Maoying Zhou

Hangzhou Dianzi University, Zhejiang University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Maoying Zhou is a pioneering researcher in soft robotics and bio-inspired locomotion systems, with a focus on developing high-performance actuators and robots that bridge the gap between flexibility and functionality. His most influential work, the "Self-contained soft electrofluidic actuators" (SEFAs), published in 2021 with 72 citations, addresses a critical challenge in soft robotics: creating actuators that are simultaneously powerful, rapid, controllable, safe, and portable. This innovation has significant implications for human-robot interactions, enabling safer and more efficient soft robotic systems. Zhou also made notable contributions to bio-inspired robotics, including a biomimetic earthworm-like micro robot using a nut-type piezoelectric motor (2013, 11 citations), which demonstrated precise locomotion mechanisms. His recent work in 2025 introduces a rigid-flexible coupled earthworm-like robot, combining parallel crank-rocker mechanisms for radial expansion with steel wire ropes for axial contraction, showcasing his ongoing commitment to advancing pipeline inspection and locomotion technologies. With a research portfolio that integrates soft electrofluidic systems, piezoelectric motors, and bio-inspired design, Zhou’s work has garnered growing recognition, positioning him as a key innovator in the field of soft and bio-inspired robotics.