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About

Lee-Huang Chen is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of structural mechanics, locomotion, and novel actuation systems. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to spherical tensegrity robotics — a class of robots built from interconnected tension and compression elements that offer exceptional robustness, flexibility, and resilience compared to conventional rigid-bodied machines. His most influential work, "Soft Spherical Tensegrity Robot Design Using Rod-Centered Actuation and Control" (2017, 101 citations), introduced a fully actuated modular tensegrity platform with compelling applications in co-robotics and space exploration. Complementary research on hopping and rolling locomotion (2016, 66 citations) demonstrated how such robots could deliver payloads across lunar terrain by combining cable-driven rolling with thruster-based hopping — a genuinely imaginative solution to planetary mobility challenges. Chen further extended this work to challenging inclined surfaces, showcasing robust climbing behaviors through coordinated multi-cable control. Beyond tensegrity systems, he has explored compact linear actuation inspired by DNA's double-helix geometry, developing mechanisms capable of high displacement in tight profiles. With over 250 cumulative citations, Chen's research represents a meaningful advance in the design of adaptable, bio-inspired robots suited for unstructured and extraterrestrial environments.