Papers
12
Total Citations
777
H-Index
6
About
Ethan W. Schaler is a robotics researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory whose work spans soft robotics, space manipulation, and planetary exploration. His most influential contribution is a wearable microfluidic diaphragm pressure sensor using liquid metal, which has garnered 599 citations for its potential in health monitoring and tactile sensing. Schaler also pioneered electrostatic grippers for flexible objects in space, demonstrating an 8-fingered adhesive system operating at 3 kV for manipulating soft goods. His research on integrated manufacturing of exoskeletons and sensing structures for folded millirobots, inspired by insect biology, has enabled new fabrication methods for centimeter-scale robots. Schaler’s work on bidirectional thin-film electrostatic actuators (RAFA) advanced milli-robot locomotion, while his two-stage calibration of a 6-axis force-torque sensor was critical for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover’s robotic arm operations. He has contributed to Perseverance’s sampling and caching subsystem, including robotic arm commissioning and extended mission operations. Schaler also designed the FLOAT lunar transportation system, using diamagnetically-levitated robots on flexible film tracks for future Moon bases. His REACCH project developed electro-adhesive capture cloth for space debris removal. With over 770 total citations and key roles in NASA missions, Schaler bridges fundamental soft robotics with practical space applications.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2An electrostatic gripper for flexible objects76 citations · 2017
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- 4A multi-material milli-robot prototyping process12 citations · 2009
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- 7Robotic Operations During Perseverance's First Extended Mission5 citations · 2025
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