Papers
22
Total Citations
605
H-Index
12
About
Yizhai Zhang is a versatile robotics and aerospace engineering researcher whose work bridges two distinct yet complementary domains: space tether systems and human-robot interaction. His most influential contribution, a comprehensive review of space tether applications (2018, 165 citations), established him as a leading authority in the field, while his subsequent work on maneuverable tethered space net robots (73 citations) introduced novel solutions for active space-debris capture and removal — one of today's most pressing challenges in orbital sustainability. Zhang has further advanced spacecraft autonomy through research on attitude takeover control, distributed control allocation for cellular space robots, and angles-only navigation for noncooperative proximity operations. Equally notable is Zhang's pioneering research on autonomous bikebots — single-track robotic platforms designed to study unstable physical human-robot interactions. Through trajectory tracking, gyroscopic balance control, and integrated physical-learning models, his work has generated significant insights into human sensorimotor skills with implications for rehabilitation and assistive robotics. His bipedal modeling of human walking with slips further demonstrates his commitment to understanding human locomotion dynamics. With over 490 cumulative citations across diverse topics, Zhang represents a rare researcher capable of making meaningful contributions across both space robotics and biomechanical human-robot systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1A review of space tether in new applications165 citations · 2018
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- 5Trajectory tracking and balance control of an autonomous bikebot31 citations · 2017
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- 7A robotic bipedal model for human walking with slips28 citations · 2015
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- 9Stationary balance control of a bikebot25 citations · 2014
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