Professor Peter Xu

Biography

Peter (Weiliang) Xu joined the University of Auckland on 1  February 2011, as Chair in Mechatronics Engineering.  He was the Professor of Mechatronics (2007-2010), Associate Professor (2005-2006) and Senior Lecturer (1999-2004) in School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University, New Zealand. Prior to coming to New Zealand, he worked at the City University of Hong Kong (1993-1998), the University of Stuttgart, Germany (1990-1992) and Southeast University, China (1988-1989).

His current research interests are mainly in areas of advanced mechatronics/robotics with applications in medicine and foods. He is Senior Member of IEEE and Fellow of Engineering New Zealand. He is Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics and ASME Journal of Science and Engineering in Medical Diagnostics and Therapy.

Professor Xu is the Principal Invstigator for Research Theme "Intervential Technologies" and the Leader for Platform Technology "Actuation and Control" at the New Zealand Medical Technologies Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE).

Professor Xu is also an Associate Investigator at Riddet Institute, The New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Food, Innovation and Health and The Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonics and Quantum Technologies, The New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE).

Professor Xu is the Speaker of Joint Graduate School on Soft Tissue Robotics between universities of Auckland, New Zealand and Stuttgart, Germany, an IRTG (International Research Training Groip) programme funded by DFG (German Science Foundation), since 2017.

During his 2017 sabbatical leave, Professor Xu was Guest Professor at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, working on a funded project Soft Tissue Robotics, with Institute of Control Technologies for Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (www.isw.uni-stuttgart.de).

Qualifications

BE (Manufacturing), Southeast University, China, 1982
ME (Mechanical), Southeast University, China, 1985
PhD (Mechtraonics), Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1988

Research | Current

• Soft tissue manipulation, a new research initiative across applications
  • Soft tissue manipulation via a robot (for ovine offal harvesting)
  • Joint Graduate School on Soft Tissue Robotics, rigid robot manipulating soft tissue
• Advanced robotics in foods
  • Digestion robotics (chewing, swallowing, throat, esophagus and stomach)
  • Soft surface manipulator for simultaneous sorting of multiple delicate objects
  • Robotic instrumentation for food texture and rheology analysis
• Advanced mechatronics in medicine
  • Soft-bodied robotic instrumentation (soft sensing, actuating and control)
  • Data-driven modeling and control in soft robotics
  • Catheter-tip fiber optic Raman sensor for in vivo cancer diagnosis
  • Needle-tip fiber optic force sensor for in vivo tissue identificatio
• Advanced mechatronics for agriculture 
  • Aerial manipulation for forest canopy sampling
  • Autonomous omni-directional mobile robotics
  • Automatic pine tree shoot culturing

Teaching | Current

• MECHENG 312 - Sensors and Actuators
• MECHENG 706 - Mechatronics Design
• MECHENG 736 - Biomechatronics

Postgraduate supervision

Current PhDs, as Main Supervisor

1. Sherine Jesna, Esophageal Robotics Experimental Investigations in Foods, The Unievsrity of Auckland, 2018 -
2. Qi Zhang, Soft Tissue Manipulation and Ovine Offal Sorting, The Unievsrity of Auckland, 2018 -
3. Z.X. Chen, Data-driven Closed-loop Control of a Soft Robotics Table for Simultaneous Multiple Object Manipulation, The University of Auckland, 2017-
4. B.X. Chen, Soft Robotics – Sensing and Control for Foods Mastication, The University of Auckland, 2017 -
5. D. Bhattacharya, Primary and Secondary Peristalsis Control of a Soft-bodied Swallowing Robot, The University of Auckland, 2017 -
6. S. Mostashiri, Dynamics and Control of Actuation Redundant Parallel Robots,  The University of Auckland, 2017 -
7. D. Yu, Modeling and Analysis of a Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robot Mimicking Human Gastric Motility, The University of Auckland, 2016 -
8. A.B. Hashem, Biomimicry of Human Gastric Motility Soft-bodied Robot, The University of Auckland,  2016 -
9. J. Kutia, Aerial Manipulation for Canopy Sampling, The University of Auckland, The University of Auckland, 2015 -

Completed PhDs, as Main Supervisor

1. A.B. Din, Stretchable Sensing for Pressure and Deformation in Soft-bodied Robotics, The University of Auckland, 2018
2. H. Chen, Miniature Fiber Optic Raman Sensor for In Vivo Non-contact Nerve Detection in Minimally Invasive Spine, The University of Auckland, 2018
3. Z.C. Deng, A Novel XY Soft Machine Table Capable of Simultaneous Multiple Object Manipulation Through Surface Deformation, The University of Auckland, 2018
4. Z.L. Mo, A Miniature Temperature-Compensated Fiber Optic Force Sensor for Minimally Invasive Surgeries, The University of Auckland, 2017
5. L. Xie, Mechatronics Design and Energy-Optimal Autonomous Navigation of a Heavy-Duty Omnidirectional Mecanum Mobile Robot, The University of Auckland, 2017
6. B.Y. Huo, Research on Robot-assisted Steering System for Bevel-tip Flexible Needle, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2016
7. H.Y. Wen, Study of Redundantly Actuated Bionic Mastication Robot with Point Contact Higher Kinematic Pair, Dalian University of Technology, China, 2016
8. C.V. Pham, Integrated and Adaptive Traffic Signal Control for Diamond Interchange, Massey University, 2016
9. M.Z. Zhu, Peristalsis Control and Sensing of a Soft-bodied Swallowing Robot, The University of Auckland, 2016.
10. C. Cheng, A Redundantly Actuated Masticatory Robot of Spatial Parallel Mechanism with Higher Kinematic Pairs - Kinematics, Optimal Torque Distribution and Motion Control, The University of Auckland, 2015
11. F.J. Chen, Study on a Biomimetic Esophageal Robot, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China, 2015
12. S. Dirven, Biomimetic Design and Experimental Methods Towards a Biologically-inspired, Soft-bodied, Peristaltic Esophageal Actuator, The University of Auckland, 2014  
13. X.Y. Wang, Novel Wearable Assistive Device for Jaw Motion Disability Rehabilitation, Massey University, 2014
14. I. Emerson, An Integrated Robotic and Virtual Mirror Therapy System for Stroke Rehabilitation, Massey University, 2014  
15. X.F. Yu, Dynamic Programming Based Coordinated Ramp Metering Algorithms, Massey University, 2014
16. C. Sun, Modelling and Compliance Control of a Linkage Chewing Robot and Its Application in Food Evaluation, Massey University, 2012
17. J. Torrance, Kinematics, Motion Control and Force Estimation of a Chewing Robot of 6RSS Parallel Mechanism, Massey University, 2011
18. E. Hirst, Acoustic Wave and Bond Rupture Based Biosensor-- Principle and Development, Massey University, 2009
19. M. van der Werff, Development of Digital Instrumentation for Bond Rupture Detection, Massey University, 2008
20. L. Han, Sensor-Based Flexible Vibratory Feeding System for Agile Manufacturing, City University of Hong Kong, 2002
21. Z.H. Wang, Design and Experimental Investigation of a High-Precision Robust Motion Control, Southeast University, China, 2002
22. T.W. Yang, Sensing and Control of Micro-Macro Flexible Robotic Manipulator, Southeast University, China, 2001
23. X.S. Wang, Sensor-based Dynamics Control of Flexible Manipulator, Southeast University, China, 2000

Distinctions/Honours

Alexander von Homboldt (AvH) Research Fellowship (1990)

Korean Federation of Science and Technology (KoFST) Research Fellowship (2006)

Japan Society of the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship (2010)

Young Academics Research Award, Fuk Ying Tong Foundation, China (1996)

Responsibilities

Programme Director, BE(Hons) Mechatronics Engineering

Areas of expertise

Mechatronics, Robotics and Automation

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Associate Editor, ASME Journal of Engineering and Science in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy (ASME-JESMDT), since 2017

Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, since 2003

Associate Editor, IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 2008-2010

Editor/Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technology and Applications, since 2005

Technical Committee Member, Sensors and Actuators, IEEE, since 2012

Professional affiliations

• Senior Member IEEE
• Fellow, Engineering New Zealand