Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Loong Yi Lee is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics, bioinspired design, and human-robot interaction. His work fundamentally reimagines how robots can interact with the world—drawing deep inspiration from nature’s most dexterous creatures. Lee’s most impactful contribution is his octopus-inspired hierarchical suction intelligence, which embeds sensor-rich suckers and embodied computation into soft robots, enabling unprecedented dexterity and adaptive manipulation. This work has already garnered 39 citations since its 2025 publication, signaling a paradigm shift in soft robotics design. Beyond bioinspiration, Lee addresses critical societal needs: his 2020 study on older adults’ acceptance of soft service robots (23 citations) bridges robotics with gerontechnology, using the Technology Acceptance Model to guide the design of assistive robots for an aging population. He has also advanced practical hardware, including a gripper with interchangeable soft fingers for ungrounded mobile robots (14 citations) and energy-harvesting strategies for adaptive-morphology robots. His recent work on gecko-inspired electroadhesive gripping and Fin-A-Rays—discrete arrays of flexible structures that expand gripper compliance—demonstrates his relentless pursuit of more versatile, gentle, and intelligent robotic systems. Lee’s research is not only technically innovative but deeply human-centered, making him a rising leader in creating robots that are both capable and compassionate.