Joey K. Parker
Papers
8
Total Citations
1,210
H-Index
6
About
Joey K. Parker is a pioneering roboticist whose career has fundamentally shaped our understanding of robotic manipulation and automation. His seminal work, *Robot Hands and the Mechanics of Manipulation* (1989), with over 919 citations, remains a cornerstone text in the field, providing the foundational mechanics of grasping, pushing, and object manipulation under friction. Parker’s influence extends deeply into manufacturing, where he explored robotic fabric handling for automating garment assembly and developed pneumatic robot hands capable of controlling impact forces during object acquisition. A key innovator in computational robotics, Parker was among the first to apply genetic algorithms to solve the inverse kinematics of redundant robots (166 citations), enabling efficient positioning while minimizing joint displacement. He further advanced obstacle avoidance for redundant manipulators using these same evolutionary techniques. Later in his career, Parker turned to intelligent control, developing artificial neural networks for the identification and tracking control of flexible joint robots. With a career spanning from the mechanics of the hand to the intelligence of the controller, Parker’s work has left an indelible mark on both the theory and practice of robotic manipulation.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Robot Hands and the Mechanics of Manipulation919 citations · 1989
- 2Inverse kinematics of redundant robots using genetic algorithms166 citations · 2003
- 3Robotic Fabric Handling for Automating Garment Manufacturing61 citations · 1983
- 4Obstacle avoidance of redundant manipulators using genetic algorithms34 citations · 2002
- 5Controlling Impact Forces in Pneumatic Robot Hand Designs16 citations · 1987
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