Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Zihan Chen is a robotics researcher specializing in surgical robotics, telemanipulation, and control systems. His work centers on enhancing the safety and precision of robot-assisted surgery, particularly through force-controlled exploration and virtual fixture updating. Chen’s most notable contributions include developing methods to update virtual fixture geometries in model-mediated telemanipulation, allowing robots to adapt to deformed or displaced physical environments during surgery. His 2017 paper on this topic has garnered 21 citations, while a related 2016 publication has 11 citations, demonstrating sustained interest in his adaptive control approaches. Chen has also advanced robot control at low velocities, with his 2018 work on FPGA-based velocity estimation for robots with low-resolution encoders receiving 16 citations—a critical contribution for systems where encoder resolution limits performance. Additionally, his 2015 review on modular interoperability in surgical robotics software (6 citations) addresses the challenge of integrating video, ultrasound, and hierarchical multi-rate control in surgical systems. Through these contributions, Chen has helped bridge the gap between theoretical control methods and practical surgical applications, making robotic telemanipulation safer and more adaptable for clinical use.