Xiyao Liu

Northwestern Polytechnical University, University of British Columbia

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Xiyao Liu is a researcher whose work bridges the frontiers of aerospace engineering and human sensorimotor control. Her primary research areas include space robotics, spacecraft stabilization, and the biomechanics of human balance. In her most impactful contribution, "Combined spacecraft stabilization control after multiple impacts during the capture of a tumbling target by a space robot" (2020, 23 citations), Liu developed novel control strategies to stabilize a spacecraft after the complex, multi-impact dynamics of capturing a non-cooperative, tumbling object—a critical challenge for future debris removal and on-orbit servicing missions. This work demonstrates her ability to solve high-stakes, nonlinear control problems in space environments. More recently, Liu has expanded into the neuro-mechanics of human balance, exploring how the nervous system adapts to sensorimotor delays. Her 2025 study, "Learning to stand with delays alters sensorimotor control but does not cause instability when returning to natural balance," reveals that while humans alter their control strategies to compensate for delays—common in aging and neurological disorders—they do not become destabilized when returning to normal conditions. This insight has profound implications for fall prevention and rehabilitation. Liu’s work uniquely connects robotic control theory with human physiology, offering fresh perspectives on stability across both artificial and biological systems.