Hong Lei

Michigan State University, Institute for Systems Biology

Papers

Total Citations

131

H-Index

About

Hong Lei is a leading researcher in bio-inspired robotics, with a primary focus on underwater vehicles and flow sensing. His most impactful work, "Distributed flow estimation and closed-loop control of an underwater vehicle with a multi-modal artificial lateral line" (117 citations), demonstrates a major contribution to the field: the development of a multi-modal artificial lateral line that mimics the sensory capabilities of fish. This innovation allows autonomous underwater vehicles to sense oncoming flow and detect obstacles, significantly enhancing their environmental awareness and control. Lei’s research bridges biology and engineering, enabling closed-loop control based on real-time flow estimation. Beyond this, he has contributed to the study of robotic fish, reviewing the state of the art at the University of Maryland’s Collective Dynamics and Control Laboratory, and has explored the dynamics of space robots in object capture. His work is foundational for advancing autonomous navigation in complex fluid environments, with clear applications in marine exploration and robotics.