Papers
9
Total Citations
347
H-Index
7
About
William Coral is a pioneering researcher in bio-inspired robotics, specializing in the development of motor-less and gear-less underwater robots that mimic natural locomotion. His major contributions center on the innovative use of shape memory alloys (SMAs) as artificial muscles to bend continuous, deformable structures—replacing traditional servomotors and enabling silent, fluid movement. Coral’s most influential work, "Bending continuous structures with SMAs: a novel robotic fish design" (132 citations), laid the foundation for a new class of fish-like robots that swim by flexing a continuous backbone, much like real fish. He expanded this concept in "Design and assessment of a flexible fish robot actuated by shape memory alloys" (76 citations), demonstrating a fully functional prototype inspired by the black bass. Beyond propulsion, Coral has advanced 3D motion control with soft dorsal and anal fins for roll and yaw, and applied computer vision to underwater net-cage inspection in fish farms. His comprehensive state-of-the-art review on SMA-based muscle-like actuation (30 citations) has become a key reference for researchers entering the field. Coral’s work bridges smart materials, continuum mechanics, and marine biology, offering a sustainable, silent alternative for underwater exploration and aquaculture.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Bending continuous structures with SMAs: a novel robotic fish design132 citations · 2011
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- 5A motor-less and gear-less bio-mimetic robotic fish design27 citations · 2011
- 6Robotic Fish to Lead the School15 citations · 2012
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- 9Soft dorsal/anal fins pairs for roll and yaw motion in robotic fish4 citations · 2022