Xinyan Deng

Xinyan Deng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University's College of Engineering. Her research focuses on bio-inspired robotics, aerodynamics, and control systems, particularly in flapping-wing micro air vehicles and hybrid locomotion systems. She leads projects involving the design, optimization, and experimental validation of robotic systems that mimic natural flight mechanics and environmental adaptation.

Her work spans technical areas including high-frequency actuation systems, reinforcement learning for fault tolerance, and adversarial attack mitigation in UAVs. Notable contributions include the development of tailless hummingbird robots capable of complex maneuvers and unified actuation for hybrid aerial-terrestrial robots.

Dr. Deng's research integrates principles from biomechanics, fluid dynamics, and control engineering. Her lab explores topics such as wing damage recovery strategies, sensor fault isolation, and energy-efficient propulsion mechanisms. Ongoing projects emphasize real-world applications in search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and defense systems.