Barclay Jumet, a second-year doctoral student in mechanical engineering (MECH) at Rice, is the first author of a journal article reviewing the state of soft robotics research.
“A Data-Driven Review of Soft Robotics” was published on Dec. 7, in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems. Jumet works in the Preston Innovation Lab of Daniel Preston, assistant professor of MECH, and is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
The article does not outline a single original research project but rather reviews the literature as a whole and offers thoughts on future directions in the field of soft robotics.
“Our literature review presents a data-driven synopsis of the most recent decade of soft robotics, deviating from the typical format of a holistic review,” Jumet and his co-authors write. “Understanding the current state of the art and using this information to predict where the future of soft robotics may lie will aid researchers in making educated decisions on which research directions to pursue next and how to do so.”
Jumet graduated in 2020 from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in MECH. Last year he received a research grant from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists to develop a strategy for soft wearable device fabrication.
The article’s second author is Marquise Bell, a second-year doctoral student in MECH supported by a NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities Fellowship to develop textiles for use in advanced spacesuits. Bell earned his B.S. in MECH from Baylor University in 2020.
The third author is Vanessa Sanchez, a fifth-year doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Harvard. Preston is the corresponding author.