Yin Zhu

University of Science and Technology of China

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Yin Zhu is a researcher at the forefront of bio-inspired soft robotics and advanced tactile sensing, with a particular focus on integrating optical and structural color technologies for enhanced robotic perception. Her work bridges the gap between biological inspiration and practical engineering, developing novel methods for robots to sense and interact with their environment. Her most cited paper, "Chromatic surface microstructures on bionic soft robots for non-contact deformation measurement" (2017, 6 citations), introduces a groundbreaking approach using diffraction grating-based chromatic surface microstructures (CSM) on PDMS films to measure soft robot body deformation without physical contact. This work has laid the foundation for her subsequent research in optical tactile sensing. In her 2019 papers, she further advanced the field by designing a compact optical tactile sensor that leverages structural color and deep learning for high-resolution touch perception, and a bio-inspired sensor capable of subtle vibration sensing and dimension measurement. With a total of 12 citations across her key works, Zhu’s contributions are particularly notable for their innovative use of structural color—a phenomenon inspired by nature—to create sensors that are both highly sensitive and flexible. Her research holds significant promise for applications in soft robotics, human-robot interaction, and medical devices, where gentle, precise, and non-invasive sensing is critical.