Papers
14
Total Citations
298
H-Index
9
About
Yi-Hsuan Hsiao is a pioneering roboticist at the forefront of insect-scale aerial robotics, specializing in soft actuation, hybrid locomotion, and bio-inspired resilience. Her work centers on dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) and flapping-wing propulsion to create micro-aerial robots that mimic the agility and robustness of insects. Her most impactful contribution is the development of laser-assisted failure recovery for DEA-driven aerial robots, demonstrating unprecedented damage tolerance—a concept with 69 citations that challenges the fragility of conventional rigid robots. She has also advanced hybrid aerial-surface locomotion, showing how small rotorcraft can exploit ceiling effects for energy-efficient perching and takeoff (45 and 30 citations), and created the FireFly robot, an electroluminescent soft robot inspired by bioluminescence (22 citations). Her 2025 work on acrobatics at the insect scale (34 citations) showcases a durable, precise micro-aerial robot capable of complex maneuvers. With over 280 total citations and achievements including the first triboelectric nanogenerator-powered liftoff of a soft-actuated robot, Hsiao is redefining the possibilities for resilient, energy-autonomous robots at the insect scale.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2Ceiling Effects for Hybrid Aerial–Surface Locomotion of Small Rotorcraft45 citations · 2019
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- 4Ceiling Effects for Surface Locomotion of Small Rotorcraft30 citations · 2018
- 5
- 6Energy efficient perching and takeoff of a miniature rotorcraft22 citations · 2023
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