Steph Walker

Papers

Total Citations

220

H-Index

About

Steph Walker is a pioneer in the field of soft robotics, specializing in the additive manufacturing of entirely soft, functional systems. Her major contributions lie in overcoming the fundamental challenges of 3D printing with soft materials, particularly platinum-cure silicones. In her highly cited 2018 work (115 citations), she demonstrated the first direct 3D printing of silicone elastomer soft robots, proving that printed actuators could match or exceed the performance of traditionally molded counterparts—eliminating the human error and multistep fabrication of conventional techniques. Walker further advanced the field by creating the first fully soft, 3D-printed electroactive fluidic valve (105 citations), a critical component enabling soft hydraulic robots to operate without rigid parts. This work is foundational for achieving true, body-soft autonomy. Her research has been instrumental in shifting soft robotics from manual assembly to scalable, digital fabrication. By proving that complex, compliant systems can be printed in a single process, Walker has opened new pathways for creating safer, more adaptable robots for applications in healthcare, exploration, and human-robot interaction.