Dr Ze Ji
Senior lecturer
Teaching and research
- jiz1@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 0017
- Room C/1.07, Queen's Buildings - South Building, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am a senior lecturer of Robotics and Autonomous Systems at the School of Engineering, Cardiff University. I am also the co-leader of the Cross-Cutting research theme of AI and Robotics, and co-investigator/theme leader of the IROHMS (Research Centre for AI, Robotics and Human Machine Systems) funded by ERDF through WEFO.
I am managing the Robotics and Autonomous Systems laboratory, which provides cutting-edge robotic facilities, including two Kuka Lbr iiwa robots, three Kuka youbots, some turtlebots, some drones, advanced vision systems (3D cameras, etc), and sensors. We have also built two USVs (unmanned surface vehicles) with student projects in the past years.
I have held multiple positions as a robotics and autonomous systems researcher and engineer in both academia and industry (Dyson, Lenovo, and Autonomous Surface Vehicles). My PhD was sponsored as part of the EU FP6 project, TAI- CHI (Tangible Acoustic Interfaces for Computer Human Interaction), which won the best exhibit prize of EU FP6 exhibition in Helsinki, Finland, in 2006.
I have broad experience in robotics, including indoor mobile robots, industrial robot manipulators, humanoid robots, and outdoor unmanned autonomous surface vehicles. My research is primarily focused on Robot Perception And Learning (RoPAL), covering a broad range of subjects, including simulataneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), robot vision, robot reinforcement learning, tactile sensing, deep learning, smart sensing, and their applications on autonomous robot navigation, manipulation and, more broadly, smart manufacturing.
At Dyson, as a robotics systems engineer, I have filed and published patents in the area of mobile robotics. The main project there was the Dyson 360 robot, which utilises a 360 camera for indoor localisation and mapping (Visual SLAM). I worked at Lenovo on service robotics, as a Robotic Systems Architect and Technical Leader of a team of 10 researchers and engineers with background of machine learning, computer vision, slam, cloud, and IoT. At ASV (Autonomous Surface Vehicles), I have successfully, as a core research member, delivered several projects funded by innovate UK, DSTL, and NOC/SBRI. Before these, I had been working as a research fellow in academia for a number of EU FP6 & FP7 projects, such as TAI-CHI, IWARD (Intelligent Robot Swarm for Attendance, Recognition, Cleaning, and Delivery), ROBOSKIN (Skin-based technologies and capabilities for safe, autonomous and interactive robots), and SRS (Multi-Role Shadow Robotic System for Independent Living).
Robotics and Autonomous Systems Laboratory
- One Care-o-bot 4 (advanced service robot)
- Two Kuka lbr iiwa collaborative robots
- Three Kuka youbot (mobile robots)
- Several small turtlebots
- And various advanced sensors used for robot navigation and multi-modal human-robot interaction
Here is the group Github account for projects carried out with our RoPAL team.
Biography
Education
- 2007: PhD (Systems Engineering) Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- 2003: MSc (Computer Science) University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- 2001: BEng (Electronic Engineering), Jilin University, China
Honours and awards
- Won the best Exhibit for the EU FP6 project TAI-CHI "Tangible Acoustic Interface for Human Computer Interaction" in EC IST Exhibition, Helsinki, Finland, 2006
- Best paper award, TAROS, Bristol, 2018
- Second Prize in the International Marine Vehicle Design and Construction Invitational Contest 2019, Harbin, China
Professional memberships
- Member of IEEE
- Member of the British Machine Vision Association (BMVA)
- Fellow of The Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Member of The Society of Research Software Engineering
Academic positions
- 2020 - present: Senior Lecturer of robotics and autonomous systems, Cardiff University
- 2016 - 2020: Lecturer of robotics and autonomous systems, Cardiff University
- 2014 - 2016: Unmanned Systems Engineer (R&D), ASV ltd
- 2013 - 2014: Robotics Systems Engineer (R&D), Dyson Ltd
- 2009 - 2011: Research Fellow, Adaptive System Research Group, University of Hertfordshire
- 2007 - 2013: Research Fellow, Cardiff University
Speaking engagements
- Invited keynote talk at the IEEE ISRIMT (The 3rd international symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Technology) 2021 conference organised by Hohai University, China.
- Invited talk at University of Essex 16 December 2020
- Organised and chaired the Invited Special Session of “AI, Robotics and HMS (IROHMS) for Smart Manufacturing” at the KES 2020 conference 17 Sep 2020
- Interviewed by BBC Radio Wales - Science Cafe (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000l14c). 21 July 2020
- Invited Speaker at CoInnovate, Cardiff (http://coinnovate.co.uk/speakers/), 24 Jan 2018
- Invited talk at Jilin University, ChangChun, China, May 2017
- Research Colloquium, University of Hertfordshire, Giving Objects the Sense of Touch: A novel tangible interface based on acoustic localization techniques, 28 Oct 2009
Committees and reviewing
- Associate Editor of Robotics and Autonomous Systems section of the “Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C (JMES)” (since 2021)
- Technical Program Committee of the IEEE ISRIMT 2021 (The 3rd international symposium on Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Technology) conference organised by Hohai University, China.
- Regional chair and session chair of IEEE ICCSE 2021
- Associate Editor of IEEE Access (since 2020)
- International Programme Committee of KES 2021 conference
- Reviewer of several international journals, including
- IEEE Sensors Journal,
- IEEE Transactions on Robotics
- IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering
- IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems
- IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RAL)
- Journal of Field Robotics
- Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing
- Measurement Science and Technology,
- and reviewers for several major conferences, including ICRA, IROS, CASE etc
Publications
2022
- Meng, J.et al. 2022. Anisotropic GPMP2: a fast continuous-time Gaussian processes based motion planner for unmanned surface vehicles in environments with ocean currents. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (10.1109/TASE.2021.3139163)
- Wei, C.et al. 2022. Learning manipulation skills with demonstrations for the swing process control of dredgers. Ocean Engineering
- Lambay, A.et al. 2022. Effects of demographic factors for fatigue detection in manufacturing. Presented at: 14th IFAC Workshop on Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS 2022), Tel-Aviv, Israel, 28-30 March 2022.
2021
- Liu, G.et al. 2021. Online human action recognition with spatial and temporal skeleton features using a distributed camera network. International Journal of Intelligent Systems 36(12), pp. 7389-7411. (10.1002/int.22591)
- Ji, Z. and Amer, A. 2021. Human locomotion activity recognition using spectral analysis and convolutional neural networks. International Journal of Manufacturing Research 16, article number: 4. (10.1504/IJMR.2021.10039081)
- Chen, H.et al. 2021. Safe distance prediction for braking control of bridge cranes considering anti-swing. International Journal of Intelligent Systems (10.1002/int.22743)
- Wen, J.et al. 2021. Dynamic analysis and structure optimization on trapezoidal wave generator for eliminating the over deviation of the residual wave in shock test measurement. Measurement 182, article number: 109665. (10.1016/j.measurement.2021.109665)
- Wen, J.et al. 2021. Self-validating high-g accelerometers through data-driven methods. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 328, article number: 112803. (10.1016/j.sna.2021.112803)
- Jia, W.et al. 2021. RS-Net: robust segmentation of green overlapped apples. Precision Agriculture (10.1007/s11119-021-09846-3)
- Tian, Y.et al. 2021. Model implementation and analysis of a true three-dimensional display system. Computer Systems Science and Engineering 39(3), pp. 403-414. (10.32604/csse.2021.016357)
- Lambay, A.et al. 2021. A data-driven fatigue prediction using recurrent neural networks. Presented at: 3rd International Congress on Human-Computer Interaction, Optimization and Robotic Applications (HORA2021), Ankara, Turkey, 11-13 June 20212021 3rd International Congress on Human-Computer Interaction, Optimization and Robotic Applications (HORA). IEEE pp. 1-6., (10.1109/HORA52670.2021.9461377)
- Le Roux, L.et al. 2021. Automatised quality assessment in additive layer manufacturing using layer-by-layer surface measurements and deep learning. Presented at: 14th CIRP Conference on Intelligent Computation in Manufacturing Engineering 2020, Naples, Italy, 15-17 July 2020, Vol. 99. Elsevier pp. 342-347., (10.1016/j.procir.2021.03.050)
- Wei, C., Wei, Y. and Ji, Z. 2021. Model predictive control for slurry pipeline transportation of a cutter suction dredger. Ocean Engineering 227, article number: 108893. (10.1016/j.oceaneng.2021.108893)
- Stergianelis, D.et al. 2021. A simulation study of simple local path planning and control for unmanned surface vehicles. Presented at: Global OCEANS 2020: Singapore-U.S. Gulf Coast, Virtual, 5-14 October 2020Global Oceans 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast. IEEE pp. 1-10., (10.1109/IEEECONF38699.2020.9389484)
- Niu, H.et al. 2021. Model checking for decision making system of long endurance unmanned surface vehicle. Presented at: 2021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII), Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, 11-14 January 20212021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII). IEEE pp. 256-262., (10.1109/IEEECONF49454.2021.9382677)
- Niu, H.et al. 2021. Design, integration and sea trials of 3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned surface vehicle for cooperative missions. Presented at: 2021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII2021), Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, 11-14 January 20212021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII). IEEE pp. 590-591., (10.1109/IEEECONF49454.2021.9382687)
- Niu, H.et al. 2021. 3D vision-guided pick-and-place using kuka LBR iiwa robot. Presented at: 2021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII2021), Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, 11-14 January 20212021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII). IEEE pp. 592-593., (10.1109/IEEECONF49454.2021.9382674)
- Yang, X.et al. 2021. Hierarchical reinforcement learning with universal policies for multi-step robotic manipulation. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems (10.1109/TNNLS.2021.3059912)
- Feng, X.et al. 2021. Output feedback NCS of DoS attacks triggered by double-ended events. Security and Communication Networks 2021, article number: 6643034. (10.1155/2021/6643034)
- Yao, Z.et al. 2021. Deep learning-based prediction of piled-up status and payload distribution of bulk material. Automation in Construction 121, article number: 103424. (10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103424)
- Wen, J.et al. 2021. On fault diagnosis for high-g accelerometers via data-driven models. IEEE Sensors Journal 21(2), pp. 1359-1368. (10.1109/JSEN.2020.3019632)
- Niu, H.et al. 2021. Accelerated sim-to-real deep reinforcement learning: learning collision avoidance from human player. Presented at: 2021 IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration (SII2021), Iwaki, Fukushima, Japan, 11-14 January 2021.
- Yao, L.et al. 2021. ShorelineNet: an efficient deep learning approach for shoreline semantic segmentation for unmanned surface vehicles. Presented at: 2021 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Prague, Czech Republic, 27 September - 01 October 2021.
- Lin, F.et al. 2021. Reinforcement learning-based mapless navigation with fail-safe localisation. Presented at: 21st Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems Conference (TAROS 2021), Virtual, 8-10 September 2021.
- Djoudi, S.et al. 2021. Designing a multi-locomotion modular snake robot. Presented at: 21st Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems Conference (TAROS 2021), Virtual, 8-10 September 2021.
- Yang, X.et al. 2021. An open-source multi-goal reinforcement learning environment for robotic manipulation with Pybullet. Presented at: 21st Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems Conference (TAROS 2021), Virtual, 8-10 September 2021.
- You, Y.et al. 2021. Advances of digital twins for predictive maintenance. Presented at: 3rd International Conference on Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing (ISM 2021), Linz, Austria, 17-19 November 2021.
2020
- Ji, Z. and Han, Q. 2020. A novel image feature descriptor for SLM spattering pattern classification using a consumable camera. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology 110(11-12), pp. 2955-2976. (10.1007/s00170-020-05995-3)
- Sukor, A. S. A., Setchi, R. and Ji, Z. 2020. Abnormality detection approach in smart homes using case-based reasoning. Presented at: IEEE International Conference on Automatic Control and Intelligent Systems (I2CACIS), Virtual (Shah Alam, Malaysia), 20 June 2020IEEE International Conference on Automatic Control and Intelligent Systems (I2CACIS 2020). IEEE pp. 176-181., (10.1109/I2CACIS49202.2020.9140077)
- Wei, C., Ji, Z. and Cai, B. 2020. Particle swarm optimization for cooperative multi-robot task allocation: a multi-objective approach. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 5(2), pp. 2530-2537. (10.1109/LRA.2020.2972894)
- Wen, J.et al. 2020. A deep learning approach to recover high-g shock signals from the faulty accelerometer. IEEE Sensors Journal 20(4), pp. 1761-1769. (10.1109/JSEN.2019.2949241)
- He, L.et al. 2020. Efficient multi-view multi-target tracking using a distributed camera network. IEEE Sensors Journal 20(4), pp. 2056-2063. (10.1109/JSEN.2019.2949385)
- Liu, H.et al. 2020. Visual SLAM based on dynamic object removal. Presented at: IEEE Robio 2019, 6-8 December 20192019 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). IEEE pp. 596-601., (10.1109/ROBIO49542.2019.8961397)
- Liu, G.et al. 2020. Distributed human 3D pose estimation and action recognition.. Presented at: ROBIO 2019- International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics, Dali, Yunnan, China, 6-8 December 20192019 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). IEEE pp. 2316-2321., (10.1109/ROBIO49542.2019.8961741)
- Luo, Y.et al. 2020. Simultaneous monocular visual odometry and depth reconstruction with scale recovery. Presented at: IEEE Robio 2019, 6-8 December 20192019 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). IEEE pp. 682-687., (10.1109/ROBIO49542.2019.8961701)
- Niu, H.et al. 2020. Energy efficient path planning for unmanned surface vehicle in spatially-temporally variant environment. Ocean Engineering 196, article number: 106766. (10.1016/j.oceaneng.2019.106766)
- Liu, G.et al. 2020. Online collision avoidance for human-robot collaborative interaction concerning safety and efficiency. Presented at: 2020 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM 2020), Online, 6-10 July 2020IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM). IEEE pp. 1167-1672., (10.1109/AIM43001.2020.9158647)
2019
- Chen, J.et al. 2019. An auto-correction teleoperation method for a mobile manipulator using gaze tracking and hand motion detection. Presented at: 20th Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems Conference (TAROS), London, UK, 3-5 July 2019TAROS 2019: Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems, Vol. 11650. Springer pp. 422-433., (10.1007/978-3-030-25332-5_36)
- Niu, H.et al. 2019. Voronoi-visibility roadmap-based path planning algorithm for unmanned surface vehicles. Journal of Navigation 72(4), pp. 850-874. (10.1017/S0373463318001005)
- Yao, H.et al. 2019. Low-cost measurement of industrial shock signals via deep learning calibration. Presented at: International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, Brighton, UK, 12-17 May 2019ICASSP IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing. IEEE pp. 2892-2896., (10.1109/ICASSP.2019.8682484)
- Ai, Q.et al. 2019. Feature extraction of four-class motor imagery EEG signals based on functional brain network. Journal of Neural Engineering 16(2), article number: 26032. (10.1088/1741-2552/ab0328)
2018
- Wu, J. and Ji, Z. 2018. Seeing the unseen: Locating objects from reflections. Presented at: 19th Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems (TAROS) Conference, Bristol, UK, 25- 27 July 2018.
- Ji, Z., Schruoffeneger, R. and Setchi, R. 2018. Autonomous 3D scene understanding and exploration in cluttered workspaces using point cloud data. Presented at: 2018 IEEE 15th International Conference on Networking, Sensing and Control (ICNSC), Zhuhai, China, 27-29 March 20182018 IEEE 15th International Conference on Networking, Sensing and Control (ICNSC). IEEE, (10.1109/ICNSC.2018.8361275)
2017
- Ji, Z. and Huang, Y. 2017. Autonomous boat dynamics: How far away is simulation from the high sea?. Presented at: OCEANS 2017, Aberdeen, 19 - 22 June 2017OCEANS 2017 - Aberdeen. IEEE, (10.1109/OCEANSE.2017.8084927)
2016
- Haworth, C.et al. 2016. An open software framework for adaptive, autonomous operation of maritime autonomous systems. Presented at: OCEANS 2016 MTS/IEEE Monterey, Monterey, CA, 19-23 September 2016OCEANS 2016 MTS/IEEE Monterey. IEEE, (10.1109/OCEANS.2016.7761329)
- Haworth, C.et al. 2016. UMS mission management for mixed fleets. Presented at: OCEANS'15 MTS/IEEE, Washington DC, 19-22 Oct 2015OCEANS 2015 - MTS/IEEE Washington. IEEE, (10.23919/OCEANS.2015.7404638)
2015
- Al-Moadhen, A.et al. 2015. Improving the efficiency of robot task planning by automatically integrating its planner and common-sense knowledge base. In: Tweedale, J. W., Jain, L. C. and Watada, J. eds. Knowledge-Based Information Systems in Practice., Vol. 30. Springer, pp. 185-198., (10.1007/978-3-319-13545-8_11)
2013
- Wang, Z.et al. 2013. Nanoscale structures for implementation of anti-reflection and self-cleaning functions. International Journal of Nanomanufacturing 9(5/6), pp. 520-531. (10.1504/IJNM.2013.057596)
- Al-Moadhen, A.et al. 2013. Integrating robot task planner with common-sense knowledge base to improve the efficiency of planning. Procedia Computer Science 22, pp. 211-220. (10.1016/j.procs.2013.09.097)
- Sato, Y., Ji, Z. and van Dijk, S. 2013. I think I have heard that one before : recurrence-based word learning with a robot. In: Gogate, L. and Hollich, G. eds. Theoretical and Computational Models of Word Learning: Trends in Psychology and Artificial Intelligence. IGI Global, pp. 327-349., (10.4018/978-1-4666-2973-8.ch014)
- Qiu, R.et al. 2013. The development of a semi-autonomous framework for personal assistant robots - SRS project. International Journal of Intelligent Mechatronics and Robotics 3(4), pp. 30-47. (10.4018/ijimr.2013100102)
2012
- Ji, Z.et al. 2012. Towards automated task planning for service robots using semantic knowledge representation. Presented at: 2012 10th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics (INDIN), Beijing, China, 25-27 July 2012INDIN2012: IEEE 10th International Conference on Industrial Informatics. Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE pp. 1194-1201., (10.1109/INDIN.2012.6301131)
- Qiu, R.et al. 2012. Integration of symbolic task planning into operations within an unstructured environment. International Journal of Intelligent Mechatronics and Robotics 2(3), pp. 38-57. (10.4018/ijimr.2012070104)
- Qiu, R.et al. 2012. Towards robust personal assistant robots: Experience gained in the SRS project. Presented at: 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Vilamoura, Portugal, 7-12 October 2012Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on. IEEE pp. 1651-1657., (10.1109/IROS.2012.6385727)
- Soroka, A. J.et al. 2012. Challenges for service robots operating in non-industrial environments. Presented at: 2012 10th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics (INDIN, Beijing, China, 25-27 July 2012Industrial Informatics (INDIN), 2012 10th IEEE International Conference on. IEEE pp. 1152-1157., (10.1109/INDIN.2012.6301139)
- Zhang, J.et al. 2012. Configurations of laser interference lithography for 2D/3D nanostructures of optical functional materials. Presented at: 2012 International Conference on Manipulation, Manufacturing and Measurement on the Nanoscale (3M-NANO), Shaanxi, China, 29 August - 1st September 20122012 International Conference on Manipulation, Manufacturing and Measurement on the Nanoscale (3M-NANO). pp. 169., (10.1109/3M-NANO.2012.6472999)
2011
- Amirabdollahian, F.et al. 2011. Investigating tactile event recognition in child-robot interaction for use in autism therapy. Presented at: 33rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Boston, MA, USA, 30 August - 3 September 20112011 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE pp. 5347-5351., (10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6091323)
- Qiu, R.et al. 2011. Symbolic task planning for robot operations under unstructured environment. Presented at: 1st International Conference on Manipulation, Manufacturing and Measurement on the Nanoscale (3M-NANO), Changechun, China, 29th - 31st August 2011.
- Xu, S.et al. 2011. Binary Bees Algorithm - bioinspiration from the foraging mechanism of honeybees to optimize a multiobjective multidimensional assignment problem. Engineering Optimization 43(11), pp. 1141-1159. (10.1080/0305215X.2010.542812)
- Xu, S.et al. 2011. Adaptive Bees Algorithm - Bioinspiration from Honeybee Foraging to Optimize Fuel Economy of a Semi-Track Air-Cushion Vehicle. The Computer Journal 54(9), pp. 1416-1426. (10.1093/comjnl/bxq097)
- Wang, Z.et al. 2011. Robotic nanoassembly: current developments and challenges. International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology 41(3/4), pp. 185-194. (10.1504/IJCAT.2011.042694)
- Ji, Z.et al. 2011. Histogram based classification of tactile patterns on periodically distributed skin sensors for a humanoid robot. Presented at: RO-MAN, Atlanta GA, USA, 31 Jul -3 Aug 2011. pp. 433., (10.1109/ROMAN.2011.6005261)
- Amirabdollahian, F.et al. 2011. Investigating tactile event recognition in child-robot interaction for use in autism therapy. Presented at: 2011 Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Boston, MA, USA, 30 August - 3 September 2011. pp. 5347., (10.1109/IEMBS.2011.6091323)
2010
- Xu, S.et al. 2010. Simultaneous localization and mapping: swarm robot mutual localization and sonar arc bidirectional carving mapping. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science 225(3), pp. 733-744. (10.1243/09544062JMES2239)
- Xu, S.et al. 2010. Bio-inspired binary bees algorithm for a two-level distribution optimisation problem. Journal of Bionic Engineering 7(2), pp. 161-167. (10.1016/S1672-6529(09)60205-5)
- Robinson, B.et al. 2010. Tactile interaction with a humanoid robot for children with autism: A case study analysis involving user requirements and results of an initial implementation. Presented at: 19th International Symposium in Robot and Human Interactive Communication, Viareggio, 13-15 September 201019th International Symposium in Robot and Human Interactive Communication. pp. 704., (10.1109/ROMAN.2010.5598641)
2009
- Yang, M.et al. 2009. A new computer interface based on in-solid acoustic source localization. Presented at: 7th IEEE International Conference on Industrial Informatics, Cardiff, UK, 23-26 Jun 2009. , (10.1109/INDIN.2009.5195791)
- Meunier, M.et al. 2009. Interference lithography processes with high-power laser pulses. Presented at: SPIE LASE: Lasers and Applications in Science and Engineering, San Jose, California, 2009 Presented at Meunier, M. et al. eds.Laser Applications in Microelectronic and Optoelectronic Manufacturing VII, Vol. 7201. International Society for Optical Engineering; 1999 pp. 72010R., (10.1117/12.808834)
- Pham, D. T., Ji, Z. and Soroka, A. J. 2009. Ultrasonic distance scanning techniques for mobile robots. International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology 1(2), pp. 209-224. (10.1504/IJCAET.2009.022787)
- Ji, Z.et al. 2009. Quality inspection of nanoscale patterns produced by Laser Interference Lithography using image analysis techniques. Presented at: 2009 International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation, Changchun, China, 9-12 August 20092009 International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation. IEEE pp. 1835-1840., (10.1109/ICMA.2009.5246458)
2007
- Pham, D.et al. 2007. Localisation of impacts on solid objects using the wavelet transform and maximum likelihood estimation. Presented at: 2nd I*PROMS Virtual International Conference, Internet, 3-14 July 2006 Presented at Pham, D. ed.Intelligent Production Machines and Systems - 2nd I*PROMS Virtual International Conference. Elsevier pp. 541-547., (10.1016/B978-008045157-2/50095-X)
- Ji, Z. 2007. Development of tangible acoustic interfaces for human computer interaction. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Pham, D.et al. 2007. Pattern matching for tangible acoustic interfaces. In: Intelligent Production Machines and Systems. , pp. 556., (10.1016/B978-008045157-2/50097-3)
Teaching
2019-2022
- EN3062 Robotics and Image Processing (Module leader)
- EN4062 Advanced Robotics (Module leader)
- EN4110 Mechatronics Design
2018-2019
- EN4110 Mechatronics Design
- EN3062 Robotics and Image Processing
- EN4062 Advanced Robotics
- ENT604 Measurement Systems (Module Leader)
2017-2018
- EN4100 Mechatronics Design
- EN4062 Advanced Robotics
- ENT604 Measurement Systems (Module Leader)
2016-2017
- EN4100 Mechatronics Design
- ENT604 Measurement Systems
- Others, including Design and Lab
We envisage an enhanced robot cognitive capability through deploying advanced multi-modal perceptual capabilities from sensors of vision, tactile, lidar, etc, and continuous self-learning to understand the environment in 3D, predict situations via machine/deep learning, and support humans for real-world problems. We aim to endow a higher level of autonomy to robots and unmanned systems, providing capabilities of advanced situation awareness, multi-modal sensing, robot active learning, localisation and mapping, optimal path planning, and multiple robot collaboration.
My group’s research interests can be loosely divided into the following areas:
- Deep Reinforcement Learning for robot navigation and manipulation
- State Estimation, e.g. Visual SLAM and Visual Odometry
- Sensor-guided autonomous robot navigation and manipulation
- Multi-modal robot sensing, such as robot vision, tactile sensing, etc.
- Computer Vision and Data-driven learning-based methods for smart manufacturing, including in-situ monitoring, surface 3D metrology, robotic assembly and so on
Contracts
|
Investigators |
Sponsor |
Value |
Title |
Duration |
|
Ze Ji |
Industry (Spirent) - Full-time PhD studentship |
£32,000 |
Reinforcement Learning for autonomous navigation with GNSS-based localisation |
2021 - 2024 |
|
Haijiang Li, Ze Ji (Co-I, Knowledge Supervisor), Abhishek Kundu |
Innovate UK/KTP |
£280,000 |
BIM and Digital Twins in support of Smart Bridge Structural Surveying |
Sep 2021-Sep 2024 |
|
Ze Ji |
Royal Society |
£17,812 |
Active Robot Learning for Subtractive, Formative, and Additive Manipulations of Granular and Viscous Materials |
09 Mar 2020 - 08 Mar 2021 |
|
Setchi, R., Ji, Z., (ENGIN) Jones, D., Morgan, P., (PSYCH) Allen, S., Eslambolchilar, P. (COMSC) |
ERDF/WEFO |
£1,800,000 |
Research Centre in AI, Robotics and Human-Machine Systems (IROHMS) |
1 Apr 19 – 1 Sept 23 |
|
Bigot, S., Ji, Z., Packianather, M., Kerfriden, P. |
EU H2020 |
€ 476,000 |
Additive Manufacturing using Metal Pilot Line (MANUELA) |
Oct 2018 - Sep 2022 |
|
Setchi, R., Ji, Z., Evans, S. |
Endevr/Airbus |
£61,000 |
Deep Learning Enabled Wing Box Inspection (DEWI) |
1 Jul 19 – 30 Sep 19 |
|
Ji Z (PI), Setchi R, Bigot S |
Renishaw and Cardiff University Strategic Fund |
£39,986 |
3D characterisation of ALM processes |
01 Apr 2019 - 31 Mar 2020 |
|
Ji Z (PI), Wu J, Setchi R. |
Renishaw and Cardiff University Strategic Fund |
£40,000 cash funding from the strategic partnership fund (total project value: £101,332) |
Pushing the boundary of vision-based 3D surface imaging |
01 Apr 2018 - 31 Mar 2019 |
|
Setchi R., Ji Z. |
WEFO through ASTUTE and Industry |
£884,673 including £652,661 from Continental and £232,012 from WEFO |
Additive Manufacturing and Robotics to Support Improved Response to Increased Flexibility |
02 Feb 2018 – 01 Feb 19 |
Research Areas
Robot Reinforcement Learning:
Reinforcement Learning is a new emerging area that paves a new direction to allow robots to learn new skills for situations when hand-coding is not suitable.
The current work aims to research and develop a self-learning system for a robot to manipulate objects in cluttered workspace for tasks that require multiple steps.
Watch a video of the research on YouTube
The following video shows the work of using Reinforcement Learning to train a robot to navigate and avoid collision.
Watch the video of the research on YouTube
Mobile Robots:
One of my most valuable experience in this area is the work on the Dyson 360 Robot project. My interests include Robot Autonomous Navigation, Visual SLAM, Visual Servoing, and Vision Odometry
Watch a video of the research on YouTube
Another project is the EU FP7 project, SRS, which focused on the development and prototyping of remotely-controlled, semi-autonomous robotic solutions in domestic environments to support elderly people.
Autonomous Vehicles:
As part of my teaching activities (Mechatronics module), I led a few team of students in the past years to build USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) and UAVs.
Watch a video of the research on YouTube
Related research includes robot behaviours, such as computer vision and sensor fusion for collision avoidance, vehicle collaboration, situation awareness and action planning.
Sensing (Acoustic Localisation for Human Computer Interaction):
This is my very early research for my PhD project, which is part of a EU FP6 project, "Tangible Acoustic Interfaces for Computer Human Interaction".
Tactile Sensing and Human Robot Interaction:
This is also my early research working as a research fellow for the EU FP7 project, RoboSkin, developing machine learning algorithms for recognising the types of human touch using large scale tactile sensors.
Supervision
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:
- Robot Learning (Deep Reinforcement Learning)
- State Estimation for autonomous navigation, e.g. SLAM, VO
- Robotic Perception / Sensing / Visual Servoing for grasping and manipulation
- Computer Vision / 3D Imaging
- Tactile Sensing
Current Supervision
Current PhD students at Cardiff University:
- Xintong Yang (2019 - ): Deep Reinforcement Learning for task-oriented object manipulation
- Feiqiang Lin (2019 - ): Deep Reinforcement Learning for fail-safe localisation navigation
- Prasad Rayamane (2019 - ): Optical Tactile Sensing for manipulation
- Yan Gao (2020 - ): Deep Reinforcement Learning-based autonomous exploration with hierarchical spatial representation
- Fraser McGhan (2021 - ): Deep Reinforcement Learning for robust autonomous navigation with GNSS-based localisation
- Mr Nitin Shinde (2021 - ): Shared Perception for Human-Robot Collaboration
- Yixin Chen (2021 - , MPhil): Visual SLAM for autonomous navigation
- (Co-Supervisor) Peter Herbert (2020 - ): Visual SLAM
- (Co-Supervisor) Jingwen Sun (2020 - ): Relational-learning for object-level scene representation and navigation
Current MSc/PhD students in collaboration with National University of Colombia:
- Mr Juan S. Hernandez Reyes (MSc student): Reinforcement Learning for Robot Navigation
Current MSc students in collaboration with the University of Antwerp:
- Ms Daniëlle Jongstra: Learning-based Robot Social Navigation
- Mr Wei Wei: Grasping Regions through Learning and Computer Vision Techniques
- Mr Kristof Egghe: Robot Manipulation in Clutter with Deep Reinforcement Learning
