ZJU-UoE Symposium on Robotics and Digital Manufacturing

On June 23 – 24, the symposium on Robotics and Digital Manufacturing, jointly organized by the Zhejiang University (ZJU) and the University of Edinburgh (UoE), has been held online. Dr. Nan Yu and Prof. XU Chao are the organizers from UoE and ZJU, respectively. Nearly 20 professors and scholars from ZJU and UoE attended the symposium.

Prof. LI Min and Prof. Conchúr ó Brádaigh made the opening remarks. On behalf of ZJU, Prof. LI Min extended a warm welcome to all attendants, and affirmed the beneficial cooperation between ZJU and UoE over the years. She hoped that the symposium would promote cross-field, cross-regional, cross-country and cross-cultural exchanges and open a new chapter of future cooperation. Prof. Conchúr ó Brádaigh introduced the academic achievements of UoE’s School of Engineering. He pointed out that the symposium offered an opportunity for academics to come together to learn from and with each other, and expressed his hope for a deepen bilateral relations and cooperation.

Dr. LIU Jian introduced the history and solid cooperation between ZJU and UoE. While the two universities are committed to integrating advantages, they continue to innovate cooperation modes, which have achieved pleasant results. He looked forward to extensive cooperation, and an innovation ecosystem of  "science-education integration, industry-education integration, and university-city integration".

Dr. Chen Qin and Dr. CAI Shengze co-chaired the first part of the symposium on Robotics. Prof. XU Chao, Dr. GAO Fei, Dr. ZHU Qiuguo, as well as Dr. CAI Shengze delivered research progress on the industrial automation and robotics, the cluster of micro-autonomous aerial robots, the development and application of legged robot, as well as the application of deep learning for tomographic particle tracking velocimetry. Dr. Chen Qin, Dr. Yunjie Yang, and Dr. Francesco Giorgio-Serchi presented their research progress in healthcare + AI, soft robotics, and soft robotics in the offshore industry. Prof. Tom Bruce introduced the international development of UoE.

The second part of the symposium on Intelligent Manufacturing was chaired by Dr. Nan Yu. In the keynote speech, Dr. Yuanliu Chen introduced the research progress of precision control, tool positioning and online quality inspection in ultra-precision machining technology. Later, Dr. XU Fangda introduced the team’s techniques and achievements in additive manufacturing. Dr. GONG Hai gave an in-depth introduction around high-resolution wavefront sensor and optical path difference. Prof. Jonathan Corney from UoE, presented the university’s master program in Digital Design and Manufacturing, and exchanged views on data mining. Dr. Samuel Tammas-Williams, Dr. Nan Yu and Dr. Sina Haer respectively gave lectures on 3D imaging of metal additive manufacturing, digital plasma optical processing, and modeling and simulation of powder particles in additive manufacturing, and shared their latest research results with the audience.

At the closing ceremony, Prof. XU Chao and Prof. Xianfeng Fan expressed their thanks to all organizers, professors and scholars. The symposium brought together experts from both sides, providing an opportunity to expand academic vision and deepen academic cooperation. ZJU and UoE have a long history of cooperation, and this event marks a new step forward in their cooperation. They would like to continue to deepen cooperation, expand cooperation areas, and innovate cooperation models.

GAO Fei is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor with the College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, where he works as the deputy-director and the technical leader of the Field Autonomous System and Computing (FAST) Laboratory, and leads the Flying Autonomous Robotics (FAR) group. He also works as a Principle Investigator for the Center of Autonomous Navigation of Swarm Robotics in Huzhou Institute of Zhejiang University. His research interests include aerial robots, autonomous navigation, motion planning, optimization, localization, and mapping.

Talk: Micro Aerial Swarm Flying out of Laboratory

Chen Qin is a Lecturer in Computer Vision and Machine Learning at Electronics and Electrical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Her research is at the interdisciplinary field of artificial intelligence and medical imaging, aiming to improve the entire medical imaging/radiology workflow with significant impact for clinical use via machine intelligence.

Talk: Machine Learning in Medical Imaging: from Signals to Interpretation

ZHU Qiuguo is an Associate Professor with the College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University. His research interests include the control of humanoid robots, bipedal and quadrupedal walking and running, manipulators, rehabilitation exoskeletons and machine intelligence.

Talk: Towards Real-World Development and Control of Legged Robots

Yunjie Yang is the Chancellor’s Fellow in Data Driven Innovation and Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests are in the areas of sensing and imaging with AI-based tomography, machine learning, digital twins, and flexible sensors.

Talk: Perceptive Sensing for Soft Robotics

CAI Shengze received the PhD degree from the Zhejiang University in 2019. His research interests include deep learning methods and their applications in physics-related problems such as fluid dynamics.

Talk: Physics-informed Deep Learning for Tomographic Particle Tracking Velocimetry

Francesco Giorgio-Serchi is the Chancellor’s Fellow in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests include robotics, soft robotics, underwater robotics, fluid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, aquatic propulsion, biological flows, and AI-based structural condition monitoring.

Talk: Mechatronics and Control of Underwater Soft Robots for the Offshore Industry

Tom Bruce is the Professor and Director of Internationalization at the University of Edinburgh. His research expertise is wave – structure interaction, wave hydrodynamics, and flow measurement – particle image velocimetry. His research interests include wave overtopping, and blockwork coastal structures.

Talk: Internationalization of UoE

XU Chao is the Associate Dean and Professor with the College of Control Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University. He also serves the inaugural Dean of ZJU Huzhou Institute. His research expertise is Control and Autonomous Systems in general, with a focus on modeling & control of aerial robotics with applications, machine learning for dynamic systems & control, visual sensing & machine learning for complex fluids.

Talk: A Quick Overview on Industrial Automation and Robotics Research & Practice at ZJU-CSE

Jonathan Corney is the Professor and Chair of Digital Manufacture at the University of Edinburgh. He also serves as the Director of MSc in Digital Design and Manufacture.

Talk:

1. Introduction of MSc Programme in Digital Design and Manufacture

2. Data Mining for Engineering Design and Manufacture

XU Fangda is a Principle Investigator with the Additive Manufacturing and Digital System Center, Huzhou Institute of Zhejiang University. His research interests include advanced metal additive process control system and digital twin and simulation, with a focus on large-scale advanced metal additive process, advanced process sensing and measuring, digital twin and simulation system, and frontier advanced manufacturing process.

Talk: AMtwin – Next Generation Data-driven Additive Manufacturing Simulation Method

Samuel Tammas-Williams is a Lecturer in Digital Manufacture at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests include additive manufacture of metal components, X-ray computed tomography, materials integrity, functionally graded materials.

Talk: 3D Imaging of Metal Additive Manufacture

Nan Yu is a Lecturer in Digital Manufacture at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests include digitally supported process, large scale metrology; advanced plasma technologies, and ultra-precision manufacturing.

Talk: Digitally Supported Plasma Processing for Ultra-precision Optics

GONG Hai is currently a Principle Investigator with the Intelligent Optical Sensing and Control Research Center, Huzhou Institute of Zhejiang University. His research interests include structured light illumination microscopy, adaptive optics, wave-front sensing, optical precision metrology and other related opto-mechatronics.

Talk: Optical Path Difference Measurement with a Shack-Hartmann Wavefront

Sina Haeri is a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the Institute for Materials and Processes in Edinburgh University. His expertise is in the modeling and simulation of particle (granular) / particle-laden systems.

Talk: Particle-Scale Modelling of Powder-Based Additive Manufacturing Processes

Reprinted from:  Huzhou Institute of Zhejiang University

Reporter: WANG Feiqiong