Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Kaixu Dong is a rising leader in aerial robotics, whose work reimagines how drones move, cooperate, and even perform. His research spans three transformative frontiers: human-drone interaction, cooperative aerial transport, and reconfigurable hybrid mobility. Dong’s most cited work, “Dances with Drones” (2024, 18 citations), pioneers the study of improvised movement between humans and drones, exploring spatial matching and perceived agency—a foundational step toward creative, collaborative robotics. In “Quadrolltor” (2023, 17 citations), he introduced a quadrotor capable of controlled rolling and turning via passively reconfigurable structures, breaking the mold of rigid aerial platforms. His contributions to cooperative transport are equally impactful: Dong demonstrated how two aerial robots can carry a suspended payload using only inertial sensing (2022, 14 citations), drastically reducing sensing and computational demands. He further advanced this line with aerodynamic dampers that stabilize payloads without GNSS or inter-robot communication (2023, 7 citations). Most recently, his hybrid quadrotor with a reconfigurable wheeled leg (2025) enables seamless flight-to-ground transitions, promising robust terrestrial maneuvers. With over 70 citations and a portfolio blending elegant mechanical design with minimal sensing strategies, Dong is shaping a future where drones are not just tools, but agile, perceptive partners.