The LIDAR group at Georgia Tech is looking for highly motivated graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scholars. Candidates with backgrounds in robotics, optimization, machine learning, and control are preferred. If you are interested in our research, please send an email to ye.zhao@me.gatech.edu. We will get back to you soon if your background could be a good match.

Our research interests lie broadly in planning, control, optimization, and machine learning algorithms of highly dynamic, under-actuated, autonomous, and human-centered robots. We are particularly interested in research directions: (i) robust trajectory optimization of contact-rich locomotion and manipulation; (ii) distributed optimization algorithms for robots with highly complex dynamics and soft contact models; (iii) task and motion planning for robot navigation in complex environments; (iv) optimal motion planning and control of legged locomotion over rough terrain; (v) safe and verifiable reinforcement learning for dynamic legged locomotion; (vi) lower-limb exoskeleton control with robustness and safety guarantees.

We are especially interested in computationally efficient optimization algorithms for challenging robotics problems, for which robust, autonomous, agile, and real-time performance are formally guaranteed. Our long-term goal is to devise and generalize algorithmic approaches for compliant and collaborative humanoid and mobile robots, and human assistive devices, operating in cluttered environments and working alongside humans.

A full version of my CV is available upon request. Here is a short bio. My Chinese name is here.