Seongmin Seo

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

149

H-Index

About

Seongmin Seo is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the compelling intersection of soft robotics, mechatronics, and robotic manipulation. Best known for pioneering contributions to hybrid gripper design, Seo has advanced the field by combining the compliance and adaptability of soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) with the precision and structural integrity of rigid components — a synthesis that addresses key limitations found in purely soft or purely rigid robotic systems. His most influential work, "A Hybrid Gripper With Soft Material and Rigid Structures" (2018), has garnered 126 citations, establishing it as a landmark reference in the soft robotics community. This paper, along with a companion development study from the same year, laid the foundation for a new class of versatile grippers capable of more naturalistic and adaptive grasping behaviors. Seo further extended this research in 2019 by introducing sensorized hybrid grippers capable of evaluating grasping quality, bringing intelligent feedback and control capabilities to the platform. Collectively, Seo's publications reflect a clear research trajectory: building robotic hands that are not only mechanically capable but perceptive and responsive — a vision increasingly central to next-generation robotic manipulation.