Chen Li

Chen Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), affiliated with the Whiting School of Engineering and the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics (LCSR). He also holds a secondary appointment in the Center for Functional Anatomy & Evolution. His research focuses on terradynamics—understanding animal locomotion in complex terrain and applying these principles to robot design. Li’s work integrates biomechanics, robotics, and physics, with notable contributions to bio-inspired robots like the OmniRoach and SenSnake.

Li earned a BSc in Physics and Economics from Peking University (2005) and a PhD in Physics from Georgia Tech (2011). As a Miller Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley (2011–2014), he studied integrative biology and robotics. He joined JHU in 2016. His lab investigates movement in environments like rubble, mud, and arboreal spaces, with applications in search and rescue, planetary exploration, and environmental monitoring.

Key research interests include: terradynamics of legged robots, snake-like locomotion, and amphibious fish mobility. Li’s team has published in Science, PNAS, and Advanced Robotics, and received awards such as the Army Research Office Young Investigator Award and the Beckman Young Investigator Award.

• Education:
  • BSc, Peking University, 2005
  • PhD, Georgia Tech, 2011
  • Miller Postdoc, UC Berkeley, 2011–2014
• Awards:
  • Miller Research Fellowship (UC Berkeley)
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award
  • Army Research Office Young Investigator Award
• Lab & Collaborations:
  • LCSR (Interdisciplinary robotics and sensing)
  • Focus on bio-inspired robots and terradynamics