Michael Yu Wang
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Monash University, National University of Singapore, Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Great Bay University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, University of Hong Kong, Great Lakes Research Group (United States), Xi'an Jiaotong University
Papers
81
Total Citations
2,396
H-Index
26
About
Michael Yu Wang is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics, computational design, and human-machine interaction, whose work has fundamentally advanced how robots are designed, controlled, and deployed in real-world settings. His most significant contributions center on topology optimization for soft robotic systems — developing systematic frameworks that automatically synthesize and fabricate soft grippers and multimaterial fingers with superior performance, work that has each garnered over 130 citations. Wang has been equally influential in variable stiffness technologies, pioneering hybrid jamming and electrostatic layer jamming mechanisms that enable soft robots to dynamically modulate their rigidity, accumulating nearly 300 combined citations across related publications. His 2020 state-of-the-art review on soft robot design optimization, with 153 citations, has become an essential reference for the field. Beyond mechanical design, Wang has expanded into tactile sensing — developing vision-based sensors like FingerVision and DelTact — and multimodal human-machine interfaces that integrate EEG, EMG, and EOG signals to control soft robotic hands for rehabilitation applications. His work on agricultural robotics, including a robust soft gripper for apple harvesting, further demonstrates the remarkable breadth and real-world impact of his research program.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Design Optimization of Soft Robots: A Review of the State of the Art153 citations · 2020
- 2Hybrid Jamming for Bioinspired Soft Robotic Fingers148 citations · 2019
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- 5Development and evaluation of a robust soft robotic gripper for apple harvesting140 citations · 2022
- 6Electrostatic Layer Jamming Variable Stiffness for Soft Robotics138 citations · 2019
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- 10DelTact: A Vision-Based Tactile Sensor Using a Dense Color Pattern69 citations · 2022