Frank van den Brink
Papers
3
Total Citations
198
H-Index
3
About
Frank van den Brink is a leading researcher in the field of miniature soft robotics, with a focus on the autonomous control and manipulation of untethered magnetic grippers. His work addresses the critical challenge of enabling small-scale robots—too small for onboard power or computation—to perform dexterous tasks in unstructured, hard-to-reach environments. Van den Brink’s major contributions include pioneering the integration of haptic assistance for steering miniature soft grippers and developing autonomous planning algorithms that allow these devices to execute precise pick-and-place operations without continuous human guidance. His most cited paper (87 citations) demonstrates the steering and control of untethered soft magnetic grippers with haptic feedback, while his second most cited work (82 citations) tackles autonomous operation in unstructured settings. Collectively, his research has accumulated over 198 citations, underscoring its impact on microassembly, targeted drug delivery, and minimally invasive procedures. By advancing the control and autonomy of soft microrobots, van den Brink is helping to unlock their potential for real-world biomedical and industrial applications.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Control of untethered soft grippers for pick-and-place tasks29 citations · 2016