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Wei Wang

Wei Wang

Assistant Professor
gscholar website
lab website

Wei Wang joined the Mechanical Engineering Department as an Assistant Professor in January 2024 and leads the Marine Robotics Lab (MRL).

About MRL: Our group is broadly interested in designing and controlling autonomous robots within complex environments, with a special focus on aquatic settings. We are fascinated by innovative robot concepts that have the potential to offer groundbreaking solutions for both scientific and engineering challenges. We are also enthusiastic about enabling them to autonomously navigate in challenging environments. This includes novel methods and tools for control, planning, mapping, and perception. Our mission is to enable reliable and coordinated autonomy for a broad range of robotics applications, including but not limited to, aquatic monitoring, oceanic exploration, underwater construction, and urban transportation.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Contact

2266, Mechanical Engineering Bldg
1513 University Ave
Madison, WI
p: (608) 263-2471

Featured news

Focus on new faculty: Wei Wang charts course for aquatic robots

February 6, 2024

  • PhD 2016, Peking University
  • Bachelor of Engineering 2010, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

  • Marine Robots
  • Bioinspired Robots
  • Modular Robots
  • Dynamics and Control
  • Underwater Perception

  • 2022 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Finalist, Water Innovation Prize (WIP)
  • 2019 Silver Winner, NOW Awards
  • 2016 Peking University, Excellent Graduate
  • 2014 International Underwater Robot Competition, Champion
  • 2013 Peking University, Academic Innovation Award
  • 2010 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Excellent Graduate
  • 2010 University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Outstanding Dissertation
  • 2009 Asia-Pacific Robot Contest in Domestic Competition, First Prize

  • Wang, W., Xiao, W., Gonzalez-Garcia, A., Swevers, J., Ratti, C., & Rus, D. (2024). Robust Model Predictive Control with Control Barrier Functions for Autonomous Surface Vessels. In 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (pp. 6089–6095).
  • Lin, K., Stonecipher, J. A., Rusch, Z., Wang, W., & Wehner, M. (2024). Hybrid Soft Pneumatic and Tendon Actuated Finger with Selective Locking Chain Link Joints. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
  • Wang, W., Cao, X., Gonzalez-Garcia, A., Yin, L., Hagemann, N., Qiao, Y., Ratti, C., & Rus, D. (2023). Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Tracking Control of an Autonomous Surface Vessel in Natural Waters. In 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA 2023) (pp. 3109–3115).
  • Wang, W., Fern'andez-Guti'errez, David,, Doornbusch, R., Jordan, J., Shan, T., Leoni, P., Hagemann, N., Schiphorst, J. K., Duarte, F., Ratti, C., & others, (2023). Cover Image, Volume 40, Number 8, December 2023. Journal of Field Robotics, 40(8), i--i.
  • Li, L., Nagy, M., Amichay, G., Wang, W., Deussen, O., Rus, D., & Couzin, I. (2023). Reverse engineering the control law for schooling in zebrafish using virtual reality.
  • Wang, W., Fern'andez-Guti'errez, David,, Doornbusch, R., Jordan, J., Shan, T., Leoni, P., Hagemann, N., Schiphorst, J. K., Duarte, F., Ratti, C., & others, (2023). Roboat III: An autonomous surface vessel for urban transportation. Journal of Field Robotics, 40(8), 1996--2009.
  • Qiao, Y., Yin, J., Wang, W., Duarte, F'abio,, Yang, J., & Ratti, C. (2023). Survey of deep learning for autonomous surface vehicles in marine environments. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 24(4), 3678--3701.
  • Zhao, A., Du, T., Xu, J., Hughes, J., Salazar, J., Ma, P., Wang, W., Rus, D., & Matusik, W. (2022). Automatic co-design of aerial robots using a graph grammar. In 2022 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) (pp. 11260–11267).
  • Fern'andez-Guti'errez, David,, Hagemann, N., Wang, W., Doornbusch, R., Jordan, J., Schiphorst, J., Leoni, P., Duarte, F., Ratti, C., & Rus, D. (2022). Design of an Autonomous Latching System for Surface Vessels. In 2022 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (pp. 1099–1105).
  • Zhao, A., Xu, J., Salazar, J., Wang, W., Ma, P., Rus, D., & Matusik, W. (2022). Graph Grammar-Based Automatic Design for Heterogeneous Fleets of Underwater Robots. In The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) (pp. 3143–3149).

  • E M A 599 - Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • M E 351 - Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects I (Spring 2025)
  • M E 491 - Mechanical Engineering Projects I (Spring 2025)
  • M E 699 - Advanced Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • M E 790 - Master's Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • E M A 599 - Independent Study (Fall 2024)
  • M E 376 - Introduction to Mechatronics (Fall 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • M E 376 - Introduction to Mechatronics (Spring 2024)