Papers
158
Total Citations
7,489
H-Index
40
About
Mark Yim is a pioneering roboticist whose career has been defined by groundbreaking work in modular self-reconfigurable robotic systems — machines capable of dynamically reshaping their own physical structure to adapt to diverse tasks and environments. His research addresses the full spectrum of this complex field, spanning hardware design, motion planning, distributed control, and real-world applications including space robotics. Yim's most influential contribution, a 2007 survey on modular self-reconfigurable systems (over 1,020 citations), established the conceptual and technical foundations of the field for an entire generation of researchers. His development of PolyBot, a landmark modular robot system documented in multiple highly cited papers totaling nearly 900 citations, demonstrated that shape-shifting robots could be realized in practice — not merely theorized. His earlier work on the Polypod system (1995) and the Telecube module further illustrates his long-standing commitment to translating ambitious ideas into functional hardware. With contributions spanning space applications, indoor multi-robot coordination, and distributed control architectures, Yim's cumulative citation count exceeds 3,300, reflecting extraordinary influence. His body of work has fundamentally shaped how roboticists think about versatility, robustness, and adaptability in autonomous machines.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robot Systems [Grand Challenges of Robotics]1,020 citations · 2007
- 2PolyBot: a modular reconfigurable robot678 citations · 2002
- 3Modular Reconfigurable Robots in Space Applications264 citations · 2003
- 4Telecubes: mechanical design of a module for self-reconfigurable robotics212 citations · 2003
- 5Connecting and disconnecting for chain self-reconfiguration with PolyBot211 citations · 2002
- 6Modular robots209 citations · 2002
- 7Modular robots205 citations · 2002
- 8Distributed Control for 3D Metamorphosis183 citations · 2001
- 9Indoor automation with many mobile robots181 citations · 2002
- 10Locomotion With A Unit-Modular Reconfigurable Robot177 citations · 1995