Nicholas Corson

Papers

Total Citations

695

H-Index

About

Nicholas Corson is a leading figure in the development of robust, affordable robotic manipulation systems, with his work bridging the gap between soft robotics and practical dexterity. His most impactful contribution is the iRobot-Harvard-Yale (iHY) Hand, a compliant, underactuated design introduced in his 2014 paper, which has garnered over 597 citations. This hand uses just five actuators to perform a wide range of grasping and in-hand repositioning tasks, proving that durability and moderate dexterity can be achieved without the complexity and cost of traditional fully-actuated hands. Corson also pioneered the use of granular jamming as an enabling technology for soft robotics. His 2010 paper on the subject, with 98 citations, introduced a novel architecture where jamming "activators" modulate the work from a single central actuator, allowing for variable stiffness and directional control. This work has been foundational for the field, demonstrating how jamming can create simple, yet highly adaptive, soft robotic systems. Corson’s research continues to influence the design of practical, resilient robots for real-world interaction.