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About

Tyler Jenkins is a mechanical engineer and robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of bio-inspired actuation, soft robotics, and fluidic systems. His research focuses primarily on fluidic artificial muscles (FAMs), variable recruitment control, and hierarchical actuator design — areas in which he has made meaningful contributions to both theory and applied system design. Jenkins is perhaps best known for his pioneering work on variable recruitment control of FAMs, drawing inspiration from how biological muscles selectively activate motor units to maximize efficiency. His 2016 paper on bio-inspired variable recruitment control, his most cited work with 22 citations, introduced a hybrid control scheme that significantly advanced switching control performance in fluidic actuator systems. Complementing this, his investigation of electrohydraulic pressure architectures for variable recruitment systems provided crucial insights into real-world energy efficiency trade-offs. A notable thread throughout his research is the study of pennate muscle architectures — arrangements where actuator fibers operate obliquely to the line of action. His 2020 paper on pennate actuator mechanics and his work on variable-stiffness soft robotics demonstrate how biological muscle geometry can inspire adaptive, mechanically intelligent robotic systems. His fully coupled model of a hydraulic climbing robot further showcases his systems-level thinking. Collectively accumulating nearly 70 citations, Jenkins' work offers a rigorous biomechanical foundation for the next generation of soft robotic actuators.