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About

David Newill-Smith is a leading roboticist specializing in extreme-environment manipulation, semi-autonomous systems, and planetary exploration robotics. His most impactful work centers on the development of robots capable of operating where humans cannot—from disaster zones to the lunar surface and even asteroids. As a key member of Team RoboSimian, he contributed to the semi-autonomous mobile manipulation system that secured 5th place at the 2015 DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, a landmark competition that pushed the boundaries of disaster-response robotics. That work, cited over 80 times, demonstrated a highly adaptable architecture for complex, unstructured environments. Newill-Smith has also pioneered technologies for space exploration, including the Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm (COLDArm), designed to function in cryogenic temperatures as low as those found during the lunar night or on Ocean Worlds. Additionally, his prototype asteroid-exploration robot, which uses multi-phalanx microspine grippers to grip low-gravity surfaces, showcases his innovative approach to mobility and manipulation in the most challenging terrains. Through these contributions, Newill-Smith is advancing the frontier of robotics for both terrestrial emergency response and the next generation of space missions.