Sarah Q. Kurihara

Papers

Total Citations

525

H-Index

About

Dr. Sarah Q. Kurihara is a pioneer in the field of soft robotics, with a particular focus on developing autonomous, untethered systems. Her most celebrated contribution is the invention of a soft, bistable valve, detailed in her 2018 paper, which has garnered over 525 citations. This breakthrough component allows for the autonomous control of soft actuators using only a single source of constant pressure, eliminating the need for complex electronic controllers. Dr. Kurihara’s valve generates periodic motion, enabling remarkable feats of autonomy: a soft gripper can grasp a ball without external intervention, and a soft robot can achieve earthworm-like locomotion using nothing more than a constant air supply. By creating these pneumatic circuits, she has fundamentally advanced the field, moving soft robotics from tethered, manually controlled devices toward truly self-sufficient machines. Her work is not only highly cited but also foundational for researchers aiming to build simpler, more robust, and fully autonomous soft robotic systems for applications in exploration, medicine, and manufacturing.