Toward life-like intelligent robotic agents

We study robotic systems that approach life-like intelligence through tactile perception, embodied dexterity, miniature biomedical robotics, and physical interaction with the real world.

How can machines sense, act, adapt, and integrate with life?

Our research is driven by a central question: how can engineered systems move beyond passive tools and become intelligent agents that perceive the physical world, learn through interaction, and work with living systems?

Three paths toward life-like robotic intelligence

Our research connects tactile perception, embodied dexterity, and miniature biomedical robotics. Each direction is grounded in real robotic systems and supported by representative publications.

Direction 01

Tactile Perception & Artificial Skin

Touch is a primary channel through which living systems understand the world. We develop tactile sensors, artificial skins, soft sensing interfaces, and perception algorithms that allow robots to feel contact, infer physical states, and respond to complex interaction.

Soft tactile sensing and force / temperature decoupling.

Distributed force decoding for hand-centric interaction.

Super-resolution tactile sensing and robotic manipulation.

Representative Publications

01

Digital channel-enabled distributed force decoding via small datasets for hand-centric interactions. Science Advances, 11, eadt2641, 2025.

02

Soft magnetic skin for super-resolution tactile sensing with force self-decoupling. Science Robotics, 6, eabc8801, 2021.

03

A Soft Tactile Unit with 3D Force and Temperature Mathematical Decoupling Ability for Robots. Engineering, 2025.

04

Natural gum-based electronic ink for directly on-skin electronics. Representative work on skin-like electronics.

Direction 02

Embodied Dexterity & Physical Intelligence

Intelligence is not only computed; it is formed through body, material, motion, and interaction. We study embodied robotic intelligence, bioinspired mechanisms, adaptive locomotion, contact-rich control, and physical systems that respond intelligently to their environments.

Material-based logic and nature-inspired intelligence.

Reconfigurable small-scale robots and adaptive behaviors.

Bioinspired propulsion, locomotion, and adaptive motion.

Representative Publications

01

A liquid metal-based module emulating the intelligent preying logic of flytrap. Nature Communications, 15, 4761, 2024.

02

Milli-scale cellular robots that can reconfigure morphologies and behaviors simultaneously. Nature Communications, 13, 4156, 2022.

03

Self-adaptive propulsion of Ray sperms at different viscosities enabled by heterogeneous dual helixes. PNAS, 118, e2024329118, 2021.

04

One-step formation of polymorphous sperm-like microswimmers by vortex turbulence-assisted microfluidics. Nature Communications, 2024.

Direction 03

Miniature & Biomedical Robotics

At small scales, robots begin to interface directly with living systems. We design miniature, bioinspired, and intelligent robotic systems for biomedical sensing, diagnosis, intervention, and therapy, exploring how machines can work with life rather than only around it.

Submillimeter fiberscopic robots with maneuvering, imaging, and operation abilities.

Biodegradable millirobots for anchoring and adaptive stepwise drug release.

Magnetic spray transforming inanimate objects into biomedical millirobots.

Representative Publications

01

Sub-millimeter fiberscopic robot with integrated maneuvering, imaging, and biomedical operation abilities. Nature Communications, 15, 10874, 2024.

02

Nanofiber-based biodegradable millirobot with controllable anchoring and adaptive stepwise release functions. Matter, 5, 1277–1295, 2022.

03

An agglutinate magnetic spray transforms inanimate objects into millirobots for biomedical applications. Science Robotics, 5, eabc8191, 2020.

04

A bioinspired multilegged soft millirobot that functions in both dry and wet conditions. Nature Communications, 9, 3944, 2018.