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About

Zhong Shen is a pioneering robotics researcher whose work spans soft robotics, wearable sensing technologies, and biomimetic underwater systems. With a body of research accumulating nearly 400 citations across his most influential publications, Shen has established himself as a leading voice in the design and application of compliant, flexible robotic systems. His early contributions focused on soft stretchable sensing, most notably the development of a bending sensor integrated into a data glove — work that garnered over 95 citations and laid groundwork for wearable human-machine interfaces and soft robotic feedback control. This extended naturally into assistive technologies, including a soft robotic glove designed for hand motion assistance. Shen's most distinctive and sustained contributions lie in biomimetic underwater robotics. Drawing inspiration from cephalopod molluscs and ostraciiform fish locomotion, he has designed innovative underwater robots and manipulators that prioritize compactness, compliance, and dexterity — qualities that traditional rigid-body systems struggle to achieve. His depth-independent underwater manipulator (62 citations) and cephalopod-inspired siphon propulsion work exemplify his ability to translate biological principles into practical engineering solutions. Beyond marine applications, Shen has explored soft robotics in medical contexts, including a compact dental robotic system using soft bracing techniques, demonstrating the remarkable breadth and translational ambition of his research program.