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About

Nicholas D. Naclerio is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of soft robotics, bio-inspired locomotion, and subterranean navigation. His most celebrated contribution — a fast, steerable burrowing soft robot that harnesses subterranean forces for propulsion — has garnered 186 citations and opened an entirely new frontier in robotic mobility. By combining granular fluidization with tip-extension mechanisms, Naclerio's robots accomplish what few machines have: reliable, controlled movement through soil and other complex substrates. A central theme throughout his research is the development of "vine robots" — soft, tip-extending continuum robots capable of navigating cluttered, confined environments with minimal environmental disruption. His contributions span actuation design, including a low-hysteresis fabric pneumatic artificial muscle (104 citations), environmental interaction modeling, obstacle-aware planning, and advanced mechanisms such as shape-locking and internal steering-reeling systems. These innovations collectively advance the practical deployability of soft robots in real-world inspection and exploration scenarios. Naclerio has also explored bio-inspired analogues, such as robophysical root systems that use nutation for heterogeneous terrain exploration, and novel gecko-adhesive strain wave transmissions. With over 560 cumulative citations, his research meaningfully advances the capability, accessibility, and real-world applicability of next-generation soft robotic systems.