Evan Chang-Siu
University of California, Berkeley, California Maritime Academy
Papers
7
Total Citations
606
H-Index
6
About
Evan Chang-Siu is a roboticist whose work bridges biology and engineering, most notably through his pioneering research on bio-inspired active tails for dynamic stabilization and maneuvering. His key contributions center on understanding how lizards use their tails for pitch control, rapid maneuvers, and self-righting, and then translating those principles into functional robotic systems. His most-cited paper, "Tail-assisted pitch control in lizards, robots and dinosaurs" (2012), has garnered over 330 citations, demonstrating its broad impact across robotics, paleontology, and biomechanics. Chang-Siu built a 177-gram terrestrial robot equipped with inertial sensors and a single degree-of-freedom active tail, showing that tail motion could enable rapid turns and dynamic stabilization—a breakthrough for agile locomotion in small robots. He also explored tail-assisted dynamic self-righting during free fall, deriving a dimensionless index of rotational efficacy to guide design. His nonlinear feedback controller for aerial self-righting further advanced control theory for underactuated systems. Beyond tails, Chang-Siu has contributed to dexterous manipulation, including work on the Omni-Wrist III mechanism. His research is essential reading for anyone interested in bio-inspired robotics, dynamic locomotion, and the intersection of morphology and control.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Tail-assisted pitch control in lizards, robots and dinosaurs330 citations · 2012
- 2
- 3TAIL ASSISTED DYNAMIC SELF RIGHTING73 citations · 2012
- 4A nonlinear feedback controller for aerial self-righting by a tailed robot59 citations · 2013
- 5
- 6
- 7A Tale of a Tail3 citations · 2013