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About

Siyi Xu is an innovative robotics researcher specializing in soft actuator technologies, microaerial vehicles, and fluidic robotic systems. Their work sits at the compelling intersection of soft robotics and bio-inspired design, pushing the boundaries of what lightweight, compliant machines can achieve. Xu's most celebrated contribution is their development of collision-resilient insect-scale aerial robots powered by soft actuators, which demonstrated remarkable agility including backflips and in-flight collision recovery — capabilities that have drawn over 107 citations and represent a significant leap forward in microaerial vehicle design. Complementing this, Xu has made foundational advances in dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) technology, developing compact soft peristaltic pumps (89 citations) and dynamic soft valves (70 citations) that address a longstanding challenge in the field: replacing the bulky, rigid power and control systems that constrain soft robotic mobility and flexibility. Across their body of work, Xu has consistently championed fully soft, electrically driven control architectures for fluidic actuators, reducing mechanical complexity while preserving performance. With nearly 300 cumulative citations across recent publications, Xu is emerging as a key voice in next-generation soft robotics, with ongoing research exploring electrostatic artificial muscles for compliant mechanism actuation.