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About

Amanda K. Stowers is a leading researcher in bioinspired robotics, specializing in the mechanics of avian and bat flight to design morphing-wing aerial robots. Her work bridges biology and engineering, focusing on how passive and underactuated mechanisms—such as feather coordination and joint compliance—enable efficient, agile wing morphing without complex control systems. Her most-cited paper (165 citations) demonstrates a soft biohybrid wing using real feathers, controlled by wrist and finger motion, replicating the linear transfer functions that coordinate primary and secondary feathers in birds. Another highly influential study (110 citations) reveals how elastic connective tissue allows feathers to overlap and redistribute passively, forming a continuous morphing wing—a principle absent in conventional aircraft. Stowers also introduced a passive morphing mechanism for flapping wings (97 citations), where centrifugal forces from flapping unfold a hand wing, mimicking bat and bird morphology. Her comprehensive review (75 citations) synthesizes forelimb specializations in modern vertebrates to guide next-generation flying robot design. With over 460 total citations, Stowers’ work is foundational for creating more maneuverable, robust, and energy-efficient aerial robots, offering key insights for students and researchers in biomechanics, robotics, and evolutionary biology.