Xu Andy Sun

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Beihang University

Papers

Total Citations

426

H-Index

About

Xu Andy Sun is a pioneer in printable, soft robotics and self-folding machines. His research centers on the computational design and fabrication of inflatable actuators, liquid metal manipulation, and integrated sensing for foldable robots. Sun’s seminal 2015 work on “pouch motors” introduced a new family of printable soft actuators—gas-tight bladders fabricated from sheet materials—that enable planar, easy-to-prototype designs. This highly influential paper has garnered 313 citations, establishing a foundational approach for low-cost, deployable soft robots. He further advanced self-assembling robotics with a pneumatic method that uses pouch inflation to transform flat composites into functional 3D structures, a concept cited 45 times. In a recent breakthrough (2024, 40 citations), Sun demonstrated light-induced dynamic manipulation of liquid metal droplets in ambient air, opening new avenues for unconstrained microrobots. He also developed the first printed angle sensors for foldable robots (2015, 28 citations), enabling feedback control in self-folding systems. Sun’s work uniquely bridges computational design, materials science, and manufacturing, making him a leading figure in printable and autonomous robotic systems.