Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Kun Xiao is a leading researcher in multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) simulation and coordination, whose work has become foundational for the open-source robotics community. His primary contribution is the creation of XTDrone, a highly customizable multi-UAV simulation platform built on ROS, Gazebo, and PX4. This platform, detailed in his most-cited paper (77 citations), integrates dynamic models, sensor models, control algorithms, state estimation, and 3D scenes, supporting not only multiple UAVs but also other robots. By providing a complete, modular simulation environment, Xiao has dramatically lowered the barrier for researchers and students to develop and test complex UAV algorithms without requiring expensive hardware. His subsequent work on hierarchical multi-UAV coordination (17 citations) further extends this platform’s utility for swarm and cooperative missions. Xiao’s achievements lie in democratizing UAV research: his open-source tools have enabled rapid prototyping and validation across labs worldwide, making him a pivotal figure in advancing autonomous aerial systems from theory to practical deployment.