Rakesh Murthy

About

Rakesh Murthy is a pioneering researcher in microrobotics, MEMS assembly, and multiscale manufacturing systems, whose work has fundamentally advanced the commercialization of complex microsystems. His research addresses one of the central challenges in microtechnology: the reliable fabrication and packaging of heterogeneous micro- and nano-scale devices that cannot be produced through conventional monolithic micromachining alone. Murthy's most influential contribution is the development of multiscale, multirobot assembly platforms — most notably the M³ system — which enable deterministic, high-precision pick-and-place assembly of MEMS components across macro-to-nanoscale workspaces (82 citations). His work on piezoelectric microgrippers for assembling MOEMS devices such as Fourier Transform infrared microspectrometers further demonstrates his ability to bridge system-level design with precision motion control. Perhaps most imaginative is his ARRIpede series — die-scale crawling microrobots constructed through 2½D and 3D MEMS assembly — which showcased the potential for fully assembled, functional microrobots (totaling over 60 citations across multiple publications). His articulated four-axis microrobot, AFAM, extended this vision into nanoscale manipulation applications. With over 250 cumulative citations, Murthy's body of work has significantly shaped modern micromanufacturing and microrobotics research, offering both conceptual frameworks and practical systems for next-generation microsystems integration.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A Multiscale Assembly and Packaging System for Manufacturing of Complex Micro-Nano Devices

   82 citations · 2011
2. 2
   ${\rm M}^{3}$-Deterministic, Multiscale, Multirobot Platform for Microsystems Packaging: Design and Quasi-Static Precision Evaluation

   35 citations · 2009
3. 3
   Precise Motion Control of a Piezoelectric Microgripper for Microspectrometer Assembly

   23 citations · 2009
4. 4
   ARRIpede: An Assembled Die-Scale Microcrawler

   23 citations · 2011
5. 5
   ARRIpede: A stick-slip micro crawler/conveyor robot constructed via 2 ½D MEMS assembly

   22 citations · 2008
6. 6
   AFAM: An Articulated Four Axes Microrobot for Nanoscale Applications

   18 citations · 2012
7. 7
   M3-Modular Multi-Scale Assembly System for MEMS Packaging

   16 citations · 2006
8. 8
   ARRIpede: An Assembled Micro Crawler

   15 citations · 2008
9. 9
   High Yield Automated MEMS Assembly

   13 citations · 2007
10. 10
    A four degree of freedom microrobot with large work volume

    11 citations · 2009

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links