Experience
Education
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 2020
- Visiting Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA, 2018
- M.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering, China Agricultural University, China, 2017
- B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, China, 2015
Work Experience
- Sept 2023 – Present: Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
- Apr 2021 – Aug 2023: Research Assistant Professor, AAE, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
- Jan 2021 – Apr 2021: Senior Research Fellow, AAE, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
- 2016 – 2017: Research Algorithm Engineer, Idriverplus (Autonomous Driving Startup), Beijing, China
- 2014 – 2015: Research Assistant, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Administrative Roles
- Director, Trustworthy AI and Autonomous Systems Laboratory (TAS Lab) (2023 – Present)
- Director, Intelligent Transportation & Unmanned Systems Center, WXRI (2024 – Present)
- Coordinator, AAE Seminar Series (2024 – Present)
Awards and Recognition
Research Recognition
- Faculty of Engineering Research Grant Achievement Award, PolyU (2025)
- Ranked in World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists, Stanford University (2024)
- Ranked in World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists, Stanford University (2023)
- Top Cited Paper Award, NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation (2022)
- TechConnect World Innovation Award, USA (2021)
- Best Presentation Award, ION GNSS+ 2020, USA (2020)
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Second Prize & Most Welcomed Award, Shanghai Section, PolyU International Future Challenge (2025)
- First Prize, Hong Kong Section, Qianhai-Guangdong-Macao Youth Innovation Competition (2020)
- Excellent Project Award, Songshan Lake Innovation Competition, Guangdong (2018)
Academic Excellence
- National Scholarship for Graduate Students, China (2016)
- Excellent Graduate of Beijing, China (2015)
- China Telecom Scholarship — One per University (2014)
Teaching Experience
Subjects Taught
| Subject | Title | Semester | eSFQ |
|---|
| AAE4011 | Artificial Intelligence in Unmanned Autonomous Systems | S2 2024/25 | 4.5/5.0 |
| AAE4203 | Guidance and Navigation | S1 2024/25 | 4.1/5.0 |
| AAE4203 | Guidance and Navigation | S2 2023/24 | 4.0/5.0 |
| AAE4203 | Guidance and Navigation | S1 2022/23 | 4.7/5.0 |
| AAE4203 | Guidance and Navigation | S2 2021/22 | 4.9/5.0 |
| AAE3004 | Dynamical Systems and Control | S1 2023/24 | 4.3/5.0 |
| AAE4002 | Undergraduate Capstone Project | 2021 – Present | — |
Average overall teaching effectiveness: 4.3/5.0
Teaching Innovations
- Programme Development Leadership: As Associate Programme Leader, drafted MSc in Low-altitude Economy proposal
- GitHub-based Learning Pedagogy: Pioneered GitHub-based collaborative learning with 50+ code examples; adopted by Wuhan University, Beihang University, and UC Berkeley
- Hands-on Project-Based Learning: ROS car projects, drone programming workshops (PX4/ArduPilot), MATLAB/Python demonstrations, deep learning frameworks integration
Research Supervision
Ph.D. Students (Current: 17)
| # | Name | Period | Research Topic |
|---|
| 1 | Zheng Xi | Fall 2022 – Present (Thesis Submitted) | Visual-Inertial-Map Integration for Intelligent Vehicle Localization |
| 2 | Zhong Yihan | Fall 2022 – Present (Thesis Submitted) | GNSS/Inertial Integration via Factor Graph Optimization |
| 3 | Hu Runzhi | Fall 2022 – Present (Thesis Submitted) | High-Definition Vector Map Construction for Intelligent Vehicles |
| 4 | Liu Xikun | Fall 2022 – Present (Thesis Submitted) | Tightly-Coupled GNSS/LiDAR/IMU Integration (GLIO) |
| 5 | Yang Peiwen | Fall 2023 – Present | Joint Positioning and Control for UAVs via Factor Graph Optimization |
| 6 | Zhang Yuanyuan | Fall 2023 – Present | AI-Enhanced Multi-Sensor Fusion for Urban Navigation |
| 7 | Xu Ruijie | Fall 2023 – Present | Nonlinearity-Aware Pedestrian Navigation |
| 8 | Cao Yifeng | Fall 2023 – Present | Multi-Robot Collaborative Systems |
| 9 | Xiao Naigui | Spring 2024 – Present | UAV Dataset Development and Multi-Sensor Integration |
| 10 | Gao Yixin | Fall 2024 – Present | Safety-Certified Navigation Systems |
| 11 | Li Bingxian | Fall 2024 – Present | Bio-Inspired Systems for Humanoid Robots |
| 12 | Zhang Ziqi | Fall 2024 – Present | Intelligent Perception for Autonomous Systems |
| 13 | Qiu Shaoting | Fall 2024 – Present | AI-Based Cooperative Localization for UAV Swarms |
| 14 | Wang Xin | Summer 2025 – Present | Safety-Certified Navigation Systems |
| 15 | Zhong Jiagui | Fall 2025 – Present | AI-Driven Drone Swarm Coordination |
| 16 | Feng Yu | Fall 2025 – Present (PolyU-NKU Joint) | Deep Reinforcement Learning for UAV Navigation |
| 17 | Zhai Xupeng | Spring 2026 (PolyU-NPU Joint) | Vision-Language Models for Drone Perception |
MPhil Students (Current: 7)
| # | Name | Period | Research Topic |
|---|
| 1 | Cheng Yuling | Fall 2024 – Present | Vision-Based Navigation |
| 2 | Chen Yingming | Spring 2025 – Present | Indoor Positioning Systems |
| 3 | Zhang Xinrui | Fall 2025 – Present | Semantic SLAM for Indoor Drones |
| 4 | Zhang Qi | Fall 2025 – Present | Multi-Modal Fusion for Drone Navigation |
| 5 | Qin Qijun | Fall 2025 – Present | URIS Merit Award, Dean’s Honours List |
| 6 | Yang Qian | Fall 2025 – Present | Federated Learning for Distributed Drone Networks |
| 7 | Tang Yiyu | Spring 2026 | Edge AI for UAV Applications |
Postdoctoral Researchers
- Shiyu Bai, Postdoc (2023 – Present) — Indoor navigation, pedestrian positioning
- Jian Liu, Postdoc (2023 – Present) — GNSS multipath detection, LiDAR-aided navigation
- Runqiu Yang, Postdoc (2025 – Present) — Optimal control, convex relaxation
- Yingying Wang, Postdoc (2026 – Present) — AI-assisted navigation
Research Assistants
- Jiahao Hu, RA (2023 – Present) — UAV systems development
MSc Student Supervision
- Liu Xinyang (2023) — Environmental information aided GNSS positioning in urbanized areas
Undergraduate Supervision (FYP)
- Reliable UAV Perception and Perching Solutions in Urban Areas — ZHAO Jiaqi, LI Mingjue To, FU Chenlei (AAE10, 2024/2025)
- Handheld Multi-sensor Fusion Mapping System — QIN Qijun, WANG Yuteng (AAE11, 2024/2025)
- An Adaptive Drilling Process for the Aircraft Skin — LAU Chun Ho, LEUNG Cheuk To, CHAN Hei Lam Joshua (DD01, 2022/2023)
- UAS for Situation Awareness and Risk Assessment — LAM Yat Long, CHEN Yat Nam (AAE39, 2022/2023)
- Person-following Mobile Robotics — MOHAMMAD Tamz (AAE33, 2021/2022)
- Preventing “Foreign Object Damage” Robot — LEE Chi Nok (DD01, 2021/2022)
URIS Projects
- 2023-2024: A High-Definition Map with Traffic Signs Based on LiDAR-Visual-IMU Fusion SLAM Method — QIN, Qijun (Merit Award, Best URIS Research Project 2024)
Alumni
- Jiachen Zhang, Postdoc (2022 – 2023) — Now at industry
Research Grants (Total: HK$28.4M+)
Summary
| Category | Projects | Amount (HKD) |
|---|
| As Principal Investigator (PI) | 30 | 27,917,976 |
| As Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) | 2 | 500,000 |
| Total | 32 | 28,417,976 |
Selected Industry Collaboration (as PI)
- Esri China (HK) Limited — Vision-Language-Action Models for Intelligent UAV Systems (HK$2,000,000, 2025–2031)
- Huawei Technologies — High-accuracy Localization Project (HK$2,150,000, 2024–2025)
- HONOR Device — AI-assisted Inertial Navigation System (HK$1,122,090, 2024–2025)
- Meituan — Vision Aided GNSS-RTK Positioning for UAV System in Urban Canyons (HK$304,245, 2024–2025)
- Tencent — GNSS/IMU/Camera Fusion Positioning in Complex Urban Environments (HK$217,480, 2024–2025)
Selected Government Grants (as PI)
- Hong Kong Smart Traffic Fund — Development of an Assisted Navigation and Collision Avoidance System (HK$7,441,714, 2024–2025)
- Hong Kong ITF — Advanced Smart Mobility Road-Side and Edge System (HK$2,480,000, 2023–2024)
- Hong Kong ITF — Safety-certified Multi-source Fusion Positioning (HK$1,200,000, 2024–2025)
- RTH-ITF — Safety-certified Multi-source Fusion Positioning for Autonomous Vehicles (HK$1,200,000, 2024–2025)
- RGC Early Career Scheme — LiDAR Aided GNSS Multipath/NLOS Modeling and Mitigation (HK$367,475, 2025–2027)
- GDSTC — Drone System and Offshore Wind Turbines Inspection (HK$400,000, 2025–2027)
- Germany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme — Maximum Consensus Integration of GNSS and LiDAR for Urban Navigation (HK$57,200, 2024–2025)
International Collaborations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA — Prof. Luca Carlone
- University of California, Berkeley, USA — Mechanical Systems Control Lab
- Western University, Canada — Prof. Xianbin Wang
- Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany — Dr. Tim Pfeifer
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Germany — Prof. Claus Brenner
Academic Services
Editorial Roles
- Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (JCR Q1, IF: 7.1) (Sept 2024 – Present)
- Editorial Board Member, Navigation Positioning and Timing (June 2025 – Present)
- Editorial Board Member, Artificial Intelligence and Education (May 2025 – Present)
- Young Editorial Board Member, Journal of Marine Science and Application (2021 – Present)
- Editorial Board Member, The Open Transportation Journal (2022 – Present)
- Editorial Board Member, Information (2022 – Present)
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Data Science and Intelligent Systems (2023 – Present)
- Leading Guest Editor, Frontiers in Robotics and AI (2021)
- Leading Guest Editor, Electronics, Advanced Integrated Navigation Methods (2022)
Conference Organization
- Workshop Chair, IEEE ITSC 2022, 2023, 2024 — “Intelligent Vehicle Meets Urban” series
- Session Chair, ION GNSS+ 2022, 2023, 2025
- Session Chair, IPIN 2022
- Session Co-chair, ICGNC 2022
- Technical Committee Member, IEEE IV 2025
Selected Reviewer Service
Journals (regular reviewer for 15+ journals):
- IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems (2017 – Present)
- IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2022 – Present)
- IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology (2017 – Present)
- IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement (2022 – Present)
- IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems (2021 – Present)
- IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine (2017 – Present)
- IEEE Sensors Journal (2018 – Present)
- NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation
Conferences:
- ION GNSS+ (2023, 2025)
- IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation — ICRA (2019–2021)
- IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems — IROS (2019–2021)
- IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems — ITSC (2020 – Present)
Professional Memberships
- Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Member, Institute of Navigation (ION)
- Interview by Hong Kong TVB on UAV-enabled window cleaning (May 2024)
- Interview by Ming Pao on UAV-enabled window cleaning (May 2024)
- Interview by Toutiao (头条日报) on low altitude economy (July 2024)
- Interview by RTHK on UAV enabled window cleaning and aerial 3D printing (June 2024)
- Interview by Hong Kong Economic Journal (信报) on UAV aerial logistics (March 2023)
- PolyU Press Release: Collaboration with Meituan for Urban Drone Delivery (2023)
