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About

Youchan Yim is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics and human-robot interaction, with a focus on creating wearable haptic devices that alleviate human pain and fear. Her major contributions lie in the development of inflatable, doll-like soft robots that provide social touch—specifically, the sensation of being grasped—to reduce physical and emotional distress. In her most-cited work (2022, 17 citations), Yim introduced a hand-held soft robot with small airbags that clench the wearer’s hand, demonstrating a novel approach to pain relief through social robotics. She further advanced haptic interaction by integrating shape memory alloys with soft pneumatic actuators (2024, 5 citations), enhancing precision and naturalness in touch feedback. Her earlier studies (2021, 4 citations each) established that simultaneous grasping and being grasped by such devices can effectively reduce human pain. Yim’s work is notable for its compassionate application of technology, bridging engineering and psychology to improve well-being. With a growing citation impact, she is shaping the future of soft social robots as therapeutic tools.