Xiaoyan Zhu

Southern University of Science and Technology, East China Normal University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Xiaoyan Zhu is a leading researcher in the mechanics of smart materials and soft robotics, with a particular focus on the theoretical modeling and dynamic analysis of hard-magnetic soft structures. Their major contributions include developing a comprehensive mechanics model for hard-magnetic soft rods that accounts for deformable cross-sections under three-dimensional large deformation, as well as a geometrically exact 3D arbitrarily curved rod theory for dynamic analysis, which has been applied to predict the motion of hard-magnetic soft robotic arms. These works have garnered significant attention, with the 2023 paper receiving 30 citations and the 2024 paper 16 citations, reflecting their growing impact in the field. Zhu has also explored innovative applications in magnetic actuation, notably through the development of hollow swarming spheres for dynamic catalysis, which addresses challenges in fabricating microscale hollow hydrogel robots capable of autonomous geometric transformation. This work on untethered robots with smart human–machine interactions has potential implications for target cargo delivery and assembly of functional scaffolds. Zhu’s research bridges theoretical mechanics and practical soft robotics, offering foundational tools for designing next-generation adaptive and reconfigurable systems.