Joost van der Weijde

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About

Joost van der Weijde is a robotics researcher whose work focuses on the design and control of soft and compliant actuators, with a particular emphasis on self-sensing and closed-loop control. His key research areas include twisted and coiled polymer muscles (TCPMs), series elastic actuators, and novel force-sensing techniques for compliant systems. Van der Weijde’s major contributions lie in eliminating the need for external sensors in robotic actuators. His most cited paper, “Closed-Loop Control Through Self-Sensing of a Joule-Heated Twisted and Coiled Polymer Muscle” (2019, 28 citations), demonstrates how TCPMs—known for their low weight and low cost—can be controlled without additional sensors, a significant step toward simpler, more efficient robotic systems. He has also advanced force sensing in coil springs, showing how inductance can be used to measure force without extra hardware (2015, 6 citations), and has analyzed the impact of internal oscillations on such measurements (2017, 3 citations). These contributions are particularly valuable for applications in prosthetics, exoskeletons, and soft robotics, where lightweight, sensor-free actuation is critical. Van der Weijde’s work exemplifies a practical, systems-level approach to making compliant robots more autonomous and less reliant on bulky sensing equipment.