Faculty
Zhexin Xie joined the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) as an Assistant Professor and Ph.D. advisor in March 2025. He received his Bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation at Beihang University in 2016 and 2021, respectively. From 2022 to 2025, he conducted postdoctoral research at the National University of Singapore. His research focuses on bio-inspired robotics, flexible electronics, interactive soft robotic systems, and medical robotics. He has published numerous papers in important journals, including Science Robotics, Science Advances, Nature Communications, Soft Robotics (cover article, ESI highly cited paper), Matter, IJRR, RAL, and RAM. His work has been featured in reports by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)，Science magazine, and the news columns of Nature. His research outcomes have also garnered international media attention, including MIT Technology Review, Harvard University’s Wyss News, SEAS News, and Harvard Crimson, as well as major broadcasters like the BBC and German TV networks. Dr. Xie has collaborated with the robotics and automation company Festo, becoming the first partner from an Asian university in Festo’s "Bionic Learning Network". The collaborative research was showcased at the Hannover Messe, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel and then Polish Prime Minister Beata Szyd?o personally explored and experienced the technology. He also serves as an Associate Editor for major robotics conferences, including ICRA 2024, IROS 2024, and IROS 2025, and reviews for prestigious journals such as TRO, IJRR, Soft Robotics, and Device.
Work Experience：
◆ 2025.03 – present, Southern University of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Assistant Professor
◆ 2022.01 - 2025.03, National University of Singapore, Mechanical Engineering Department, Post-doctor
Education:
◆ 2016.09 - 2021.06, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University
◆ 2012.09 - 2016.07, B.S., Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University
Professional Recognition：
◆ First Prize of Natural Science Award of Chinese Association of Automation (5/5), 2022
◆ Beihang’s "Top 10" doctoral students Fellowship, 2020
◆ "Challenge Cup" National College Students Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Works Competition: The First Prize, 2015
Representative Publications:
◆ Zhexin Xie, Feiyang Yuan, Jiaqi Liu, Lufeng Tian, Bohan Chen, Zhongqiang Fu, Sizhe Mao, Tongtong Jin, Yun Wang, Xia He, Gang Wang, Yanru Mo, Xilun Ding, Yihui Zhang, Cecilia Laschi, and Li Wen. “Octopus-inspired sensorized soft arm for environmental interaction.” Science Robotics, 8(84), eadh7852, 2023.
Reported by: Nature, TechXplore，新華社，人民網(wǎng) and other media.
◆ Zhexin Xie, August G. Domel, Ning An, Connor Green, Zheyuan Gong, Tianmiao Wang, Elias M. Knubben, James C. Weaver, Katia Bertoldi, and Li Wen. “Octopus Arm-Inspired Tapered Soft Actuators with Suckers for Improved Grasping.” Soft Robotics, 7(5), 639-648, 2020. (Cover) (ESI - Top 1% highly cited papers)
Reported by: Harvard Wyss Institute news, Harvard SEAS news, Nanowerk, Robohub, Harvard University Crimson, TechXplore and other media
◆ Peiyi Wang, Zhexin Xie, Wenci Xin, Zhiqiang Tang, Xinhua Yang, Muralidharan Mohanakrishnan, Sheng Guo, and Cecilia Laschi. “Sensing expectation enablessimultaneous proprioception and contact detection in an intelligent soft continuum robot.” Nature communications, 15(1), 1-13, 2024.
◆ Shuyun Zhuo, Ziguang Zhao, Zhexin Xie, Yufei Hao, Yichao Xu, Tianyi Zhao, Huanjun Li, Elias M. Knubben, Li Wen, Lei Jiang, and Mingjie Liu. "Complex multi-phase organohydrogels with programmable mechanics towards adaptive soft-matter machines." Science Advances, 6(5), eaax1464, 2020.
◆ Zhexin Xie, Feiyang Yuan, Zemin Liu, Zhaoning Sun, Elias M. Knubben, and Li Wen. “A Proprioceptive Soft Tentacle Gripper Based on Crosswise Stretchable Sensors.” IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 25(4), 1841-1850, 2020.
◆ Zhexin Xie, Muralidharan Mohanakrishnan, Peiyi Wang, Jiaqi Liu, Wenci Xin, Zhiqiang Tang, Li Wen, and Cecilia Laschi, “Soft Robotic Arm with Extensible Stiffening Layer.” IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8(6), 3597-3604, 2023.
◆ Zhexin Xie, Bohan chen, Jiaqi Liu, Feiyang yuan, Zhuyin Shao, Hui Yang, August G Domel, Jingfeng Zhang, and Li Wen. “A Tapered Soft Robotic Oropharyngeal Swab for Throat Testing: A New Way to Collect Sputa Samples.” IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 28(1), 90-100, 2021.