Kai Tan

Xi'an Jiaotong University, Agency for Science, Technology and Research

Papers

Total Citations

166

H-Index

About

Kai Tan is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics, magnetic materials, and advanced manufacturing. Their work centers on developing magnetically driven small-scale soft robots and exploring the fundamental physics of magnetoelectricity in compliant materials. Tan’s most impactful contribution is the creation of magnetic arthropod millirobots fabricated via 3D-printed hydrogels (94 citations), which demonstrate fast, programmable deformation and remote, untethered actuation—key capabilities for biomedical applications. This work showcases Tan’s ability to integrate material design with robotic functionality. Further advancing the field, Tan developed the theory of hard magnetic soft materials to create magnetoelectricity (40 citations) and experimentally demonstrated giant magnetoelectricity in these materials (29 citations), opening new pathways for sensing and energy harvesting in soft systems. Their research also extends to manufacturing processes, with studies on robotic stream finishing (3 citations). With over 160 total citations and a clear trajectory from fundamental theory to applied robotics, Tan is establishing a distinctive voice in soft matter engineering, offering transformative solutions for minimally invasive medicine and smart materials.