Dan Zhang, Professor
Director of PolyU-Nanjing Technology and Innovation Research Institute, China
Biography: Professor Dan Zhang is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering. He currently serves as Chair Professor of Intelligent Robotics and Automation at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Director of the Research Centre for Intelligent Robotics, and President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Nanjing) Technology and Innovation Research Institute. Professor Zhang has twice been awarded the prestigious Canada Research Chair. He has also received numerous honors, including the Ontario Premier’s Award, the Tier 1 York Research Chair in Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics, the Lassonde Innovation Award, and the Chang Jiang Scholars Program Chair Professorship. He has long been dedicated to the fields of intelligent robotics and automation and is internationally recognized as a leading scholar in parallel robotics and modern manufacturing systems. His main research interests include the synthesis and optimization of parallel and hybrid mechanisms, generalized parallel robots, reconfigurable robots, intelligent biomedical instruments, aerial and underwater robots, embodied intelligence, and AI-robotics systems. To date, he has published more than 516 high-quality academic papers and 12 scholarly monographs. His work has received over 13,632 citations on Google Scholar, with an H-index of 55. Since 2020, he has been listed for six consecutive years among Stanford University’s “World’s Top 2% Scientists.” He holds more than 40 Chinese patents, has led the development of multiple core technologies and their clinical and industrial applications, and has served as principal investigator for research projects totaling more than CAD 26 million. His work has made significant international impact in both academic research and engineering applications.
Speech Title: Navigating Tomorrow: AI plus Robotics Innovation
Abstract: With the rapid development of computer science, artificial intelligence, and related technologies, we have been advancing innovative robotic designs. These innovations include dexterous hands, humanoid robot legs, integrated joint motors—one of the core components of robots—and UAV landing gear, all of which are capable of autonomously adapting to complex environments. Meanwhile, the perception, learning, and decision-making capabilities of embodied intelligence further enhance robots’ execution capabilities. The deep integration of these technologies will drive robots to evolve from “passive execution” toward “active adaptation.” This presentation will introduce the achievements of our laboratory in technological innovation and application, including a range of innovative products we have developed. Key topics will include humanoid robots and their critical components—particularly the development of integrated joint motors—as well as ankle rehabilitation robots and robotic landing gear systems.