Arda Kotikian
Harvard University, Los Angeles Pierce College, Inspire Institute
Papers
4
Total Citations
1,936
H-Index
4
About
Arda Kotikian is a pioneer in the design and additive manufacturing of soft, active materials, with a focus on liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs). His research bridges materials science and robotics, creating programmable matter that can change shape, morph, and propel itself on demand. Kotikian’s most cited work, "3D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomeric Actuators with Spatially Programed Nematic Order" (744 citations), introduced a method to 3D-print artificial muscles with precisely controlled, reversible actuation. He further advanced the field with "Hybrid 3D Printing of Soft Electronics" (671 citations), which integrated conductive and dielectric elastomers with electronic components to produce fully soft, untethered devices. His 2019 paper on "Untethered soft robotic matter" (454 citations) demonstrated passive control of shape-morphing and propulsion, a major step toward autonomous soft robots. More recently, his work on multi-material 3D-printed LCE lattices (2024) enables thermally programmable deformation with unprecedented complexity. Kotikian’s contributions have fundamentally reshaped how soft actuators and robots are designed, fabricated, and controlled, earning him recognition as a leading voice in the next generation of responsive, functional materials.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Hybrid 3D Printing of Soft Electronics671 citations · 2017
- 3
- 4