Yeunhee Kim

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Yeunhee Kim is a rising roboticist whose work sits at the intersection of soft robotics, adhesion mechanics, and human-assistive manipulation. Her most recognized contribution, the RISO system, introduces a novel hybrid gripper that pairs rigid fingers with soft, switchable adhesives—enabling robots to securely grasp and release objects ranging from heavy tools to delicate, small items that traditional pinch grippers drop or damage. This innovation directly addresses a critical bottleneck in assistive robotics: the trade-off between strength and dexterity. Though early in her career, Kim’s RISO paper has already garnered 5 citations, signaling growing interest from labs working on adaptive manipulation and human-robot collaboration. Her research has been presented at leading robotics venues, where it has been praised for its practical, hardware-driven approach to everyday grasping challenges. By merging principles from contact mechanics and compliant materials, Kim is helping to shape a future where assistive robots can handle the full diversity of objects in human environments—from a single coin to a heavy water bottle—with equal reliability.