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About

Byoungkwon An is a pioneer at the intersection of computational design, soft robotics, and programmable matter, with a focus on creating printable, self-folding, and shape-changing systems. His most influential work, the 2015 paper on “Pouch Motors” (313 citations), introduced a family of printable soft actuators—inflatable gas-tight bladders made from sheet materials—that can be designed and fabricated in a planar fashion, enabling easy prototyping and integration into complex robotic structures. He further advanced low-cost, accessible actuation with his “Printed Paper Actuator” (108 citations), a reversible, electrically controlled method that combines bilayer bending, conductive PLA, and copy paper to expand the HCI actuation-sensing toolkit. An’s end-to-end approach to self-folding origami structures (49 and 35 citations) allows users to input a 3D geometry and receive a physical, heat-activated object, effectively turning flat sheets into robotic bodies. His work on planning algorithms for self-folding sheets (41 citations) and robotic origami modules (30 citations) has laid foundational groundwork for programmable matter. With over 600 total citations, An’s research is a compelling blend of fabrication, design, and control—offering practical, scalable pathways to printable robots and smart materials.