Joonbum Bae

About

Joonbum Bae is a prominent robotics researcher whose work spans human-robot interaction, actuator design, soft robotics, and bio-inspired systems. He is perhaps best known for his foundational contributions to rotary series elastic actuator (RSEA) technology, with his 2009 and 2011 papers on force-mode control and compact RSEA design accumulating over 750 citations combined — establishing him as a leading authority on safe, compliant actuation for human assistive and exoskeleton systems. His research on lower extremity exoskeletons and gait rehabilitation further demonstrates a sustained commitment to translating precision actuation into meaningful clinical and assistive applications. In recent years, Bae has expanded his focus into soft robotics, contributing a widely cited 2021 review of machine learning methods in the field (249 citations) and innovative work on hybrid grippers and self-sensing soft valves. His 2023 research on perceptive soft robots signals a forward-looking interest in integrating sensing and intelligence directly into soft robotic structures. Complementing these threads, his investigations into aquatic arthropod locomotion reflect a broader curiosity about bio-inspired design principles. Across more than a decade of research, Bae has built a coherent and influential body of work bridging mechanical design, control theory, and emerging soft robotic paradigms.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Control of Rotary Series Elastic Actuator for Ideal Force-Mode Actuation in Human–Robot Interaction Applications

   428 citations · 2009
2. 2
   A Compact Rotary Series Elastic Actuator for Human Assistive Systems

   322 citations · 2011
3. 3
   Review of machine learning methods in soft robotics

   249 citations · 2021
4. 4
   A Hybrid Gripper With Soft Material and Rigid Structures

   126 citations · 2018
5. 5
   Force-Mode Control of Rotary Series Elastic Actuators in a Lower Extremity Exoskeleton Using Model-Inverse Time Delay Control

   106 citations · 2017
6. 6
   A soft, self-sensing tensile valve for perceptive soft robots

   68 citations · 2023
7. 7
   Locomotion of arthropods in aquatic environment and their applications in robotics

   56 citations · 2018
8. 8
   A compact rotary series elastic actuator for knee joint assistive system

   54 citations · 2010
9. 9
   Gain-Adaptive Robust Backstepping Position Control of a BLDC Motor System

   41 citations · 2018
10. 10
    A gait rehabilitation strategy inspired by an iterative learning algorithm

    39 citations · 2012

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links