic-palpation system for medical telediagnosis18 citations · 2009