Li Yao

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences

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About

Li Yao’s research lies at the compelling intersection of robotics and materials science, where she pioneers novel approaches to both bipedal locomotion and soft microrobotics. Her work on energy-efficient bipedal walking, notably in her 2019 paper “Normalized Neural Network for Energy Efficient Bipedal Walking Using Nonlinear Inverted Pendulum Model,” introduced a deep neural network framework that optimizes gait control without the computational burden of solving nonlinear dynamics online. This contribution has garnered 7 citations and offers a scalable path toward more autonomous, power-conscious humanoid robots. More recently, Yao has made a striking leap into soft robotics with her 2023 paper “Multifunctional liquid microrobots based on paramagnetic microdroplets,” which has already earned 6 citations. Here, she addresses a longstanding fabrication challenge by engineering paramagnetic microdroplets that can morph and function as liquid robots—an advance that opens new possibilities for targeted drug delivery and micro-scale manipulation. By bridging rigid control theory with fluid-based actuation, Li Yao demonstrates a rare versatility, positioning herself as a rising innovator in both embodied intelligence and soft matter engineering.