Luyang Zhao

Luyang Zhao is an incoming tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Clemson University (starting August 2025). He earned his PhD in Computer Science and double undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from Dartmouth College and the University of Minnesota respectively.

• Academic Affiliation: Clemson University (Assistant Professor)
• Education: PhD in Computer Science (Dartmouth College), BS in Computer Science & Mathematics (University of Minnesota)

His research focuses on Robotics, particularly soft robotics, modular systems, and bio-inspired designs. Key areas include:

• Large Language Models for robotic design automation
• Modular tensegrity systems for self-assembling structures
• Swarm coordination strategies
• Multi-environment adaptability (land/aquatic/aerial)
• Simulation tool integration for design optimization

Recent publications highlight his work on SoftSnap modular platforms, LLM-driven swarm intelligence, and bioinspired dolphin robots. He received the Neukom Outstanding Graduate Research Prize for his contributions.

• Industry Experience: Research internships at Amazon Robotics and TuSimple
• Mentorship: Advised 6+ graduate/undergraduate researchers
• Open-Source Contributions: Developed SoftSnap platform for rapid prototyping
• Academic Service: Workshop co-organization (IROS 2023), peer reviewing (RA-L, ICRA, IROS, RoboSoft, BioRob)