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About

Roza Gkliva is a robotics researcher whose work bridges bio-inspired design, underwater locomotion, and tactile sensing for extreme environments. Her research focuses on developing novel robotic systems that draw inspiration from animal morphology and behavior, with particular emphasis on fish-robot interactions and efficient underwater propulsion. Gkliva’s most cited work examines salmon behavioral responses to robots in aquaculture sea cages (34 citations), pioneering animal-robot interaction studies that inform both animal welfare and agricultural robotics. She has made significant contributions to underwater propulsion through her flapped paddle-fin design (18 citations), which uses cascaded soft flaps to achieve thrust-efficient oscillatory actuation—a novel approach to improving propulsive efficiency. Her work extends to tactile navigation for underground robots using artificial whiskers, addressing perception challenges in caves and mines. Gkliva has also developed flexible robot fins and multi-terrain robots with Archimedean screw actuators, demonstrating versatility across aquatic, subterranean, and unstructured environments. Her interdisciplinary approach combines biomechanics, soft robotics, and field robotics, positioning her as an emerging leader in animal-inspired robotic systems with practical applications in aquaculture, environmental monitoring, and subterranean exploration.