Curriculum Vitae

Education

• Ph.D. in Engineering (Fluid Mechanics), Brown University, 2020–2025
  • Advisor: Prof. Kenny Breuer
  • Thesis: Surfing on Vortices: Interactions of Flapping Flight in Vortex Wake
• M.Sc. in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Aerodynamics and Control), University of Southern California, 2018–2019
  • Advisor: Prof. Mitul Luhar
• B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering (Jet Propulsion), Beihang University (BUAA), 2013–2017
  • Advisor: Prof. Zhi Tao (Academician)
  • Thesis: Electric-powered Distributed Multi-Vectored Propulsion (DMVP)

Experience

• 2025–present: Research Associate, University of Virginia
  • ONR Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program
  • Investigating the effects of phase differences on hydrodynamic benefits in robotic fish schooling
  • Engineered a closed-loop water tunnel facility with an automated, cyber-physical experimental workflow
• 2025: Visiting Scientist, University of California, Riverside
  • Investigated the effects of formation geometry on group swimming efficiency
• 2020–2025: Graduate Research Assistant, Breuer Lab, Brown University
  • Wind tunnel experiment series on vortex–flight interaction
  • Commissioned the newly constructed animal flight wind tunnel (hardware and software) for multi-channel automated experiments
  • Enabled synchronized machine-vision kinematic tracking, laser-illuminated flow measurements (PIV), bird-wearable dynamic analysis, and metabolic measurements
  • Studied vortex wake interactions in flapping flight with live birds and bio-inspired robotic platforms, addressing vortex gust encounters relevant to UAVs and wind turbines
  • Designed and tested the flapping-wing robot Flaproo with active wing twisting and folding, featured by National Geographic
  • Applied data-driven processing across multi-fold datasets to extract robust flow features
  • Led a 10-member engineering team, mentored REU students, and collaborated closely with biologists
  • Supervisor: Prof. Kenny Breuer
• 2019–2020: Research Scientist, Brown University
  • Aerodynamic testing of Active Gurney Flap flow control for wind turbines
  • Designed a wind tunnel wind turbine blade model with embedded sensors
  • Evaluated the Active Gurney Flap flow control structure with industrial partner Actura Wind Inc.
• 2018–2019: Graduate Research Assistant, Fluid-Structure Interactions Lab, USC
  • Compliant Flapping Wing Robot (USC Raven)
  • Initiated and led the project with a team of 6, designing and building the ornithopter UAV around a lightweight mechatronic design
  • Constructed a pioneering fan-array wind tunnel for UAV aerodynamics testing
  • Achieved the first successful sustained outdoor flight of its kind
  • Supervisor: Prof. Mitul Luhar
• 2018: Graduate Research Assistant, Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering, USC
  • Simulation for fine feature control in SLA printing
  • Developed a capillary-bridge meniscus simulation framework for microscale SLA 3D printing using a custom Stokes flow solver
  • Fabricated hydro-responsive structures via 3D printing for embedded sensor integration
  • Supervisor: Prof. Yong Chen
• 2017–2018: Research Engineer, Western Innovation Inc.
  • Led an eVTOL (tilting rotor) package delivery UAV project, in collaboration with the Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Aero-Engine (CICAE, BUAA)
• 2015: Co-op Engineer, Expert Aviation Technology Co. Ltd (Exptech)
  • Licensed the DMVP patents to prototype an eVTOL UAV, working with the CTO
  • Represented the company at the 17th China Hi-Tech Fair (2015), contributing to its successful IPO

Expertise

• Experiment & test: wind/water tunnel testing, script-driven automated experiments and data acquisition, animal experiments, field testing
• Fluid measurement: particle image velocimetry (planar and volumetric, air- and water-based), hot-wire anemometry, flow visualization, pressure differential sensing
• Motion control: multi-axis motion control and synchronization, PID/LQR feedback, model predictive control (MPC), Kalman filtering
• Machine vision: 3D reconstruction via DLT, learning- and correlation-based pattern recognition
• Data-driven analysis: signal processing, spectral analysis, digital image processing, dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), reduced-order modeling
• Design: CAD, mechatronic and robotic system design, high-power laser optics, basic PCB design
• Coding: MATLAB, Python, C/C++ (embedded systems), PLC programming
• Simulation: computational fluid dynamics, multi-physics simulation, robot/drone dynamics (Gazebo)
• Languages: fluent in English and Chinese; entry-level German

Honors

• 2017: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Scholarship, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of P.R. China
• 2015: 2nd prize, “Challenge Cup” National University Student Academic Science and Technology Works Competition
• 2015: Grand prize, “Challenge Cup” Capital University Student Academic Science and Technology Works Competition

Invited Talks

• 2016: “Introduction to Undergraduate Student Research Project”, opening of the Hong Kong Student Leader Exchange Program, Beijing, China
• 2015: “Distributed Multi-Vectored Propulsion System”, 17th China Hi-Tech Fair (Commando Wing – China AUVSC), Guangzhou, China

Professional Service

• 2025: Session Chair, 78th APS-DFD Annual Meeting, Houston, TX
• 2024: Peer Reviewer, Physics of Fluids
• 2023: Technical Projects Reviewer, AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, FL
• 2023: Session Chair, 76th APS-DFD Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Teaching

• 2024: ENGN 810 Fluid Mechanics, Brown University
• 2024: ENGN 2920F Sensors and Actuators for Real Systems, Brown University
• 2021: ENGN 1700 Fluid Mechanics of Aerospace and Energy Systems, Brown University
• 2019: AME 341 Mechatronics, USC
• 2017: Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, BUAA

Publications

Proportional Control of Aerodynamic Forces Using an Active Gurney Flap on a Wind Turbine Blade Section

S. Hao, A. Koh-Bell, R. Irani, J. Kirsch-Posner, K. Breuer. Proportional Control of Aerodynamic Forces Using an Active Gurney Flap on a Wind Turbine Blade Section [J]. Wind Energy, 2025, 28(10): e70056.

Upstroke Wing Clapping in Bats and Bat-Inspired Robots Offers Efficient Lift Generation

X. Fan, A. Bortoni, S. Hao, S. Swartz, K. Breuer. Upstroke wing clapping in bats and bat-inspired robots offers efficient lift generation [J]. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2025, 22(223): 20240590.

It Pays to Follow the Leader: Metabolic Cost of Flight is Lower for Trailing Birds in Small Groups

S. I. Friman, C. R. Elowe, S. Hao, L. Mendez, R. Ayala, I. Brown, C. Hagood, Y. Hedlund, D. Jackson, J. Killi, G. Orfanides, E. Ozcan, J. Ramirez, A. R. Gerson, K. S. Breuer, T. L. Hedrick. It pays to follow the leader: Metabolic cost of flight is lower for trailing birds in small groups [J]. PNAS, 2024, 121(26): e2319971121.

Proportional Control of Aerodynamic Forces using an Active Gurney Flap on a Wind Turbine Blade Section

S. Hao, A. Koh-Bell, R. Irani, J. Kirsch-Posner, K. Breuer. Proportional Control of Aerodynamic Forces using an Active Gurney Flap on a Wind Turbine Blade Section [C]. AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum, AIAA 2023-0459.

Using an Active Gurney Flap to Modify the Performance of a Wind Turbine Wing Section

Siyang Hao, John Cooney, Neal Fine and Kenny S. Breuer. Using an Active Gurney Flap to Modify the Performance of a Wind Turbine Wing Section [C]. SCITECH 2022 Forum. AIAA 2022-2293

3D Printing of Flexible Liquid Sensor Based on Swelling Behavior of Hydrogel with Carbon Nanotubes

X. Li, Y. Yang, B. Xie, M. Chu, H. Sun, S. Hao, Y. Chen, Y. Chen. 3D Printing of Flexible Liquid Sensor Based on Swelling Behavior of Hydrogel with Carbon Nanotubes [J]. Advanced Materials Technologies, 2019, 4(2): 1800476.

Omnidirectional Gimbaled Mechanism based on Ring Gear

S. Hao, F. Yang, P Tang, Y. Feng, H. Li. Omnidirectional Gimbaled Mechanism based on Ring Gear [P]. CN107117288A. 9.2018

Distributed Vectored Propulsion Mechanism

S. Hao, F. Yang, X. Jiang. Distributed Vectored Propulsion Mechanism [P]. CN205034337U. 7.2016

Distributed Vectored Propulsion System

S. Hao, F. Yang, X. Jiang, T. Li. Distributed Vectored Propulsion System[P]. CN105151292B. 2.2016