Keynote Speeches

Prof. Yongchun Fang

IEEE Senior Member

Speech Title: TBD

Abstract: TBD

Brief Bio: TBD

Prof. Aiguo Song

Speech Title: Multi-dimensional Force Sensor for Robot

Abstract: TBD

Brief Bio: Prof. Song received the Ph.D degree in Measurement and Control from Southeast University, China in 1996. From 1996 to 1998, he was a post-doctor and associate researcher with the Intelligent Information Processing Laboratory, Southeast University. From 1998 to 2000, He was an associate Professor with the School of Instrument Science and Engineering, Southeast University. From 2000 to 2004, he was the Director of the Robot Sensor and Control Lab, Southeast University. From 2004 to 2020, he was the Dean and Professor with the School of Instrument Science and Engineering, Southeast University. He is currently the Chief Professor of the Southeast University and the Director of Robot Sensor and Control Laboratory, Southeast University. His interests concentrate on robot force/tactile sensors, teleoperation robot, power inspection robot, medicine robot and rehabilitation robot. He has published more than 400 peer reviewed journal papers, and 300+ papers have been indexed by SCIE, and Google Scholar cited time is 15000+. He received the best paper award more than 20 times. He is a member of Chinese Instrument and Control Association, IEEE senior member, Chair of IEEE Nanjing Section Robotics and Automation Society Chapter. He has served as Chair or Co-Chair of 60+ International Conference/Symposium. He was recipient of the China National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and recipient of the second prize of the National Scientific and Technological Progress in 2017.

Prof. Lianqing Liu

Speech Title: From Biomimetics to Biosyncretics: Robots Based on Integration of Living Systems and Electromechanical Systems

Abstract: Nature offers boundless inspiration for robotic research. Bionic based Robotics has achieved amazing progress. However, biological systems are immensely sophisticated. Despite significant advances in mimicking biological mechanisms, bionic based robots inherently struggle to fully replicate the intrinsic properties of living systems. Consequently, how to further enhance performance and enable artificial systems to approach, or even surpass, biological counterparts is a major research focus in science and technology.
In this talk, I will introduce the proposed concept of biosyncretic robotics. By utilizing bioactive materials, such as living cells, as core components, and fostering the integration of biological and electromechanical systems at the molecular and cellular scales, we aim to propel robotics beyond bionics towards biosyncretics. This paradigm shift allows us to directly harness the results of billions of years of natural evolution, enhancing various robotic capabilities and driving the advancement of the robotics discipline itself.

Brief Bio: Lianqing Liu is a Professor at Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Currently his research interests include Biosyncretic systems, Micro/Nanorobotics, Intelligent control. He has published over 100 peer reviewed international journal papers and led more than 20 funded research projects as Principal Investigator. He was awarded the Early Career Award by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society in 2011, Outstanding Young Scientist of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2014, Rising Star Award of 3M-Nano Society in 2015, Talent Young Scholar Funds of NSFC in 2015, National Program for support of Top-Notch Young Professionals in 2015, Xiongyoulun Outstanding Youth Award in 2018, Distinguished Young Scholar Funds of NSFC in 2019, Xplore Prize in 2024. He is the winner of Best Student/Conference paper Award for ICRA, ROBIO, ICIRA, IEEE-NEMS, IEEE-CYBER, IEEE-NANOMED and IEEE-3M-NANO, and delivered plenary/Keynote talks at ICRA, IROS, IEEE-NANO, IEEE-NANOMED, IEEE-NEMS, ICIUS, MARSS and so on. He is associate editors of Fundamental Research, Cyborg and Bionic Systems, Mechatronics, IET Cyber-Systems and Robotics, Control Theory and Applications. He has been elected as the vice president of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society for the term of 2018-2019, served as a member of long range planning committee of RAS.

Prof. Zhendong Dai

Speech Title: Measuring 6D reaction forces in humanoid robot: From human locomotion dynamics to the performance of humanoid robot

Abstract: All motions of any object result in the force acting on the object, measuring the force acting on the object is an important way to understand the motion， to improve robot’s performance. We have developed six-dimensional force sensor and integrated it into different arrays such as floor, stair and slope respectively. We measured the reaction force when human and humanoid robot walking on those substrates. The results show clearly that start point of stance phase of one feet is corresponding to the maximum driving force acted on the another feet and the end point of stance phase of one feet is corresponding to the maximum braking force of another feet, whenever the substrate is floor, step and slope. But the reaction force of humanoid robot are very much different from that of humans. We believe the behavioral and mechanical characteristics of normal human movement and compared them with those of corresponding humanoid robots to identify the reasons for the insufficient stability of humanoid robot movement and provide design inspiration for improving the stability and reliability of robot movement.

Brief Bio: Professor, director and founder of the Institute of Bio-inspired Structure and Surface Engineering (IBSS) at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA). Fellow of the International Society of Bionic Engineering and the Chinese representative, has received the Contribution Award. He obtained his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the CMEE at NUAA in 1983, 1986, and 1999, respectively. He was invited as visiting scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Germany from 2000 to 2001, and visiting professor at the School of Life Sciences, University of California, Berkeley in 2019.

He won 2nd prize of Jiangsu Science and Technology Award in 2021, 2nd prize of Natural Science Award in 2018, 2nd prize of Invention Award in 2012, received the Government Special Allowance from the State Council in 2016. He has published six monographs and over 400 papers, which have been cited more than 5,000 times, with an H-index of 41. He founded Nanjing Bio-inspired Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd in 2012, dedicated to technology transfer and enterprise incubation.

Prof. Shugen Ma

IEEE Fellow

Speech Title: TBD

Abstract: TBD

Brief Bio: TBD

Prof. Huawei Chen

Speech Title: Magnetically Actuated Micro-robot: Non-invasive Approach for Precision Medicine

Abstract: Non-invasive drug delivery and intestinal microbiota monitoring have drawn worldwide attention. Micro-robot especially magnetically actuated type becomes most promising approach owing to its advantage in wireless controllability, miniature size. On-demand fabrication and multifunction integration with multimode motion or multi-signal sensing are still the greatest challenges. In this talk, magnetic driven printing method will be proposed for on-demand precision assembly of magnetic particle to fabricate 1D micro-thread robot, 2D membrane robot and 3D robot with complicate structure. Control principle is explored to realize the multimode motion for 1D, 2D and 3D micro-robot. Moreover, the experiments of in vivo drug delivery and wireless microbiota monitoring are conducted to validate its efficiency and usefulness. The recent progresses in micro-robot for precision medicine will also highlighted.

Brief Bio: Chen Huawei is currently a Professor/Deputy Dean of School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University. Dr. Chen’s research is focused on the bio-inspired functional surface, micro/nano fabrication, micro/nano fluidics, and its applications in aerospace and precision. He is the Leading Talent of Ten Thousand Plan, Outstanding Young Scientist Foundation of National Nature Science Foundation of China, a JSPE Fellow etc. Dr. Chen has authored more than 100 journal papers in Nature, Nature Materials, Advanced Materials, Advanced Science, Small, Angew. Chemie, ACS Applied Materials & Interface etc.

Prof. Jing Na

Speech Title: High Precision Motion Control for Nonlinear Robotics with Unknown Dynamics

Abstract: Unknown nonlinear dynamics, e.g., frictions, modeling uncertainties, sensor noise and external disturbances, are inherent difficulties encountered in the robotic control system synthesis, which could deteriorate the control performance. In this talk, we will introduce two recently developed methods to handle unknown nonlinear dynamics for robotic motion control designs: adaptive control with guaranteed estimation convergence and unknown system dynamics estimator (USDE). First, a new adaptive learning framework driven by estimation error is presented, which can be incorporated into the adaptive control for robotics to remedy the use of acceleration measurement and retain the finite-time convergence of tracking error and estimation error simultaneously. Moreover, the design of USDE with simple low-pass filter operations and algebraic calculations is introduced to handle the lumped unknown dynamics in the robotic systems. Those developed ideas are also extended to flexible manipulators and bilateral teleoperations.

Brief Bio: Dr Jing Na is currently a Professor with the Faculty of Electrical & Mechanical Engineering at Kunming University of Science & Technology. He received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Automation, Beijing Institute of Technology, China, in 2004 and 2010, respectively. From January 2011 to December 2012, he was a Monaco/ITER Postdoctoral Fellow with the ITER Organization, France. From January 2015 to December 2016, he was a Marie Curie Fellow with the University of Bristol, UK. Since 2010, he has been with the Kunming University of Science & Technology, where he was promoted to be a full Professor in 2013. He has hold also visiting positions with the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain. His current research interests include parameter estimation, adaptive control, and nonlinear control with application to vehicle systems, servo mechanisms and energy conversion plants (e.g., engine, wave energy convertors, etc.). He has authored/co-authored more than 100 peer reviewed journal and conference papers. Dr Na has been awarded the 2017 Hsue-shen Tsien Paper Award. He is currently an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Engineering, and Neurocomputing. He has also served as an international program committee Chair of ICMIC 2017 and DDCLS 2019 and IPC member of many prestigious international conferences.

Prof. Huayan Pu

Speech Title: Programmable passive continuous mechanical computation with multistable mechanisms

Abstract: With advancements in materials science and manufacturing processes, physical intelligence and mechanical intelligence have garnered increasing attention. This report elaborates on the concepts, classifications, and cutting-edge developments of mechanical intelligence.

Brief Bio: Pu Huayan, recipient of the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars and the China Youth Science and Technology Award. She is a Professor and a Doctoral Supervisor at Chongqing University, serving as the Director of the Institute of Robotics, Chongqing University. She is one of the overall expert group of the National Key Special Project on Marine Environment and Sustainable Development of Islands and Reefs. Her research interest mainly focus on transmission system dynamics, vibration and noise reduction, as well as individual and swarm intelligence of intelligent unmanned systems.

Prof. Hui Zhang

Speech Title: Multimodal Intelligent Perception Technology and Applications of UAVs in Complex Power Scenarios

Abstract: To address challenges in drone inspection tasks for complex power scenarios, including infrared thermal fault detection, line vegetation classification, and tower tilt detection, this report proposes intelligent perception technologies based on multimodal information fusion. By integrating visible light images, infrared images, point cloud data, and multispectral data, it overcomes challenges such as environmental complexity, information incompleteness, and sensor perception limitations, significantly enhancing the perception and cognition capabilities of UAV systems in complex environments. The report focuses on the following key aspects: 1) Adaptive image registration and predictive information transfer techniques are proposed to address the spatial alignment of multimodal data, enabling precise localization of power equipment and accurate temperature interpretation; 2) A tree obstacle classification method based on point cloud and multispectral data fusion is designed, leveraging the complementarity of different modalities to accurately identify tree species in power corridors, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of inspection tasks; 3) Multimodal information-coordinated tower tilt detection and semantic segmentation technologies are developed, enhancing the intelligence level of power facility inspection in complex environments. Through multimodal data fusion and intelligent processing, this report demonstrates how multimodal sensing technologies can improve the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of drone inspections in complex power scenarios, effectively meeting the demands of national strategic needs.

Brief Bio: Hui Zhang, Ph.D., is a Professor (Second Class) and doctoral supervisor. He serves as Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics at Hunan University, Dean of the School of Future Technology at Hunan University, and Deputy Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Visual Sensing and Control. He was selected for the national high-level talent program, is a member of the Expert Group for the “14th Five-Year Plan” Key R&D Program on Intelligent Robotics under the Ministry of Science and Technology, an Executive Director of the Chinese Association of Automation, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Supervisory Board of the China Society of Image and Graphics. His research focuses on robotic visual inspection, deep-learning–based image recognition, and technologies and applications of intelligent manufacturing robots.

In recent years, he has led more than 20 projects, including a task under the Science and Technology Innovation 2030---“New Generation Artificial Intelligence” Major Project, two Key Projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, a key project under the JW1XX program, as well as subprojects of the National Key R&D Program and the National Science and Technology Support Program. He has published over 70 papers in domestic and international journals such as IEEE Transactions, holds 42 granted invention patents in China and 5 computer software copyrights. He received a Second Prize of the National Technological Invention Award in 2018; as first contributor, he led teams to win the First Prize of the Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award (2022), the Second Prize of the Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award (2019), and the First Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award of the China General Chamber of Commerce (2019). As a principal contributor, he has received 15 provincial- and ministerial-level Science and Technology Progress Awards, the Special Prize of the 13th Hunan Provincial Teaching Achievement Awards (2022), and the Second Prize of the National Teaching Achievement Awards (Higher Education--Graduate Education, 2022).