Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Sungbin Park is a pioneering roboticist whose research centers on creating safer, more adaptable physical human-robot interaction systems. His work uniquely bridges tactile sensing and variable transmission technologies, addressing fundamental challenges in making robots that can safely work alongside people. Park’s most impactful contribution is his development of an ERT-based robotic skin with sparsely distributed electrodes (35 citations), which uses electrical resistance tomography combined with deep neural networks to create large-scale, stretchable tactile sensors—enabling robots to “feel” contact across their entire surface. He has also made significant advances in actuation and transmission systems, including a passively adaptable toroidal continuously variable transmission integrated with twisted string actuators (8 citations) and a stiffness-switchable hydrostatic transmission (3 citations) that provides inherent compliance for safe interaction. His most recent work introduces variable transmissions with actively controllable reduction ratios (2025), optimizing motor efficiency across varying loads. Park’s integrated approach—combining soft sensing skins with intelligent, adaptable transmissions—positions him at the forefront of creating robots that are both perceptive and physically safe for close human collaboration.