Publications
Research Publications
Selected publications from Mevita Robotics Lab, covering tactile sensing, embodied intelligence, dexterous manipulation, micro/nano robotics, and biomedical robotic systems.
Representative Works
Highlighted publications in robotics, tactile sensing, and biomedical microrobotics.
Selected works published in Nature Communications, Science Advances, Science Robotics, and PNAS, including papers recognized by editorial highlights, video features, media coverage, and robotics community recognition.
Science Advances
Touching with Torque Enables Human-Level Robotic Dexterity
Ling Wang, Yu Sun*, Laihao Yang*, Yuxuan Sun, Qingkai Guo, Yixue Liu, Xuefeng Chen*, Yajing Shen*.
Science Advances, 12, eaec3263, 2026.
Nature Communications
A Robust and Omnidirectional-sensitive Electronic Antenna for Tactile-induced Perception
Hao Ren, Liu Yang, Hong-yuan Chang, Tieshan Zhang, Gen Li, Xiong Yang, Yifeng Tang, Wanfeng Shang, Yajing Shen*.
Nature Communications, 16, 3135, 2025.
Science Advances
Digital Channel-Enabled Distributed Force Decoding via Small Datasets for Hand-Centric Interactions
Yifeng Tang, Gen Li, Tieshan Zhang, Hao Ren, Xiong Yang, Liu Yang, Dong Guo, Yajing Shen*.
Science Advances, 11, eadt2641, 2025.
Nature Communications · Editors’ Highlights
Sub-Millimeter Fiberscopic Robot with Integrated Maneuvering, Imaging, and Biomedical Operation Abilities
Tieshan Zhang, Gen Li, Hao Ren, Liu Yang, Xiong Yang, Rong Tan, Yifeng Tang, Dong Guo, Haoxiang Zhao, Wanfeng Shang, Yajing Shen*.
Nature Communications, 15, 10874, 2024.
Recognition:
Nature Communications Editors’ Highlights; related sub-millimeter robot work selected as Hong Kong Top 10 Innovation and Technology News in 2025.
Nature Communications · Editors’ Highlights
One-step formation of polymorphous sperm-like microswimmers by vortex turbulence-assisted microfluidics
Rong Tan, Xiong Yang, Haojian Lu, Yajing Shen*.
Nature Communications, 15, 4761, 2024.
Recognition:
Nature Communications Editors’ Highlights in Applied Physics and Mathematics.
Nature Communications
A liquid metal-based module emulating the intelligent preying logic of flytrap
Yuanyuan Yang, Yajing Shen*.
Nature Communications, 15, 3398, 2024.
Nature Communications
Milli-scale cellular robots that can reconfigure morphologies and behaviors simultaneously
Xiong Yang, Rong Tan, Haojian Lu, Toshio Fukuda, Yajing Shen*.
Nature Communications, 13, 2022.
PNAS
Self-adaptive and Efficient Propulsion of Ray Sperms at Different Viscosities Enabled by Heterogeneous Dual Helixes
Panbing Wang, M. A. R. Al Azad, Xiong Yang, Paolo R. Martelli, Kam Yan Cheung, Jiahai Shi*, Yajing Shen*.
PNAS, 118, e2024329118, 2021.
Science Robotics · Science in Video
Bio-inspired soft tactile sensor with self-decoupling and super-resolutive ability
Youcan Yan, Zhe Hu, Zhengbao Yang, Wenzhen Yuan, Chaoyang Song, Jia Pan*, Yajing Shen*.
Science Robotics, 6, eabc8801, 2021.
Recognition:
Highlighted by Science through video.
Science Robotics · CCTV Feature
An agglutinate magnetic spray transforms inanimate objects into millirobots for biomedical applications
Xiong Yang, Wanfeng Shang, Haojian Lu, Yanting Liu, Liu Yang, Rong Tan, Xinyu Wu*, Yajing Shen*.
Science Robotics, 5, eabc8191, 2020.
Recognition:
Featured by CCTV.
Nature Communications · Highly Read
A bioinspired multilegged millirobot that functions in both dry and wet conditions
Haojian Lu, M. Zhang, Yuanyuan Yang, Q. Huang, Toshio Fukuda, Z. Wang*, Yajing Shen*.
Nature Communications, 9, 3944, 2018.
Recognition:
Top 5 most-read Nature Communications physics articles in 2018; China Top 10 Robotics Progress in 2018.
Journal Articles
Selected journal publications
Selected journal articles from recent years, organized in reverse chronological order.
Science Advances
Touching with Torque Enables Human-Level Robotic Dexterity
Ling Wang, Yu Sun*, Laihao Yang*, Yuxuan Sun, Qingkai Guo, Yixue Liu, Xuefeng Chen*, Yajing Shen*.
Science Advances, 12, eaec3263, 2026.
Nature Communications
A Robust and Omnidirectional-sensitive Electronic Antenna for Tactile-induced Perception
H. Ren, L. Yang, H. Chang, T. Zhang, G. Li, X. Yang, Y. Tang, W. Shang, Y. Shen*.
Nature Communications, 16, 3135, 2025.
A Soft Tactile Unit with 3D Force and Temperature Mathematical Decoupling Ability for Robots
X. Yang, H. Ren, D. Guo, Z. Ling, T. Zhang, G. Li, Y. Tang, H. Zhao, J. Wang, H. Chang, G. Ki, J. Dong, N. Wu, Y. Shen*.
Engineering, 2025.
Science Advances
Digital Channel-Enabled Distributed Force Decoding via Small Datasets for Hand-Centric Interactions
Y. Tang, G. Li, T. Zhang, H. Ren, X. Yang, L. Yang, D. Guo, Y. Shen*.
Science Advances, 11, eadt2641, 2025.
Nature Communications · Editors’ Highlights
Sub-Millimeter Fiberscopic Robot with Integrated Maneuvering, Imaging, and Biomedical Operation Abilities
T. Zhang, G. Li, H. Ren, L. Yang, X. Yang, R. Tan, Y. Tang, D. Guo, H. Zhao, W. Shang, Y. Shen*.
Nature Communications, 15, 10874, 2024.
Recognition:
Nature Communications Editors’ Highlights; related sub-millimeter robot work selected as Hong Kong Top 10 Innovation and Technology News in 2025.
Nature Communications · Editors’ Highlights
One-step formation of polymorphous sperm-like microswimmers by vortex turbulence-assisted microfluidics
R. Tan, X. Yang, H. Lu, Y. Shen*.
Nature Communications, 15, 4761, 2024.
Recognition:
Nature Communications Editors’ Highlights in Applied Physics and Mathematics.
Nature Communications
A liquid metal-based module emulating the intelligent preying logic of flytrap
Y. Yang, Y. Shen*.
Nature Communications, 15, 3398, 2024.
High-Precise Metallic Helical Microstructure Fabrication by Rotational Nanorobotic Manipulation System With Tilted Mandrel Compensation
T. Zhang, H. Ren, G. Li, P. Wang, W. Shang, Y. Shen*.
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 29(1): 214–223, 2024.
An on-wall-rotating strategy for effective upstream motion of untethered millirobot: principle, design and demonstration
L. Yang, T. Zhang, H. Huang, H. Ren, W. Shang*, Y. Shen*.
IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 39(3): 2419–2428, 2023.
Flagellar/Ciliary Intrinsic Driven Mechanism Inspired All-in-One Tubular Robotic Actuator
J. Miao, T. Zhang, G. Li, D. Guo, S. Sun, R. Tan, J. Shi, Y. Shen*.
Engineering, 23, 170–180, 2023.
Nature Communications
Milli-scale cellular robots that can reconfigure morphologies and behaviors simultaneously
X. Yang, R. Tan, H. Lu, T. Fukuda, Y. Shen*.
Nature Communications, 13, 2022.
Nanofiber-based biodegradable millirobot with controllable anchoring and adaptive stepwise release functions
R. Tan, X. Yang, H. Lu, L. Yang, T. Zhang, J. Miao, Y. Feng, Y. Shen*.
Matter, 5(4), 1277–1295, 2022.
Functionalized Spiral-Rolling Millirobot for Upstream Swimming in Blood Vessel
L. Yang, T. Zhang, R. Tan, X. Yang, D. Guo, Y. Feng, H. Ren, Y. Tang, W. Shang, Y. Shen*.
Advanced Science, 2022.
PNAS
Self-adaptive and efficient propulsion of Ray sperms at different viscosities enabled by heterogeneous dual helixes
P. Wang, M. A. R. Azad, X. Yang, P. Martelli, K. Y. Cheung, J. Shi*, Y. Shen*.
PNAS, 118(23), 2021.
Science Robotics · Science in Video
Bio-inspired soft tactile sensor with self-decoupling and super-resolutive ability
Y. Yan, Z. Hu, Z. Yang, W. Yuan, C. Song, J. Pan*, Y. Shen*.
Science Robotics, 6(51), 2021.
Recognition:
Highlighted by Science through video.
Science Robotics · CCTV Feature
An agglutinate magnetic spray transforms inanimate objects into millirobots for biomedical applications
X. Yang, W. Shang, H. Lu, Y. Liu, L. Yang, R. Tan, X. Wu*, Y. Shen*.
Science Robotics, 5(48), 2020.
Recognition:
Featured by CCTV.
Battery-less soft millirobot that can move, sense, and communicate remotely by coupling magnetic and piezoelectric effects
H. Lu, Y. Hong, Y. Yang, Z. Yang*, Y. Shen*.
Advanced Science, 7(13), 2000069, 2020.
Micro-rocket robot with all-optic actuating and tracking in the blood
D. Li, C. Liu, Y. Yang, L. Wang*, Y. Shen*.
Light: Science & Applications, 9, 84, 2020.
For complete publication record with earlier publications before 2020, please refer to
Google Scholar
.
Conference Papers
Selected conference publications
Selected conference papers and award-recognized work in robotics, micro/nano manipulation, and biomedical robotic systems.
Best Manipulation Paper Award
Characterization of oscillating nano knife for single cell cutting by nanorobotic manipulation system inside ESEM
Yajing Shen*, M. Nakajima, S. Kojima, M. Homma, Y. Ode, T. Fukuda.
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2011.
Recognition:
Best Manipulation Paper Award at ICRA.
Best Paper Award
In-situ single cell manipulation via nanorobotic manipulation system inside E-SEM
Yajing Shen*, M. Nakajima, M. Ahmad, S. Kojima, M. Homma, T. Fukuda.
IEEE International Symposium on Micro-Nano Mechatronics and Human Science, 2009.
Recognition:
Best Paper Award.
Best Paper Finalist
Nanorobotic manipulation system for in-situ micro/nano torsion test
H. Lu, W. Wan, Yajing Shen*.
International Conference on Complex Medical Engineering, 2017.
Recognition:
Best Paper Finalist.
Books / Book Chapters
Books and chapters
Selected books and chapters related to small-scale robotics, medical robotics, micro/nano manipulation, and cell engineering.
Minimalist milliscale robot construction by M-spray
R. Tan, X. Yang, Yajing Shen.
Untethered Small-Scale Robots for Biomedical Applications, 2023.
Chapter 12: 3D System Cell Engineering Using Micro-Nano Robotics
T. Fukuda, M. Nakajima, M. Takeuchi, Y. Hasegawa, T. Yue, C. Hu, M. Ahmad, Yajing Shen.
The Encyclopedia of Medical Robotics, 2018.
In Situ Nano Characterization of Yeast Cells using ESEM and FIB
Yajing Shen.
Advanced Microscopy in Mycology, 2015.
Nanomanipulation of Biocells
Yajing Shen, T. Fukuda.
Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology, 2015.
Patents
Selected patents
Selected patents related to tactile sensing, small-scale robotics, biomedical robotic systems, and human–robot interaction technologies.
Tactile Manipulation
Object Property Estimation and Manipulation Based on Multi-Finger Tactile Information
Yajing Shen, X. Yang, Z. Ling.
US 63/620,146, Filed Jan. 11, 2024.
Bioinspired Tactile Sensing
Bioinspired sensing unit with decoupled force and temperature sensing ability
Yajing Shen, X. Yang.
US 63/589,989, Filed Oct. 12, 2023.
Artificial Skin / Phygital System
Artificial Skin-based Phygital System for the Cohesion of Human, Robot, and Virtual World
Yajing Shen.
US 63/507,737, Filed Jun. 13, 2023.
Flexible Tactile Sensor
Flexible mechanochromic tactile sensor and a method of distributed tactile measurement using the sensor
Yajing Shen.
US 63/478,499, Filed Jan. 4, 2023.
Magnetic Tactile Sensor
Low-cost tactile sensor based on artificial magnetic pillar for robotic tactile sensing
Yajing Shen.
US 63/478,501, Filed Jan. 4, 2023.
Biomedical Millirobot
An entirely biodegradable spiny milli-ball robot for oral macromolecule drug delivery
Yajing Shen.
US 63/478,497, Filed Jan. 4, 2023.
Magnetic Spray Robot
Method for converting inanimate object to small-scale robot on-demand
Yajing Shen, X. Yang.
US20220184360A1, Filed Dec. 13, 2021.
Additional patents are available upon request or through public patent databases.
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