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About

Nenggan Zheng is a robotics researcher whose work spans two interconnected frontiers: bio-hybrid robotic systems and soft robotics. Early in his career, Zheng made significant contributions to the field of cyborg insects and rat-robots — biological organisms augmented with brain-computer interface (BCI) technology to create controllable living machines. His foundational work on automatic navigation models for rat-robots and electrical reward-based control systems helped reduce dependence on human operators, advancing the autonomy of these bio-hybrid platforms. His 2013 paper on modeling human guidance for rat-robot navigation remains his most cited work, accumulating 28 citations. More recently, Zheng has pivoted toward engineered soft robotics, drawing inspiration from nature to design flexible, adaptable machines. His Drosophila larvae-inspired crawling robot, a high-precision soft parallel robot, and a reconfigurable transparent underwater soft robot demonstrate his versatility and innovation in this space. Collectively, these contributions reflect a research philosophy rooted in biomimicry — whether working with living organisms or replicating biological mechanics in synthetic systems. With over 100 cumulative citations across a decade of work, Zheng's research sits at a compelling intersection of neuroscience, control systems, and advanced materials, offering meaningful insights for students exploring robotics and human-machine interaction.