Dongting Li -- CV
Dongting Li -- CV
UC San Diego, MAE Department, dongting@asu.edu.
PostDoc Researcher, co-advised by Prof. Nick Gravish and Prof. Mike T. Tolley (Aug. 2023 - Present)
Systems Engineering, Phd, Advised by Dr. Dan Aukes, Arizona State University (2018-2023)
Mechanical Engineering, BS, Shandong University (2014-2018)
J1. Li, D., Huang, S., Tang, Y., Marvi, H., Tao, J., and Aukes, D. M. Compliant fins for locomotion in granular media. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2021.
J2. Li, D., Quinones Yumbla, E., Olivas, A., Sugar, T., Ben Amor, H., Lee, H., Zhang, W., and Aukes, D. M. Origami-inspired wearable robot for trunk support. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2022.
J3. Doroudchi, A., Khodambashi, R., Sharifzadeh, M., Li, D., Berman, S., and Aukes, D. M. Tracking control of a miniature 2-DOF manipulator with hydrogel actuators. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2021.
J4. Huang, S., Tang, Y., Bagheri, H., Li, D., Ardente, A., Aukes, D. M., Marvi, H., and Tao, J. Effects of friction anisotropy on upward burrowing behavior of soft robots in granular materials. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2020.
J5. Yumbla, E. Q., Li, D., Nibi, T. M., Aukes, D. M., and Zhang, W. A kinematically constrained Kalman filter for sensor fusion in a wearable origami robot. ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control, 2023.
J6. Liu, D., Li, D., Tolley, M. T., and Gravish, N. Soft feeding mechanism for mobile everting robots. Submitted to Soft Robotics, 2025.
J7. Li, D., Tolley, M. T., and Gravish, N. Pneumatic rhythmic oscillation networks from soft robotic leaky integrate-and-fire modules. In preparation, 2025.
C1. Li, D., Tolley, M. T., and Gravish, N. Autonomous burrowing and retrieval of soft robotic anchors in granular media. In Proceedings of the 8th IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics, 2025.
C2. Li, D., Tolley, M. T., and Gravish, N. Multi-functional granular propulsion: Bio-inspired orientation control and local fluidization for crawl-to-dig transitions. In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2025.
Multimodal Ocean Soft Robot (MOSoRo) Platform
Funding: ONR DURIP Award N00014-23-1-2169
Role: Instrumentation and Budget Manager, Aug. 2023–Dec. 2024
Managed full execution of a $200,000 instrumentation budget, including procurement, assembly, and integration of custom soft robotics equipment. Developed experimental workflows and training protocols.
Toward a Predictive Rheology of Vibrated Granular Media
Funding Target: NSF Division of Materials Research (DMR)
Role: Lead Proposal Writer, in preparation
Lead writer on proposal drafting.
Self-Sufficient Swimming and Digging Worm-Inspired Robot
Funding: ONR Award N00014-20-S-B001
Role: Technical Lead and Reporting, Aug. 2023–Present
Lead postdoctoral researcher overseeing research deliverables, authoring annual reports, and supervising MS and undergraduate researchers.
Reviewer, Soft Robotics, 2022–2023
Reviewer, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2023–2025
Reviewer, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2024–2025
Reviewer, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 2024
Reviewer, Scientific Reports, 2024
Reviewer, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2022, 2025
Reviewer, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2020–2021
Reviewer, IEEE-RAS International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), 2019–2025
Student Team Mentor, UC San Diego MAE 249: Soft Robotics, 2025
Guest Speaker, UC San Diego MAE 249: Soft Robotics, 2023–2025
Teaching Assistant, Foldable Robotics Summer Camp, Arizona State University, 2023
Guest Lecturer, ASU EGR 598: Experimentation and Deployment of Robotic Systems, 2023
Student Team Judge, ASU EGR 314: Embedded System Design Project, 2023
UC San Diego–Stanford Penner Postdoctoral Research Travel Award, 2024
IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM) Student Travel Support, 2023
Incoming Co-Chair, Gordon Research Seminar (GRS): Complex Active and Adaptive Material Systems, 2027
Lead Volunteer, Robosoft 2024 at San Diego, (2024)