Hungtang Ko
Papers
5
Total Citations
106
H-Index
3
About
Hungtang Ko is a researcher at the intersection of biomechanics, bioinspired robotics, and fluid dynamics, whose work illuminates how animals—from tiny springtails to schooling fish—move and survive in complex aquatic environments. Ko’s major contributions include uncovering the directional takeoff, aerial righting, and adhesion landing capabilities of semiaquatic springtails, a discovery that challenges long-held assumptions about their uncontrolled jumps (44 citations). In collective behavior, Ko demonstrated how hydrodynamics shapes fish schools and informed the design of bioinspired underwater robots, a study that has garnered 47 citations. Ko also explored the mechanical resilience of fire ant rafts, showing how they elongate under fluid flows to avoid grounding (9 citations). More recently, Ko developed BlueGuppy, a minimalist fish-like robot with tunable kinematics that achieves remarkable maneuverability in cluttered habitats like coral reefs. Additionally, Ko’s hydrodynamic evaluation of flying fish robotic models reveals how asymmetric tail shapes enable efficient takeoff. With a growing portfolio of highly cited work, Ko is advancing our understanding of animal locomotion and translating these principles into agile, nature-inspired robots.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Fire ant rafts elongate under fluid flows9 citations · 2022
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