Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Ming-Zhu Zhu is a rising innovator in soft robotics and bio-inspired actuation, whose work bridges the gap between biological muscle and artificial systems. Her primary research focuses on electrostatic actuators, soft grippers, and wheel-legged robots for challenging terrains. Zhu’s most notable contribution is the development of a 2-dimensional impact-damping electrostatic actuator with an elastomer-enhanced auxetic structure (2024, 16 citations), which mimics the fast response, high power, and energy efficiency of biological muscle—a breakthrough for biomimetic robots. She also designed the LinkWheg, a linkage-based wheel-legged robot (2025, 3 citations) that excels in granular terrain adaptability, addressing the weight and stability limitations of traditional designs. In soft manipulation, Zhu introduced robust visual feedback control for precise in-hand manipulation using parallel soft actuators (2024, 2 citations), overcoming challenges in modeling and sensing. Her variable stiffness soft gripper for flexible manufacturing (2025, 1 citation), fabricated via multi-material 3D printing, showcases her commitment to adaptive, customizable automation. With a growing citation impact, Zhu’s work is shaping the future of compliant, terrain-adaptive, and manufacturing-ready robotic systems.