Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Clayton L. Grames is a pioneer in the field of origami-inspired robotics and minimally invasive surgical instrumentation. His research focuses on the design and fabrication of millimeter-scale mechanisms that bring unprecedented dexterity and compactness to robotic surgery. Grames’s most influential work, "Oriceps: Origami-Inspired Forceps" (2013, 80 citations), introduced a novel compliant forceps design that leverages origami principles to create a simple, yet highly functional, surgical tool. This foundational concept has inspired a new class of deployable and adaptable instruments. He further advanced the field with the development of a compact 2-degree-of-freedom wrist mechanism (2016) and a rolling-contact gripping mechanism (2015), both designed for robotically controlled surgery. Demonstrating a remarkable ability to miniaturize complex systems, Grames also pioneered the use of carbon nanotube composite structures to fabricate millimeter-scale robotic components (2014), opening new possibilities for ultra-small surgical tools. His work stands at the intersection of mechanical design, materials science, and clinical application, making him a key figure in the evolution of next-generation surgical robotics.