Research

What I have done.

Research Projects


2024-Now

Modern Art Upgrade and Maintenance

Project: Old People's Home Link
Collaborators: Hong Kong M+ Museum Link
2024-2025

Iterative Shaping of Multi-Particle Aggregates based on Action Trees and VLM

Publication: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2025
Authors: H.-Y. Lee, P. Zhou, A. Duan, C. Yang, and D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
-- Best Innovation Merit Award at Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center Symposium 2025 --
2024-2025

LLM-Driven Symbolic Planning and Hierarchical Imitation Learning for Long-Horizon Deformable Object Assembly

Publication: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (under review), 2025
Authors: J. Qi, L. Lu, F. Wang, H.-Y. Lee, D. Navarro-Alarcon, and Zeqing Zhang.
2023-2024

Non-Prehensile Tool-Object Manipulation by Integrating LLM-Based Planning and Manoeuvrability-Driven Controls

Publication: Preprint
Authors: H.-Y. Lee, P. Zhou, A. Duan, W. Ma, C. Yang, and D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
-- Best Presentation Award at the 2nd PolyU Research Student Conference 2024 --
2023-2024

Learning to Hang Crumpled Garments with Confidence-guided Grasping and Active Perception

Publication: IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2025
Authors: S. Huo, H. Zhang, H.-Y. Lee, P. Zhou, H. Wang, and D. Navarro-Alarcon.
2023-2024

A Coarse-to-Fine Framework for Robotic Fabric Alignment System: Integrating Visual Servoing and Admittance Control

Publication: Preprint
Authors: J. Qi, P. Zhou, P. Zheng, C. Li, L. Lu, Z. Zhang, Y. Ding, H.-Y. Lee, D. Navarro-Alarcon, and J. Pan.
2023-2024

Human-Aware Reactive Task Planning of Sequential Robotic Manipulation Tasks

Publication: IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics (T-II) (in-press), 2024
Authors: W. Ma, A. Duan, H.-Y. Lee, P. Zheng, and D. Navarro-Alarcon
2022-2023

PSO-Based Optimal Coverage Path Planning for Surface Defect Inspection of 3C Components with a Robotic Line Scanner

Publication: IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement (T-IM), 2025
Authors: H. Chen, S. Huo, M. Muddassir, H.-Y. Lee, A. Duan, P. Zheng, H. Pan, D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
2022-2023

Reactive Human-Robot Collaborative Manipulation of Deformable Linear Objects Using a New Topological Latent Control Model

Publication: Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (RCIM), 2024
Authors: P. Zhou, P. Zheng, J. Qi, C. Li, H.-Y. Lee, A. Duan, L. Lu, Z. Li, L. Hu, D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
2021-2022

Robust Grasping by Bimanual Robots with Stable Parametrization-Based Contact Servoing

Publication: IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (T-MECH), 2024
Authors: A. Duan, S. Huo, H.-Y. Lee, P. Zhou, J. G. Romero, C. Yang and D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
2021-2022

A Distributed Dynamic Framework to Allocate Collaborative Tasks Based on Capability Matching in Heterogeneous Multi-Robot Systems

Human Collaboration can boost task efficiency and accomplish challenging missions. But what if robotss collaborate?
Different types of robots can work together without human intervention. Can robot teams reach the same performance as humans?

Main Focus:
  1. Dynamic task allocation
  2. Decentralized multi-agent system based on their own capabilities
  3. Self-reconfigure, gather, and assemble
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems (T-CDS) (in press), 2023
Authors: H.-Y. Lee, P. Zhou, B. Zhang, L. Qiu, B. Fan, A. Duan, J. Tang, T. L. Lam, and D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
2021-2022

A Multi-Sensor Interface to Improve the Teaching and Learning Experience in Arc Welding Training Tasks

Welding acquires hand-eye welding coordination skills are typically conducted through one-to-one instruction. Traditional methods of training are inefficient and make it hard to learn.
We present a new automated multi-sensor extended reality platform for arc welding training, providing trainees with a “bot trainer”. This system provides real-time virtual cues of the seam geometry, automatic spot tracking, and a performance score.
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems (T-HMS) (in-press), 2023
Authors: H.-Y. Lee, P. Zhou, A. Duan, J. Wang, V. Wu, and D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link
Presentation: Link
2021-2022

Self-Reconfigurable Soft-Rigid Mobile Agent with Variable Stiffness and Adaptive Morphology

Publication: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2023
Authors: L. Labazanova, S. Peng, L. Qiu, H.-Y. Lee, T. Nanayakkara, and D. Navarro-Alarcon. Link

Teaching Projects


2024

A Hands-on Practice with Perceptual Robotics and Control

An educational platform for students to practice the robotics and control theory learnt from the lectures. Different levels of challenge are designed for students to complete.

Features:
  1. Real-time feedback.
  2. Encourage exploration and learning through an actual robot.
Tutorial Webpage: Link
2023

A Game-based Approach to Learn Dynamics and Control

An educational platform using gaming techniques to:
  1. Provide an interactive and user-friendly learning environment
  2. Practice physics and control theory concepts
  3. Compete for a higher score with better model performance
Features:
  1. Real-time feedback and engaging design
  2. Encourage exploration and learning through objects interaction
Tutorial Webpage: Link
2023

A LEGO-based Approach to Learn Dynamics and Control

An educational platform using LEGO to:
  1. Provide a low entry barrier and user-friendly experience
  2. Practice control theory concepts
  3. Evaluate various methodologies and models with ease
Features:
  1. Real-time feedback and engaging design
  2. Encourage exploration and learning through trial and error
Presented in the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2024 in London, UK.
Tutorial Webpage: Link

Side Projects


Vision-based Robotic Hand Development

Using vision to control the motion of the robotic hand.

Tunnel Inspection & Cleaning AI Robot

Creating an autonomous robot that can carry out inspection and cleaning in an unknown place. Deep Learning is used for detecting defects inside a tunnel. To achieve an autonomous navigation control, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is implemented for controlling the robot movement in a new dark environment.

Rescue Robot Car

Developing a robot with the implementation of Artificial Intelligence that is able to grip and lift an object, climb the stair, walk along the uneven floor, recognize the traffic light signal and open a locked door automatically.
-- Rexroth Industry 4.0 Scholarship --

AI Coins Recognition

Using Deep neural network and Convolutional Neural Network to perform real time detection and identification of coins and its value.

Obstacle Avoiding Robot

Developing a multi-sensor feedback-based obstacle avoidance robotic car.
2016

Smart City Design

Leading a multi-disciplinary team to illustrate how Hong Kong could be “smarter” with the aid of mini models in the HKIE Smart City Development Contest. Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and different kind of sensors are used to visualize our idea.
-- Champion --
2015

Mobile App Design

Designing and building a mobile application that allows the blind to walk safely with the use of the proximity sensor on mobile phone. Users can choose between the walk-along the wall mode or object detection mode.Further improvement will be using an extra ultrasonic sensor and the NFC technology to guide and give direction to the user when walking through the street.
-- First Runner Up --
2015-2016

Movies Discussion Forum

Building a forum for discussing TV dramas and movies. Amazon Web Services and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud are used in this project for providing real time information and web hosting.
2016-2017

Web Server

Building a web server in Java. Website can be hosted and accessed in LAN. Able to accept or reject incoming requests based on their headers.
2016-2017

Attendance System

Developing a smart student card information system with the aid of Arduino, RFID, PHP and database to automatically take and record the attendance of students.
2016-2017

Assignment Collection System

Developing a smart student card information system with the aid of Arduino, RFID, PHP and database to automatically take and record the attendance of students.
2015-2017

Games Development

Building different type of games (platform game, action game, etc) mainly with Unity to have more hands on experience with C#, Action Script, Algorithm Design and Environment settings.
2014-2017

Multimedia Editing

Editing various multimedia elements, like photos and videos with Adobe Creative Suite. Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Animate, Audition, Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign are used.