Public Research Seminar by Sustainable Energy and Environment Thrust, HKUST(GZ) - Bio-inspired Smart Aerial Robotics
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Animal flight deceives us with its effortless grace, yet it holds key insights for the future of aerial mobility. For human-engineered drones to operate quietly and safely in urban environments — transporting goods and passengers alike, we need robust tools that integrate aerodynamics, robotics, and data-driven methodologies.
In this talk, I will present a combined computational and experimental investigation of bat flight, examining how complex wing kinematics enable efficient force production. Bat wings exhibit a diverse repertoire of motions, including wing cambering, twisting, and folding. Remarkably, in the case of extreme folding, the wings can clap together to generate jet-like propulsion, producing efficient lift even during the upstroke—traditionally viewed as aerodynamically passive. In parallel, I will discuss how wings interact with unsteady, gusty environments — such as dust devils. We developed a bio-inspired air-data sensing platform for real-time flow estimation on fixed-wing drones, powered by data-driven techniques, with the goal of achieving state-of-the-art flight stability.
My research aims to co-evolve the understanding of unsteady flight mechanics with the development of bio-inspired aerial robotic systems. I ultimately aspire to integrate these insights into real-world applications through industrial translation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Xiaozhou FAN is a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech’s Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT), working under the supervision of Prof. Morteza Gharib. His research focuses on flow sensing and flight control of fixed-wing aircraft in extreme, gusty wind conditions, leveraging data-driven approaches. He earned his Ph.D. from Brown University, where he was co-advised by Prof. Kenneth Breuer and Prof. Sharon Swartz. At Brown, he computationally modeled the dynamics of animal flight and developed a bat-inspired robotic platform to study appendage-based jet propulsion. He is passionate about translating fundamental research into products with real-world, industrial applications.
For inquiries, please contact Miss Suggi WU (+86-20-88332966, suggilswu@hkust-gz.edu.cn)