Papers
8
Total Citations
293
H-Index
6
About
Youyou Yao is a pioneering researcher in the field of soft robotics and liquid metal technologies, with a primary focus on developing autonomous, shape-adaptive machines and stretchable electronics. Her most significant contributions center on the creation of self-powered liquid metal motors and vehicles that can move, collide, and coalesce without external control—a concept she terms the "transient state machine." This work, published in *Small* (2015, 86 citations), introduced a new paradigm for micromachines capable of internally triggered motion, with applications ranging from actuators to self-assembling superstructures. Yao also developed highly transformable liquid-metal composites (2019, 70 citations) that enable robots to stretch and reshape all body parts simultaneously, overcoming the limitations of rigid components. Her innovations extend to practical wearable technology, including a Ni-doped liquid metal strain sensor (2018, 21 citations) for multifunctional human-motion monitoring. Notably, her biomimetic "liquid metal mollusk"—a self-fueled robot that "eats" aluminum to move—was featured on the cover of *Advanced Materials* (2015). With over 290 total citations across her most-cited works, Yao’s research is shaping the future of soft, autonomous, and highly adaptable robotic systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Large-Magnitude Transformable Liquid-Metal Composites70 citations · 2019
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- 4A polarized liquid metal worm squeezing across a localized irregular gap49 citations · 2017
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