Papers
13
Total Citations
197
H-Index
7
About
Hanchen Yao is a pioneering researcher in soft robotics and human-robot interaction, whose work bridges advanced materials science with intelligent control systems. His primary research areas include magnetically actuated soft robots, human-following mobile robots, and flexible force sensing technologies. Yao’s most impactful contribution is the development of liquid-metal magnetic soft robots with reprogrammable magnetization and stiffness, a breakthrough that enables multifunctional biomedical applications such as cell manipulation and drug delivery—his 2022 paper on this topic has garnered 93 citations. He also introduced the shape programmable magnetic pixel soft robot, offering precise magnetic encoding for customizable deformations. In human-robot interaction, Yao has advanced side-by-side following and human-accompanying robots using UWB and MPC-based control strategies, addressing challenges like occlusion and social space respect. His notable achievements include a force decoupling method for simultaneously measuring vertical and shear forces, enhancing wearable device performance. With over 180 citations across his top papers, Yao’s work is shaping the future of adaptive, socially aware robots and reconfigurable soft systems, making him a key figure in next-generation robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Laser-Based Side-by-Side Following for Human-Following Robots19 citations · 2021
- 3Shape programmable magnetic pixel soft robot17 citations · 2022
- 4
- 5Reprogrammable liquid-metal/NdFeB/silicone composite magnetic elastomer10 citations · 2023
- 6UWB-Based Adaptable Side-by-Side Following for Human-Following Robots10 citations · 2022
- 7
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- 9
- 10