Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Haoyuan Xu is pioneering the next generation of bio-inspired robotics, drawing extraordinary lessons from nature’s most tenacious creatures. His primary research focuses on aerial-aquatic robots and biomimetic adhesion systems, with a particular emphasis on enabling robots to traverse challenging air-water boundaries and adhere to slippery, high-flow surfaces. Xu’s most impactful work, the aerial-aquatic hitchhiking robot (197 citations), presents a self-contained system capable of crossing the air-water interface and even hitching a ride on surfaces, opening new possibilities for long-term environmental monitoring and marine biology surveys. He has also made significant contributions to biomimetic adhesion by studying the net-winged midge larvae (genus *Liponeura*). His designs of suction cups and adhesive discs, inspired by the larvae’s powerful abdominal suckers and microtrichia structures, have achieved robust, reversible attachment on wet, slippery rocks—a feat previously out of reach for conventional robotics. This work has led to a crawling robot that can move upstream against fast currents. With a growing citation record and a clear trajectory toward real-world deployment, Xu is establishing himself as a leading voice in bio-inspired robotics for extreme environments.