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About

Jing-Shan Zhao is a leading figure in bio-inspired robotics and paleontologically grounded mechanical design, whose work bridges the gap between extinct animal locomotion and modern robot engineering. His primary research areas include flapping-wing robot design, dinosaur-inspired robotics, and the kinematics of serial and parallel manipulators. Zhao’s most impactful contributions lie in reconstructing the flight capabilities of non-avian dinosaurs, particularly the small theropod *Caudipteryx*, demonstrating through theoretical models and physical prototypes that its proto-wings could generate small aerodynamic forces during rapid terrestrial locomotion—a finding with over 16 citations that challenges assumptions about the origins of avian flight. His 2018 paper on a telescopic spraying robot’s structure synthesis and workspace analysis has garnered 33 citations, underscoring its practical value in industrial automation. Zhao also developed a bionic flapping mechanism for a cursorial dinosaur robot to estimate lift and thrust, earning 9 citations for its experimental rigor. Notably, his work on how birds recover ruffled feather vanes through shaking and preening (13 citations) reveals a deep understanding of biological microstructures. With additional studies on bat flight parameters and precision-driven mobile robot path planning, Zhao consistently demonstrates an ability to extract engineering principles from nature, making him a pivotal figure in the evolution of flapping robots and paleo-robotics.