Harley Clewer

Papers

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About

Harley Clewer is a rising figure in soft robotics and advanced manufacturing, whose work bridges the gap between intelligent sensing and compliant manipulation. Their key research areas include soft robotic grippers, 3D printing of functional materials, and embedded tactile sensing. Clewer’s most notable contribution, the “Tactile sensor array laden 3D-printed soft robotic gripper” (2020), introduced a novel tri-gripper fabricated entirely from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) via 3D printing. This design integrated nine capacitive tactile sensors directly into the phalanges, enabling the gripper to perceive contact forces during grasping—a critical step toward safer, more adaptive human-robot interaction. With 14 citations, this work has already influenced subsequent studies on sensor-embedded soft actuators. Clewer’s approach stands out for its elegant simplicity: by embedding sensors during the printing process, they eliminated post-assembly steps, paving the way for fully integrated, customisable soft robots. Their research holds promise for applications in prosthetics, agricultural automation, and delicate object handling, marking Clewer as a researcher to watch in the evolving landscape of soft robotics.