Prof. Yan Chen

Tianjin University, China

Title: Origami Engineering

Abstract:

Origami is an emerging discipline that developed from art to mathematics. In this century, with the desire to apply origami into various engineering applications, origami engineering has been promoted rapidly in many aspects, including robotics, metamaterials, aerospace structures, medical devices and so on. In this talk, we will discuss the current progress on the fundamentals of origami-inspired structure design and analysis, including the origami kinematic and thick-panel origami, kinematic metamaterials and property programming, multistable mechanism and mechanical intelligence for robotics.

Biography:

Dr. Chen is a Chair Professor at Tianjin University, China. Fellow of ASME and IMechE. She developed the kinematic theory for the topological tessellation of spatial mechanisms and synthesis methodology for deployable structures; established the kinematic model for rigid origami including the general solution for thick-panel origami; and proposed new concepts of multistable mechanisms, kinematic metamaterials and their modeling. Her representative papers were published in Science, PNAS, Nature Communications, Advanced Science, and MMT. She serves as an Associate Editor of ASME Journal of Mechanical Design and Vice-Chair of IFToMM China-Beijing.

Prof. Akihide HIBARA

Tokyo Institute of Technology, China

Title: Microdroplet size control by spontaneous emulsification and its application to bioanalysis in microfluidic devices

Abstract:

We have investigated aqueous microdroplet size control in microfluidic devices. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices were fabricated using 2-layer thick resist and have multiple well structures in a wide and shallow microchannel. The aqueous droplet was prepared in each well structure. Under moderate organic flow conditions, the droplets did not pass through the shallow microchannel and remained in the well. When an organic solution of nonionic surfactant (SPAN80) flowed, the water in the aqueous droplet was transported to the reverse micelle of SPAN80, and the droplet shrank. The degree of shrinkage could be controlled by the water activity of the reverse micelle. In this talk, I will show the principle of droplet formation, water transport and effect of PDMS surface. Then some bioassay demonstration will be presented.

Biography:

1999-2007, Research Associate (-2003), Lecturer (2003-), School of Engineering, University of Tokyo

2007-2013, Associate Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo

2013-2016, Associate Professor, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology

2016-2023, Professor, Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University

2023-present, Professor, School of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology

Research Interest:

1. Fabrication: photolithography + wet etching for glass microfluidics; EB lithography + dry etching for glass nanofluidics; photolithography + PDMS molding;

2. Micro / nanofluidics: two-phase flow; water-in-oil microdroplet; capillarity in microfluidics; paper microfluidics

3. Measurements & Instrumentation photothermal spectroscopy; light scattering method; portable fluorescence polarization measurement system;

4. Surface and Interface: air / liquid interfaces in atmospheric aerosol chemistry; liquid / liquid interfaces in water-in-oil droplet analytical applications;

Per or polyfluorinated substances (PFAS): intermolecular force; recovery & recycle of PFAS

Prof. Jun Wang

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China

Title: TBD

Abstract: TBD

Biography:TBD

Prof. Tie Li

Shanghai institute of microsystem and information technology, China

Title: From MEMS to nano fabrication and nano sensors

Abstract:

As origin of information in real world, high performance sensors are important not only to our human beings but also to smart robotics. Nano-structured materials have made it possible to form sensors at ultra-high performance. However, mass production at low cost is always desirable but not achieved in current time. In this talk, we will review our work of design and fabrication of nano structures in wafer level by MEMS technology, its integration with micro transceivers and the corresponding high-performance nano sensors. With highly selective CMOS techniques, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) with narrow width (~20nm) were top-down fabricated on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer, which is very useful to a simple, portable and rapid detection platform for bio/chemical detection. While, with the integration between micro-hotplate and nano-ordered sensing materials, gas sensor chips can be produced with high sensitivity, fast response time, and low power consumption. The proposed work represents a versatile approach for wide application of wafer-level fabricated sensors with high performance.

Biography:

Prof. Tie Li received his BS and PhD degrees from University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, in 1992 and 1997, respectively. He is currently a Professor in Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology. He has published over 200 papers on Nano Letters、Small、Carbon、IEEE EDL etc., and owned 75 Chinese patents， 3 US Patent and 1 Japanese Patent. His research interests include design, fabrication and application of Micro and Nano sensors.

Prof. Qi Ge

Southern University of Science and Technology, China

Title: Multimaterial 3D/4D Printing Technologies for Multifunctional Soft Robots

Abstract:

The technology of realizing the three-dimensional structure of smart materials through the application of 3D printing is called "4D printing". 4D printing refers to: under the stimulation of the external environment, the shape, nature or function of the three-dimensional structure will change significantly with the fourth dimension - "time". 4D printing technology can effectively integrate structure and function in three-dimensional space, which is an ideal means to realize the integration of structure and function. However, the application of 4D printing to the multi-functional integration of robots still faces challenges such as how to integrate and form a variety of heterogeneous smart material structures, how to improve the performance and function of printable smart materials, and how to control and apply multi-functional smart materials in robot systems. This talk will introduce the research progress of our group in the development of multi-material 3D printing equipment, the development of printable high-performance smart materials, and the multi-material 3D/4D printing in the multi-function integration of soft robots.

Biography:

Dr. Qi Ge is a tenured professor at Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and serving as editorial board member of International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing，Microsystems & Nanoengineering. Before Joining SUSTech, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an Assistant Professor from Singapore University of Technology and Design. Dr. Qi Ge’s research interests include 4D printing and its applications to soft robotics and flexible electronics. He has published more than 100 research papers including the high impact papers published in the top journals such as Science Advances, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials. Among them, 14 papers are ESI highly cited papers. Dr. Ge’s Google Scholar Citation is more than 12000 times, and he is recognized as Elsevier Most Cited Chinese Researcher.

Senior Engineer Yong Chen

Fusion Engineering Research Division,Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Title: Fusion reactor Remote Handling System progress in ASIPP

Abstract:

Due to the extreme environment inside the vacuum vessel of Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR), the core components maintenance after shutdown cannot be carried out by human operator or general equipment at the maintenance site. A remote handling (RH) system, which uses the radiation-enhanced automation equipment and is controlled remotely by operators, is adopted. The engineering design of the CFETR RH system has been conducted in the past few years with a novel maintenance strategy of transferring the blanket and divertor components through the vertical upper port. A heavy-load robotic manipulator is illustrated, entering the CFETR vessel through an equatorial port to implement in-vessel maintenance tasks with exchangeable end-effectors and support blanket and divertor RH system. An integrated supervisory control system is being developed to provide a safe, reliable, and user-friendly control interface. Finally, with all the progress that the CFETR RH team has made, it can be said that the CFETR RH system is still faced with challenges considering the hostile environment as well as the complex and heavy load maintenance process.

Biography:

Deputy Director of the Fusion Engineering Research Division at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences；Director of Anhui Extreme Environment Robot Engineering Laboratory；I have been engaged in research on remote maintenance technology for fusion reactors for 12 years. Research field involves fusion reactor maintenance compatibility, process equipment and automation, robot control algorithm and robot radiation shielding protection technology.Currently serving as the project leader for the pre research project on remote maintenance technology for the Chinese Fusion Engineering Experimental Reactor.

Prof. Zongwei Yao

Jilin University, China

Title: Key technologies for cooperative operation of high-precision modularized intelligent excavators

Abstract:

To address the challenges of low precision, efficiency, and limited applicability in the autonomous and multi-machine cooperative operation of excavators, we conducted research on advanced technologies, including precise task decision-making, high-precision motion control for intelligent excavators, modularized autonomous operation, and human-machine interaction with switching control. This research aims to enable continuous autonomous multi-task operations, rapid deployment of modularized functions, and efficient multi-machine cooperative operation. The goal is to develop a high-precision, modularized technical system for intelligent excavator cooperation, capable of meeting diverse autonomous operation requirements in complex scenarios.

Biography:

After receiving my Ph.D. in Engineering from Jilin University in 2013, I began my academic career as a Lecturer at the College of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Jilin University. I was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015 and had the opportunity to conduct an exchange visit at Cardiff University, UK, in 2019. In 2023, I was promoted to the rank of Professor.

My research primarily focuses on the key technologies of intelligent engineering vehicles. This includes perception, localization, and target recognition in unstructured environments, multi-source information fusion, and vehicle state estimation. Additionally, I work on task decision-making and evaluation, autonomous operation trajectory planning and tracking control, assisted operation of engineering vehicles, and collaborative multi-machine operation planning and control technologies.

Over the past few years, I have led several national and enterprise-commissioned projects. My research contributions include publishing approximately 20 high-impact academic papers and securing about 10 authorized invention patents.

Dr. Yingtian Li

中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院

Title: Reprogrammable bistable structures and its applications

Abstract: The bistable structure has fast response and force amplification capabilities. Rapid release of the energy stored in the bistable structure can improve many robot performances, such as high-speed movement, adaptive sensing, and fast grasping. However, current research on bistable structures mainly focuses on their stable states, but there is a lack of research on intermediate states. In pursuit of this objective, a series of studies were undertaken on adjustable bistable states. We first propose a super-tunable bistable structure with programmable energy barriers and variable triggering force across orders of magnitude and its design method. Then, we apply this bistable state to different scenarios and amplify its different characteristics. It has successively realized that the triggering force of a single-piece bistable structure can be adjusted to 0.1% of the maximum value; the reprogrammable bistable gripper can realize selective grabbing of objects of different weights, and swimming activities within 180ms. Fish are captured passively; the flexible and ultra-fast bistable gripper can easily capture high-speed incident flying objects of 15m/s. This series of work can expand the frontier of bistable structure design and provide new ideas for the future of robotics and other fields.

Biography:

李英田，中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院，副研究员，博士生导师。香港大学硕博，美国哈佛大学医学院博士后。

从事软体机器人与医疗机器人研究，总计发表SCI论文27篇。一作/通讯16篇(TRO、TMECH等)，谷歌学术共引2千余次，一作最高SCI他引178次。

入选中国科学院****、深圳市高层次人才计划。获大会最佳论文等8项奖励。主持及参与国自然青年、面上、联合基金、科技部重点研发课题、深圳市基础研究重点等项目。

Prof. Bin Wu

Nanjing Forestry University, China

Title: TBD

Abstract: 

TBD

Biography:

TBD

Prof. Xiaobin Xu

Hohai University, China

Title: TBD

Abstract:

TBD

Biography:

TBD

Prof. Ning Zhao

University of Science and Technology Beijing, China

Title: Cooperative scheduling of large-scale mobile robots

Abstract:

Nowadays, an increasing number of automated systems are utilizing mobile robots to automate logistics handling. Although robots can replace workers, the maximum permissible floor space for fire zoning in the fire regulations. Conflicts can easily occur if large-scale mobile robots are operating in a limited space. Resulting in a limited number of robots in the system. Therefore, a cooperative scheduling approach of large-scale mobile robots is studied, demonstrating better system efficiency, breaking the limit on the number of robots, and accommodating more robots operation in the same layout at the same time without conflict. Several experiments on different scales prove the effectiveness of the cooperative scheduling approach of large-scale mobile robots. Furthermore, when large-scale mobile robots are able to operate across fire zoning , in addition to conflict issues, scheduling resource consumption increases progressively. For the larger cross-region cooperative robot scheduling problem, a cooperative scheduling approach is used for conflict-free, and a lightweight improved A * algorithm is proposed, which reduces the resource consumption while ensuring the scheduling efficiency.

Biography:

Zhao Ning is currently professor of University of Science and Technology Beijing. Professor Zhao is also executive editor of journal of material handling. His research interests includes coordination of multi-AGVs and digital twin technique. He has won first prize in 2023, second prize in 2022 of Chinese Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and Huawei supply chain collaborative innovation award in 2023.

Prof. Wenfeng Ding

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China

Title: Mechanism and key technology of superhigh speed grinding of aerospace difficult-to-cut alloys

Abstract:

Superhigh speed grinding is an important processing method for aerospace difficult-to-cut alloy materials. In this report, the grinding characteristics of difficult-to-cut alloys were first analyzed, and corresponding countermeasures were proposed. The material removal mechanism of the superhigh speed grinding process was elucidated, and high-performance brazed grinding wheels and self sharpening grinding wheels, etc. were developed. Finally, the surface integrity of the grinding process was analyzed, and typical machining applications were described.

Biography:

Ding Wenfeng, Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, and Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, mainly engages in research on high efficiency and precision machining technology for aerospace difficult-to-cut materials. Hosted over 20 projects, including National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key R&D Program, etc.. 47 authorized invention patents; Published 168 journal articles, including 150 SCI indexed papers, 18 highly cited ESI papers, and 7 ESI hot topic papers. Published two English books. Received 4 provincial and ministerial level scientific and technological awards, 2 first prizes for provincial teaching achievements, and 1 second prize for national teaching achievements. As a mentor, He has obtained a total of 11 excellent doctoral/master's theses from the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Province. Continuously. He has been selected as a highly cited scholar by Elsevier in China, and a young academic leader in the "QingLan Project" of Jiangsu universities. Served as the editor in chief/editorial board member for 4 SCI/EI indexed journals both domestically and internationally.

Prof. Qiuhua Tang

Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China

Title: A Knowledge-assisted Variable Neighborhood Search for Two-sided Assembly Line Balancing considering Preventive Maintenance Scenarios

Abstract:

In a two-sided assembly line system, the preventive maintenance (PM) activity may result in a stoppage of the whole line and capacity waste in most stations. To promote production continuity, multiple interchangeable task assignment schemes are required, each targeting one of the regular and PM scenarios. Yet previous studies have not solved the resulting two-sided assembly line balancing problem considering PM scenarios (TALBP-PM), and the domain knowledge deserves extraction. Hence, a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model is formulated to minimize cycle times and total task adjustment simultaneously, and a knowledge-assisted variable neighborhood search (KVNS) is customized. Concretely, a decoding mechanism that leverages idle time reduction is refined to obtain schemes with the shortest cycle times. A rule-based initialization relying on externalization of implicit relations among unique attributes is designed to derive a high-quality initial solution. Supported by critical station and task knowledge, objective-oriented neighborhood structures are designed to generate neighbor solutions with increasingly better indicators. Besides, based on multi-domain knowledge, a restart operator is proposed to escape from the local optimum adaptively. Experimental results demonstrate that assistance of knowledge is effective, and KVNS is superior to other compared state-of-the-art meta-heuristics in achieving well-converged and -distributed Pareto fronts of TALBP-PM.

Biography:

National second-class professor, Xiangtao Scholar Distinguished Professor, supervisor of PhD students, director of production system engineering institute, professor in school of mechanical automation, Wuhan University of Science and Technology. 

She graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University in 1992, and received her master's degree in engineering from Wuhan University of Science and Technology in 2000, and doctor's degree from Wuhan University of Technology in 2005. In 2008, she visited the Laboratory of Complex Systems, Princeton University, USA. 

She has undertaken four general projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China and doctoral programs of higher education, and participated in many national or provincial projects. She has published more than 100 papers in journals with international reputation such as IEEE Transaction on Cybernetics, Journal of manufacturing systems, and Journal of Mechanical Engineering, in which over 60 have been indexed by SCI. She has published 3 books and 6 national invention patents. 

Now she is a member of ASME, member of Computer Integrated Manufacturing System, member of Hubei Operations Research Society, member of Hubei Industrial Engineering Society, and a review expert of EJOR and other authoritative journals. She was honored as "top ten women in Wuhan University of science and technology”, best paper awarded by Wuhan science and technology commission, outstanding papers awarded by mechanical engineering society. Particularly, the national project she undertook was evaluated as the excellence performance by the mechanical engineering disciplines of national natural science foundation.

Prof. Changyun Wei

Hohai University, China

Title: TBD

Abstract: 

TBD

Biography:

TBD

Karl Kruusamäe

University of Tartu

Title: Empowering Industry 5.0: Human-Centric Robotics through Advanced Motion Planning and Augmented Reality

Abstract:

Industry 5.0 envisions a future where manufacturing automation not only enhances productivity but also prioritizes human well-being and capabilities. Achieving this vision requires significant technological advancements, particularly in the development of intuitive robots that can seamlessly interact with humans. In this talk, we will explore how advanced motion planning and augmented reality (AR) technologies can facilitate human-centric production. Additionally, we will discuss how open-source development plays a crucial role in making these cutting-edge technologies accessible to industries and the future workforce.

Biography:

Karl Kruusamäe is currently employed at the Intelligent Materials and Systems Laboratory, in Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Estonia. He is now a principal researcher in the robotics group at IMS lab. He is an Associate Professor of Robotics Engineering and a doctoral supervisor. He received the M.S. degree in information technology and the Ph.D. degree in physics from the University of Tartu, Estonia, in 2008 and 2012, respectively. From 2013 to 2015 he was a research fellow at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan, conducting research about soft robotics actuators. From 2015 to 2016, he was a BAFF Research Scholar Research Fellow at the University of Texas in USA, working on applied human-robot interaction. His research interests include human-robot interaction, shared autonomy, and open-source hardware.