Ethan McDonald

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Ethan McDonald is a rising researcher in the field of robotics, with a focused expertise in cable-driven parallel robots (CDPRs) and their application to automated construction. His work addresses the critical challenge of using robotic systems to increase the efficiency and affordability of housing production. McDonald’s major contribution lies in the design and simulation of suspended CDPRs, which offer large workspaces and high payload capacities for tasks like bricklaying or material handling. His most-cited paper, "Design of a 3-Degrees-of-Freedom Cable-Driven Parallel Robot for Automated Construction Based on Workspace and Kinematic Sensitivity" (2023, 10 citations), provides a rigorous methodology for optimizing robot geometry to balance workspace size with kinematic precision. To further support the field, McDonald developed "CDPR Studio: A Parametric Design Tool for Simulating Cable-Suspended Parallel Robots" (2022, 4 citations), an accessible software platform that enables rapid prototyping and analysis of CDPR designs. While his citation counts are modest, reflecting the early stage of his career, his work is foundational for integrating robotics into construction, a rapidly growing area of applied research. McDonald’s contributions are paving the way for more practical and deployable automated building systems.