Hyungwon Shim

About

Hyungwon Shim is a pioneering roboticist whose work has fundamentally advanced the field of underwater walking robots, particularly for extreme marine environments. His primary research focuses on developing multi-legged subsea robots capable of operating in high tidal currents and low-visibility conditions, where traditional propeller-driven vehicles fail. Shim’s most significant contribution is the conceptualization and realization of the **Crabster CR200**, a 200-meter-class seabed hexapod robot inspired by crabs and lobsters. His foundational 2011 paper on multi-legged seabed robots (52 citations) introduced the paradigm-shifting idea of walking instead of swimming on the seafloor, while his 2013 development paper (39 citations) detailed the CR200’s streamlined body and six-legged design for hydrodynamic stability. Shim also advanced the field by designing static walking and swimming algorithms (25 citations) and modeling hydrodynamic forces on robot legs (22 citations), enabling precise locomotion in turbulent water. His work on transformable caterpillar robots (20 citations) and carbon-fiber-reinforced frames (16 citations) further demonstrates his versatility in mechanical design. With over 250 cumulative citations, Shim’s innovations have opened new possibilities for seabed exploration, underwater construction, and scientific research in some of the ocean’s most challenging environments.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A new concept and technologies of multi-legged underwater robot for high tidal current environment

   52 citations · 2011
2. 2
   Development of seabed walking robot CR200

   39 citations · 2013
3. 3
   Development of arm and leg for seabed walking robot CRABSTER200

   38 citations · 2016
4. 4
   Design of Walking and Swimming Algorithms for a Multi-legged Underwater Robot Crabster CR200

   25 citations · 2016
5. 5
   Approximated Generalized Torques by the Hydrodynamic Forces Acting on Legs of an Underwater Walking Robot

   22 citations · 2011
6. 6
   Mobility and agility analysis of a multi-legged subsea robot system

   22 citations · 2013
7. 7
   A development of a transformable caterpillar equipped mobile robot

   20 citations · 2007
8. 8
   Design of Static Gait Algorithm for Hexapod Subsea Walking Robot: Crabster

   19 citations · 2014
9. 9
   Design and analysis of carbon fiber reinforced plastic body frame for multi-legged subsea walking robot, Crabster

   16 citations · 2015
10. 10
    Development of underwater robotic arm and leg for seabed robot, CRABSTER200

    15 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links