About

Yinan Li is a multidisciplinary researcher whose work spans two remarkably distinct but equally impactful domains: cellulose-based smart materials and formal methods for safety-critical control systems. In the realm of soft robotics and materials science, Li has pioneered the development of cellulose-based actuators capable of responding to humidity, sunlight, UV, IR, and electrothermal stimuli, advancing applications in artificial muscles, soft robots, and programmable smart devices. These contributions, accumulating over 69 citations across recent publications, demonstrate growing momentum in bio-inspired materials engineering. Simultaneously, Li has made significant theoretical contributions to control systems, developing smooth converse Lyapunov-barrier theorems that elegantly unify stability and safety constraints, and advancing learning-based control barrier functions to address model uncertainty in safety-critical applications. His work on temporal logic planning and reactive task-and-motion planning further extends autonomous systems' capacity to navigate complex, dynamic environments with formal safety guarantees. Earlier contributions include non-destructive characterization techniques for turbine blade damage detection, reflecting a long-standing commitment to precision engineering. Collectively, Li's research bridges rigorous mathematical foundations with innovative materials science, offering powerful tools for the next generation of autonomous and intelligent systems.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

8
H-Index
14
Papers
183
Total Citations
13
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
High-Sensitivity Multiresponses Cellulose-Based Actuators with Configurable Amplitude
35 citations · 2022
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2022 (5 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 44
🏛 Institutions: State Forestry and Grassland Administration, University of Waterloo, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China University of Mining and Technology

Top Papers

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Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
Content generated · 14 days ago