Yaonan Zhu

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Yaonan Zhu is an emerging robotics researcher whose work spans tactile sensing, robotic manipulation, and agricultural automation. His research focuses on developing intelligent systems that bridge the gap between physical interaction and robotic dexterity, with particular emphasis on haptic feedback and gripper design. Zhu's most notable contribution lies in vision-based tactile sensing for teleoperation. His 2023 paper on visual tactile sensor-based force estimation for position-force teleoperation has garnered 11 citations, demonstrating the field's growing interest in extracting precise contact and haptic information during in-hand manipulation tasks. This work advances the capability of robotic systems to perform delicate, human-like interactions in remote environments. Complementing this, Zhu has contributed innovative gripper design solutions, introducing a single-actuator tendon-driven two-finger linkage gripper capable of both strong pinch and adaptable cylindrical grasps — a mechanically elegant approach to versatile robotic handling. His work further extends into agricultural robotics, where he developed a geometric-based suction strategy for automating apple packaging, addressing a critically underautomated stage in fruit postharvest processing. Together, these contributions reflect a researcher steadily building a cohesive and practically impactful body of work in robotic manipulation.