Yingao Elaine Yao

Papers

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About

Yingao Elaine Yao is a rising researcher at the forefront of security and safety in autonomous multi-agent systems, with a primary focus on swarm robotics. Her work critically examines the often-overlooked security vulnerabilities in drone swarms, particularly those used in safety-critical operations. Yao’s major contributions include the development of "SwarmFuzz," a novel fuzzing framework designed to systematically discover GPS spoofing attacks against drone swarms. This work, published in 2023 and garnering 7 citations, highlights how subtle design choices in swarm control algorithms can create exploitable security gaps. Her earlier foundational paper, "Poster" (2022, 8 citations), laid the groundwork by identifying the lack of security consideration in swarm intelligence research. By bridging the gap between advanced swarm control and practical cybersecurity, Yao’s research is pivotal for ensuring that the next generation of autonomous drone fleets—used in everything from search-and-rescue to delivery—are resilient against malicious interference. Her work is essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of robotics, control theory, and cybersecurity.