Richard Yeh

University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Berkeley

Papers

Total Citations

146

H-Index

About

Richard Yeh is a pioneering researcher in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and microrobotics, whose work has significantly advanced the design and fabrication of microscale mechanical devices. His most influential contribution, "Surface-micromachined components for articulated microrobots" (1996), garnered 97 citations and introduced a groundbreaking class of articulated micromanipulator robots capable of multiple degrees of freedom, with workspaces on the order of a cubic millimeter and milligram-scale payloads — pushing the boundaries of what was thought achievable at the microscale. Yeh's research demonstrated the feasibility of creating rigid links, mechanical couplings, and high-force micromotors through surface micromachining techniques, laying foundational groundwork for subsequent generations of microrobotic systems. His 2002 work on Mechanical Digital-to-Analog Converters introduced an innovative method for translating digital electrical signals into precise mechanical displacements using lever arm arrays and thermal actuators — a concept with broad implications for MEMS-based control systems. With continued contributions through 2005 refining microrobotic architectures, Yeh's body of work represents a sustained and impactful effort to bridge precision engineering and miniaturized robotics.