Papers
15
Total Citations
673
H-Index
9
About
James Andrew Smith is a leading figure in legged robotics, known for pioneering work in dynamic locomotion and hybrid mobility. His research centers on the design, modeling, and control of energetically efficient, underactuated robots that achieve stable running with minimal sensing and actuation. Smith’s most influential contribution is the Scout II quadruped, which demonstrated untethered, dynamically stable bounding at speeds up to 1.3 m/s using only one actuator per compliant leg—a breakthrough in simplicity and efficiency, earning 268 citations. He further advanced the field with PAW, a hybrid wheeled-leg robot that combined rolling and bounding gaits to enhance stability and power efficiency. His work on segmented legs and rotary gallops has deepened understanding of self-stabilizing locomotion, while his review of 30 years of neurosurgical robots (93 citations) bridges robotics to medical applications. With over 650 total citations across his top papers, Smith’s research has shaped both theoretical models and practical designs in bio-inspired robotics, inspiring new generations of agile, energy-aware machines.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2PAW: a hybrid wheeled-leg robot105 citations · 2006
- 3
- 4Rotary gallop in the untethered quadrupedal robot scout II51 citations · 2005
- 5Experimentally validated bounding models for the Scout II quadrupedal robot43 citations · 2004
- 6Bounding Gait in a Hybrid Wheeled-Leg Robot34 citations · 2006
- 7Enlarging regions of stable running with segmented legs29 citations · 2008
- 8
- 9
- 10Regenerative effects in the Sit-to-Stand and Stand-to-Sit movement6 citations · 2014