What - Wei Gao

⌛Current Research

-	Legged Robots
	This part of research is focusing on model-based optimal control of legged robots, as well as the emerging reinforcement learning based control.

-	Mobile Robotic Arms
	This part of research is focusing on the application of mobile robotic arms to search and rescue in emergencies and disasters.

✅Previous Research

-	Modeling of Legged Locomotion
	This part of research focused on the modeling of dynamic legged locomotion for optimal leg design and effective control strategy. Based on parameter sweeps in simulation, optimal region of leg parameters can be found by evaluating performance of legged locomotion like speed, efficiency and stability. This helped the leg property design of gram-scale robots for embedded passive leg control. Additionally, by carefully designing control strategy using dynamic simulation, legged locomotion could effectively overcome resistive terrains covered by snow, grass, shallow water, etc.

-	Model Parameter Identification and Uncertainty Quantification
	This part of research focused on the modeling of smart materials, preparing for future control applications. Comparing data measured from experiments to the models built based on solid mechanics, we used the Bayesian method for parameter identification and uncertainty quantification. The results shed light on the effectiveness of surrogate models for easy behavior control. To further improve the process of uncertainty quantification, we developed the Maximum Entropy method for more objective data fusion and more accurate uncertainty quantification.

📃Publications

-**Journals**
[J15]	Shenglong Xie; Yu Lv; Shiwu Zhang; Wei Gao; Shiyuan Bian; Movement Intention Decoding from Electromyographic Signals Using Deep Residual Networks and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory with Hybrid Attention, IEEE Sensors Journal. (Accepted)
[J14]	Zhenyi Chai#; Wei Gao#; Jingwen Kong; Qiqiang Hu; Yiming Ouyang; Lei Zhang; Mengli Sui; Erbao Dong; Weihua Li; Hu Jin; Shiwu Zhang; A Teleost-inspired Multimodal Locomotion Soft Robot with High Bandwidth Artificial Muscles, Soft Robotics. (Accepted)
[J13]	Bingliang Bao; Xiaoxin Yu; Erlong Wang; Deyang Chu; Wei Gao; Yiming Ouyang; Chunyang Zhang; Wenbing Chen; Chen Wang; Hu Jin; Shiwu Zhang; Mechanical Specimen Preparation Method for Next-Generation Cotton Quality Testing Using HVIs, Industrial Crops and Products, 2025, 233:121455.
[J12]	Zelin Chen; Hanlu Chen; Yiming Ouyang; Chenhao Cao; Wei Gao; Qiqiang Hu; Hu Jin; Shiwu Zhang; A High-Resolution and Whole-Body Dataset of Hand-Object Contact Areas Based on 3D Scanning Method, Scientific Data, 2025, 12:451.
[J11]	Bingliang Bao; Xiaoxin Yu; Erlong Wang; Deyang Chu; Wei Gao; Yiming Ouyang; Wenbing Chen; Chen Wang; Hu Jin; Shiwu Zhang; A Vibrating-Needle Based Non-Destructive Tearing Method for Mechanical Specimen Preparation in Length and Strength Testing of Cotton Fibers, Industrial Crops and Products*, 2025, 225:120478.
[J10]	Chao Ji; Diyuan Liu; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Learning-Based Locomotion Control Fusing Multimodal Perception for a Bipedal Humanoid Robot, Biomimetic Intelligence and Robotics, 2025, 5(1):100213.
[J09]	Chao Ji; Diyuan Liu; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Robust Walking and Sim-To-Real Optimization for Quadruped Robots via Reinforcement Learning, Journal of Bionic Engineering, 2025, 22:107-117.
[J08]	Tonghui Peng; Wei Gao; Ya Wu; Yulong Ma; Shiwu Zhang; Yinan Hu; Inducing Alternating Magnetic Fields for Real-Time Non-Contact Fault Localization Within Electric Energy Storage Component Arrays, Review of Scientific Instruments, 2024, 95(10):105111.
[J07]	Yuan Yao; Wei Gao; Shixin Mao; Shiwu Zhang; Road Extraction From Point Cloud Data With Transfer Learning, IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, 2024, 21:6502005.
[J06]	Ze Yang; Hu Jin; Wei Gao; Erlong Wang; Yang Shu; Ming Wu; Shiwu Zhang; Hierarchical Trajectory Deformation Algorithm with Hybrid Controller for Active Lower Limb Rehabilitation*, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters*, 2024, 9(7):6240-6247.
[J05]	Yu Zhang#, Yuxiang Li#; Hefei Zhang; Yu Wang; Zhihao Wang; Yinong Ye; Yongming Yue; Ning Guo; Wei Gao; Haoyao Chen; Shiwu Zhang; Earthshaker: A Mobile Rescue Robot for Emergencies and Disasters through Teleoperation and Autonomous Navigation, Journal of University of Science and Technology of China*, 2023, 53(1):4.
[J04]	Wei Gao; Paul R. Miles; Ralph C. Smith; William S. Oates; The Maximum Entropy Method for Data Fusion and Uncertainty Quantification in Multifunctional Materials and Structures, Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures*, 2022, 33(9):1182-1197.
[J03]	Sean Gart; Ryan Alicea; Wei Gao; Jason Pusey; John V. Nicholson; Jonathan E. Clark; Legged Locomotion in Resistive Terrains," Bioinspiration & Biomimetics*, 2021, 16(2):025001.
[J02]	Ryan St Pierre#; Wei Gao#; Jonathan E. Clark; Sarah Bergbreiter; Viscoelastic Legs for Open-loop Control of Gram-scale Robots, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics*, 2020, 15(5):055005.
[J01]	Wei Gao; Paul R. Miles; Adriane G. Moura; M. Yousuff Hussaini; William S. Oates, "Uncertainty Analysis of Dielectric Elastomer Membranes under Electromechanical Loading," Smart Materials and Structures*, 2019, 28(5):055027.

-Conferences

[C25]	Haoyang Ren; Runchen Xu; Yihang Wang; Yutong Jiang; Zhen Han; Yu Wang; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; WLIP-WT Model Based MPC-VMC Hierarchical Control for Wheeled Biped Robots*, in 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO)*. (Accepted)
[C24]	Yihang Wang; Runchen Xu; Haoyang Ren; Yu Wang; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Robust Adaptive Model Predictive Control for Wheel-Legged Robots Under Unknown Loads*, in 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO)*. (Accepted)
[C23]	Anji Lin; Yu Wang; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Conformal Predictive Safety Filter for Globally Guided Spatio-Temporal A* Planner in Dynamic Environments*, in 2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO)*. (Accepted)
[C22]	Jialong Xue; Wei Gao; Yu Wang; Chao Ji; Dongdong Zhao; Shi Yan; Shiwu Zhang; High-precision Transformer-Based Visual Servoing for Humanoid Robots in Aligning Tiny Objects, in 2025 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). (Accepted)
[C21]	Chao Ji; Diyuan Liu; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Robust and Efficient Walking of a Bipedal Humanoid Robot via Reinforcement Learning, in 2025 IEEE International Conference on Real-time Computing and Robotics (RCAR), pp. 381-388. (Best Paper in Robotics Award)
[C20]	Jiangtao Hu; Wei Gao; Xiaohu Zhang; Jinyu Cheng; Shiwu Zhang; Predictive Control of a Spined Quadrupedal Robot Based on a Dual Rigid-Body Model, in 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 292-298.
[C19]	Kaicen Li; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Rapid Learning of Natural Gaits for Quadrupedal Locomotion and Skill Reuse in Downstream Tasks, in 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 2330-2336.
[C18]	Tengda Wang; Yuewei Zhu; Xiaohu Zhang; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; A Telepresense Enhancing Method Based on Human Arm Dynamics, in 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 1415-1421.
[C17]	Hefei Zhang#; Xiaohu Zhang#; Jinyu Cheng; Jiangtao Hu; Chao Ji; Yu Wang; Yutong Jiang; Zhen Han; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Torque Ripple Reduction in Quasi-Direct Drive Motors Through Angle-Based Repetitive Learning Observer and Model Predictive Torque Controller, in 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 3546-3552.
[C16]	Jichao Wang#; Jinyu Cheng#; Jiangtao Hu; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Spined Torso Renders Advanced Mobility for Quadrupedal Locomotion, in 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 1457-1463.
[C15]	Yu Liao; Wei Gao; Shixin Mao; Shiwu Zhang; An Incremental Few Shot Approach for Litter Detection, in 2024 ACM 3rd Asia Conference on Algorithms, Computing and Machine Learning (CACML)*, pp. 245-250.
[C14]	Yinong Ye; Yongming Yue; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Decoupled Control of Bipedal Locomotion Based on HZD and H-LIP, in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 1-6. (T.J. Tarn Best Paper Award in Robotics Finalist)
[C13]	Xinyi Li; Wei Gao; Xiangpeng Li; Shiwu Zhang; Terrain-guided Symmetric Locomotion Generation for Quadrupedal Robots via Reinforcement Learning, in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 1-6.
[C12]	Lingjian Mao; Wei Gao; Haoyao Chen; Shiwu Zhang; LIO-DOR: A Robust LiDAR Inertial Odometry with Real-time Dynamic Object Removal, in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 1-7.
[C11]	Ziqi Li; Wei Gao; Haoyao Chen; Shiwu Zhang; USP-SLAM: Deep Learning Based Visual SLAM with Robust Feature Extraction under Dynamic Environments, in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 1-6.
[C10]	Chao Ji; Diyuan Liu; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Blind Walking Balance Control and Disturbance Rejection of the Bipedal Humanoid Robot Xiao-Man via Reinforcement Learning, in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO), pp. 1-7. (T.J. Tarn Best Paper Award in Robotics Finalist)
[C09]	Chao Ji; Diyuan Liu; Mingxin Zhou; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; A Learning-based Motion Control Policy Fusing Multi-mode Perception for Legged Robot, in 2023 IEEE International Conference on Real-time Computing and Robotics (RCAR)*, pp. 378-383.
[C08]	Yu Zhang; Yongming Yue; Yingrong Chen; Haoyao Chen; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Payload Quantification via Proprioceptive-only Sensing for a Single-legged Vertical Hopper, in 2022 IEEE International Conference on Real-time Computing and Robotics (RCAR)*, pp. 670-675.
[C07]	Yongming Yue; Yu Zhang; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Workload-adaptive Vertical Hopping of a Single-legged Robot using Model-based Optimization," in 2021 IEEE International Conference on Real-time Computing and Robotics (RCAR)*, pp. 281-286.
[C06]	Ning Guo; Zujun Bai; Wei Gao; Haoyao Chen; Shiwu Zhang; Passively Deformable Flipper Legs for an Amphibious Quadruped, in 2021 IEEE International Conference on Real-time Computing and Robotics (RCAR)*, pp. 738-743.
[C05]	Jacob Hackett; Wei Gao; Monica Daley; Jonathan Clark; Christian Hubicki; Risk-constrained Motion Planning for Robot Locomotion: Formulation and Running Robot Demonstration, in 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)*, pp. 3633-3640.
[C04]	Wei Gao, Charles Young; John Nicholson; Christian Hubicki; Jonathan Clark; Fast, Versatile, and Open-loop Stable Running Behaviors with Proprioceptive-only Sensing Using Model-based Optimization, in 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)*, pp. 483-489.
[C03]	Wei Gao; Williams S. Oates; Paul R. Miles; Ralph C. Smith; Application of the Maximum Entropy Method to Multifunctional Materials for Data Fusion and Uncertainty Quantification, in ASME Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS)*, 2018, vol. 51951, p. V002T08A003.
[C02]	Wei Gao; Williams S. Oates; Ralpha C. Smith; A Maximum Entropy Approach for Uncertainty Quantification and Analysis of Multifunctional Materials, in ASME Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS)*, 2017, vol. 58257, p. V001T08A013.
[C01]	Williams Oates; Paul Miles, Wei Gao, Jonathan Clark; Somayeh Mashayekhi; M. Yousuff Hussaini; Rate Dependent Constitutive Behavior of Dielectric Elastomers and Applications in Legged Robotics, in SPIE Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2017*, vol. 10163, p. 1016316.

-**Preprints**
[PP03]	Tianchen Huang; Runchen Xu; Yu Wang; Wei Gao; Shiwu Zhang; Traversing Narrow Paths: A Two-Stage Reinforcement Learning Framework for Robust and Safe Humanoid Walking*, arXiv preprint*, arXiv: 2508.20661.
[PP02]	Jialong Xue; Wei Gao; Yu Wang; Chao Ji; Dongdong Zhao; Shi Yan; Shiwu Zhang; High-Precision Transformer-Based Visual Servoing for Huamnoid Robots in Aligning Tiny Objects, arXiv preprint, arXiv: 2503.04862.
[PP01]	Tonghui Peng; Wei Gao; Ya Wu; Yulong Ma; Shiwu Zhang; Yinan Hu; A Real-time Non-contact Localization Method for Faulty Electric Energy Storage Components Using Highly Sensitive Magnetometers, arXiv preprint, arXiv: 2308.07708.