Prof. Zheng Hong (George) Zhu
York University, Canada
Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering / Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada
Dr. Zheng Hong (George) Zhu is Professor and Tier I York Research Chair in Space Technology in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, inaugural Academic Director of Research Commons in the Office of Vice-President Research & Innovation at York University. He received his BEng, MEng, PhD degrees in Applied Mechanics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, MASc degree in Robotics from University of Waterloo and PhD degree in Mechanical Engineer from University of Toronto in Canada. From 1995-2006, he was senior stress/structural engineering at Indal Technologies Curtiss-Wright. He joined York University in 2006. Dr. Zhu has led multimillion dollar interdisciplinary research programs ranging from AI enhanced smart space robotics, to innovative propellant-free propulsion technology for deep space exploration, to active space debris removal, to dynamics and control of spacecraft. He is the Principal Investigator of two Canadian CubeSat missions. Career total, Dr. Zhu has published over 350 journal and conference papers and attracted $15M+ from external funding agencies. Dr. Zhu is the College Member of the Royal Society of Canada; Academician of International Academy of Astronautics, Fellow of Canadian Academy of Canada, Fellow of Engineering Institute of Canada, Fellow of Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering, Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and senior Member of IEEE. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including 2021 Robert W. Angus Medal by Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering, 2019 PEO Engineering Medal in R&D by Professional Engineers Ontario, Canada. .
Title of Speech: Behavior-Based Swarm Control for Efficient Space Debris Removal
Abstract: Autonomous robotic active debris removal is essential for sustainable space utilization. This study introduces a novel approach using a swarm of small, simple spacecraft, such as CubeSats and Nanosats, with limited functionalities, contrasting with complex single-robot systems, to capture and deorbit unknown, uncooperative debris. Inspired by swarm intelligence in nature, the proposed architecture leverages behavior-based control for decentralized debris capture, enhancing robustness, flexibility, and cost-efficiency beyond what a single complex robotic system can achieve. Drawing from swarm behaviors observed in ant colonies and bird flocks, the control system employs a decentralized strategy where each spacecraft (agent) autonomously maneuvers using aggregation and flocking behaviors to approach the debris surface, while anti-flocking behavior optimizes agent distribution. This ensures comprehensive surface coverage and shape encapsulation before initiating capture. Additionally, agents possess some memory capacity, enabling synchronization of capture actions through local observations of debris landmarks and communication with neighboring agents. With a fully decentralized control system, all agents remain interchangeable, forming a leaderless, self-organizing multi-agent system. This swarm-based approach presents a scalable, efficient solution for capturing tumbling debris, advancing the field of active debris removal.
Prof. Lixi Huang
The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Lixi Huang was born in Zhejiang province of China, educated at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) and University of Cambridge. His bachelor and master degrees from BUAA were in the field of aerospace engineering (jet propulsion), while the topic of his PhD study at Cambridge was theoretical acoustics and respiratory biomechanics (supervised by Prof JE Ffowcs Williams). He spent 8 years each in Beijing and Cambridge before coming to Hong Kong in 1996, initially at PolyU. After completing his PhD work in 1991, he worked as a research associate at the Whittle Lab (of turbomachinery), then as a college research fellow at Peterhouse, both within the University of Cambridge. His work on the mechanism of human snoring helped his medical/surgical colleagues devise a successful laser surgery procedure in the early 1990s, and the related pursuit in fluid mechanics touched upon the fundamentals of fluid-structure energy transfer mechanisms. Dr Huang is currently a full professor at HKU. He teaches dynamics (with application to space flight), thermodynamics, aeronautical engineering, and acoustics. He serves as a subject editor for Journal of Sound and Vibration and an associate editor for Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
In 2012 Dr Huang joined a national basic research scheme (called “973” project in China). In the same year he became the chief scientist and director for the Lab of Aerodynamics and Acoustics (AA-Lab) at The University of Hong Kong Zhejiang Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-ZIRI 香港大學浙江研究院), where information for student and postdoc applicants is posted (links given below).