Shuyan Yang

About

Shuyan Yang is a robotics researcher whose work bridges bio-inspired flight and surgical robotics. Her primary research areas include flapping-wing aerial robots, force-sensing systems, and robot-assisted surgery. Yang’s most impactful contribution lies in advancing the self-takeoff capability of flapping-wing robots (FWRs)—a critical challenge for real-world applications like surveillance and search-and-rescue. Inspired by large birds that run before takeoff, she proposed a wheeled running assisted method (2018, 10 citations) and later developed a self-balanced vehicle base (2022, 3 citations) to enable stable, autonomous launches. These innovations address a fundamental bottleneck in FWR deployment. In surgical robotics, Yang has made notable strides in transoral surgery, designing a force-sensing retractor (2022, 6 citations) and a robot-assisted retraction system (2022, 3 citations) that improve tissue handling and safety. She also contributed to teleoperation with a wireless six-axis wrist force sensor (2019, 5 citations). Yang’s work exemplifies how insights from nature can solve engineering problems, while her surgical tools enhance precision in delicate procedures. Her research is shaping the future of both autonomous aerial robots and minimally invasive surgery.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Modeling and Simulation of a Flapping-Wing Robot with Active Tails for Balancing Control during Wheeled Running

   10 citations · 2018
2. 2
   A force-sensing retractor for robot-assisted transoral surgery

   6 citations · 2022
3. 3
   Design of a Wireless Six-Axis Wrist Force Sensor for Teleoperation Robots

   5 citations · 2019
4. 4
   Robot-Assisted Retraction for Transoral Surgery

   3 citations · 2022
5. 5
   A Self-Balanced Vehicle Base for Takeoff of a Flapping-Wing Robot

   3 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links