Publications

Publications from the Control and Robotics Lab.

Selected publications since 2024, grouped by research area. Full list on Google Scholar.

Disassembly & Remanufacturing 12

Transforming remanufacturing automation with large language models: A forward-looking analysis with case studies

C Liu, S Behdad, P Pagilla, X Liang, M Zheng

Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 103, 103361 · 2027

RAISE: A Robot-Assisted SelectIve Disassembly and Sorting System for End-of-Life Phones

C Liu, B Balasubramaniam, NA Yancey, MH Severson, A Shine, P Bove, …

Resources, Conservation and Recycling 225, 108609 · 2026

SELF-VLA: A Skill Enhanced Agentic Vision-Language-Action Framework for Contact-Rich Disassembly

C Liu, S Tian, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.11080 · 2026

Vision-Language-Action Models for Selective Robotic Disassembly: A Case Study on Critical Component Extraction from Desktops

C Liu, S Tian, S Behdad, X Liang, M Zheng

Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference 2026

Contact: Contact-aware tactile learning for robotic disassembly

Y Saka, JC Hu, A Desai, Z Zhang, B Zhang, QK Luu, MRI Prince, M Zheng, …

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems 2026

Evaluating Large and Lightweight Vision Models for Irregular Component Segmentation in E-Waste Disassembly

X Zhang, C Liu, X Liang, M Zheng, S Behdad

Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering · 2026

Redefining End-of-Life: Intelligent Automation for Electronics Remanufacturing Systems

S Tian, X Liang, S Behdad, M Zheng

American Control Conference 2026

VR Co-Lab: A Virtual Reality Platform for Human–Robot Disassembly Training and Synthetic Data Generation

Y Maddipatla, S Tian, X Liang, M Zheng, B Li

Machines 13 (3), 239 · 2025

Precision 3D profilometry of consumer-grade computer enclosures using high dynamic range fringe projection

H Zhao, C Liu, B Balasubramaniam, J Li, J Song, X Liang, M Zheng, B Li

Applied Optics 64 (30), 8986-8994 · 2025

DeGrip: A Compact Cable-driven Robotic Gripper for Desktop Disassembly

B Zhang, D Soleymanzadeh, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.16231 · 2025

A Review of Prospects and Opportunities in Disassembly With Human–Robot Collaboration

ML Lee, X Liang, B Hu, G Onel, S Behdad, M Zheng

Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering 146 (2) · 2024

Enhancing ergonomics in E-waste disassembly: the impact of collaborative robotics on muscle activation and coordination

X Wang, NS Grimaldi, M Zheng, S Behdad, C Yang, B Hu

Ergonomics, 1-13 · 2024

Human-Robot Collaboration & Motion Prediction 11

Adaptive Motion Planning via Contact-Based Intent Inference for Human-Robot Collaboration

J Song, X Liang, M Zheng

American Control Conference 2026

TATIC: Task-Aware Temporal Learning for Human Intent Inference from Physical Corrections in Human-Robot Collaboration

J Song, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.11077 · 2026

Multi-Task Learning for Intention and Trajectory Prediction in Human–Robot Collaborative Disassembly Tasks

X Zhang, S Tian, X Liang, M Zheng, S Behdad

Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering 25 (5), 051002 · 2025

Real-Time 3D Motion Prediction for Human-Robot Collaboration via Bayesian-Optimized Diffusion Models

S Tian, M Zheng, X Liang

IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering · 2025

PrediFlow: A Flow-Based Prediction-Refinement Framework for Real-Time Human Motion Prediction in Human-Robot Collaboration

S Tian, M Zheng, X Liang

arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.13903 · 2025

TransFusion: A practical and effective transformer-based diffusion model for 3d human motion prediction

S Tian, M Zheng, X Liang

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters · 2024

Early Prediction of Human Intention for Human–Robot Collaboration Using Transformer Network

X Zhang, S Tian, X Liang, M Zheng, S Behdad

Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering 24 (5) · 2024

De-tgn: Uncertainty-aware human motion forecasting using deep ensembles

KA Eltouny, W Liu, S Tian, M Zheng, X Liang

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters · 2024

A recurrent neural network enhanced unscented kalman filter for human motion prediction

W Liu, S Tian, B Hu, X Liang, M Zheng

International Symposium on Flexible Automation 87882, V001T07A012 · 2024

Decoding Silent Speech Cues From Muscular Biopotential Signals for Efficient Human‐Robot Collaborations

P Dong, S Tian, S Chen, Y Li, S Li, M Zheng, S Yao

Advanced Materials Technologies, 2400990 · 2024

Bayesian-Optimized One-Step Diffusion Model with Knowledge Distillation for Real-Time 3D Human Motion Prediction

S Tian, M Zheng, X Liang

arXiv preprint arXiv:2409.12456 · 2024

Motion Planning & Trajectory Optimization 11

Warm-Starting Optimization-Based Motion Planning for Robotic Manipulators via Point Cloud-Conditioned Flow Matching

S Tian, M Zheng, X Liang

American Control Conference 2026

Toward Generalist Neural Motion Planners for Robotic Manipulators: Challenges and Opportunities

D Soleymanzadeh, I Lopez-Sanchez, H Su, Y Li, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering · 2026

GAIDE: Graph-based Attention Masking for Spatial-and Embodiment-aware Motion Planning

D Soleymanzadeh, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems 2026

DRAFTO: Decoupled Reduced-space and Adaptive Feasibility-repair Trajectory Optimization for Robotic Manipulators

Y Feng, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.11074 · 2026

FACTO: Function-space Adaptive Constrained Trajectory Optimization for Robotic Manipulators

Y Feng, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.20225 · 2026

Flow Motion Policy: Manipulator Motion Planning with Flow Matching Models

D Soleymanzadeh, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.07084 · 2026

KG-Planner: Knowledge-Informed Graph Neural Planning for Collaborative Manipulators

W Liu, K Eltouny, S Tian, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 22 (5061 – 5071) · 2025

SIMPNet: Spatial-Informed Motion Planning Network

D Soleymanzadeh, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters · 2025

PerFACT: Motion Policy with LLM-Powered Dataset Synthesis and Fusion Action-Chunking Transformers

D Soleymanzadeh, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.03444 · 2025

Integrating Uncertainty-Aware Human Motion Prediction Into Graph-Based Manipulator Motion Planning

W Liu, K Eltouny, S Tian, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics · 2024

A Hybrid Task-Constrained Motion Planning for Collaborative Robots in Intelligent Remanufacturing

W Liu, C Liu, X Liang, M Zheng

Mechatronics 102 · 2024

Manipulation, Grasping & Tactile Sensing 8

Learning Actionable Manipulation Recovery via Counterfactual Failure Synthesis

D Li, J Lei, H Wang, L Liu, Y Yang, Z Wang, B Liu, M Zheng, Z Fan

arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.13528 · 2026

Egocentric World Model for Photorealistic Hand-Object Interaction Synthesis

D Li, L Liu, B Liu, S Zhou, J Feng, Z Lu, M Zheng, C You, Z Fan

European Conference on Computer Vision 2026

ContactWorld: What Matters in Vision-Tactile World Models for Contact-Rich Manipulation

Z Zhang, P Zhou, K Zhang, A Desai, T Amosa, D Soleymanzadeh, J Lei, …

arXiv preprint arXiv:2606.13877 · 2026

Learning When to See and When to Feel: Adaptive Vision-Torque Fusion for Contact-Aware Manipulation

J Lei, C Liu, Y She, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems 2026

Imagining the Sense of Touch: Touch-Informed Manipulation via Imagined Tactile Representations

Z Zhang, A Desai, JC Hu, Y Saka, QK Luu, J Lei, D Soleymanzadeh, …

arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.01684 · 2026

Behavior Uncloning: Distilling Mode Redirection into Policy Weights without Inference-Time Steering

H Wang, J Lei, D Li, B Liu, M Zheng, M Li, R Zhang, Z Fan

arXiv preprint arXiv:2606.29201 · 2026

Binary Genetic Algorithm-Based PID Gain Optimization for an Integrated-Finger Robotic Hand

E Mountain, M Zheng, S Chowdhury

2026 LSU Symposium on Control, Learning, and Intelligent Systems

Grasping Force Control and Adaptation for a Cable-Driven Robotic Hand

E Mountain, E Weise, S Tian, B Li, X Liang, M Zheng

2024 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics

Aerial Robotics 3

MorphoCopter: Design, Modeling, and Control of a New Transformable Quad–Bi Copter

H Modi, H Su, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics · 2026

Constrained MPC-Based Motion Planning for Morphing Quadrotors in Ultra-Narrow Passages under Limited Perception

H Modi, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.15999 · 2026

An audio‐based risky flight detection framework for quadrotors

W Liu, C Liu, S Sajedi, H Su, X Liang, M Zheng

IET Cyber‐Systems and Robotics 6 (1), e12105 · 2024

Learning-Based Control & Connected Systems 3

Cyclic Modulation Control of Multi-Conflict Connected Automated Traffic

F Pu, Z Li, S Rathinam, M Zheng, Y Zhou

arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.07114 · 2026

Improving Disturbance Estimation and Suppression via Learning among Systems with Mismatched Dynamics

H Modi, Z Chen, X Liang, M Zheng

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters · 2024

Robust Iterative Learning for Collaborative Road Profile Estimation and Active Suspension Control in Connected Vehicles

H Modi, MR Hajidavalloo, Z Li, M Zheng

IFAC-PapersOnLine 58 (28), 234-239 · 2024

Assistive & Agricultural Robotics 2

ANGEL: A Novel Gripper for Versatile and Light-touch Fruit Harvesting

D Patel, ARV Pantoja, J Lei, K Lee, X Liang, M Zheng

arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.18127 · 2025

Actuator optimization and deep learning-based control of pediatric knee exoskeleton for community-based mobility assistance

S Zhang, J Zhu, TH Huang, S Yu, JS Huang, I Lopez-Sanchez, T Devine, …

Mechatronics 97, 103109 · 2024

Foundation Models & AI Safety 2

Modular Safety Guardrails Are Necessary for Foundation-Model-Enabled Robots in the Real World

J Kim, W Chen, D Soleymanzadeh, Y Ding, X Gao, Z Tu, R Zhang, F Fei, …

International Conference on Machine Learning 2026

Position: Modular Safety Guardrails Are Necessary for Foundation-Model-Enabled Robots in the Real World

J Kim, W Chen, D Soleymanzadeh, Y Ding, X Gao, Z Tu, R Zhang, F Fei, …

Forty-third International Conference on Machine Learning Position Paper Track, 0 · 2026