Publications

Wang, Z., Zhang, Y., & Forni, F. (2024) Dissipative iFIR filters for data-driven design. Pre-print. [November 2024].

Zhang, Y., Larby, D., Idia, F., & Forni, F. (2024) Virtual model control for compliant reaching under uncertainties. 2024 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 14-18 October 2024. [December 2024].

Wang, Z., Zhang, Y., & Forni, F. (2025) Dissipative iFIR filters for data-driven design. European Journal of Control, 101300. [July 2025].

Zhang, Y., Iida, F., & Forni, F. (2025) Periodic robust robotic rock chop via virtual model control. Preprint. [August 2025].

Presentations

“Team Toast” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School 2023 [March 2023] – Lincoln, UK.

“Controller-based Reinforcement Learning in Robotics Manipulation” (poster) – Towards Autonomous Robotic Systems (TAROS) 2023 / AgriFoRwArdS CDT Annual Conference 2023 / Joint Robotics CDT Annual Conference 2023 [September 2023] – Cambridge, UK.

“Data-driven autonomous robotic food handling” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Quarterly PhD Research Progress Meeting [September 2023] – Cambridge, UK.

“Virtual Model Control in Planning and Grasping​” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Quarterly PhD Research Progress Meeting [January 2024] – Lincoln, UK.

“Virtual model control for compliant reaching under uncertainties” (oral) – International Conference on Embodied Intelligence 2024 [March 2024] – Online.

“Virtual model control for compliant reaching under uncertainties” (poster) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Quarterly PhD Research Progress Meeting [June 2024] – Cambridge, UK.

“Virtual model control for manipulation and path planning under uncertainties” (oral) – UKACC PhD Showcase and InstMC Awards Night and Annual Distinguished Lecture 2024 [July 2024] – London, UK.

“Exploration of LLM-Enhanced State-Machine function-calls for Planning Robot Actions” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School: Robotic Phenotyping [July 2024] – Wageningen, The Netherlands.

“Virtual model control for compliant reaching under uncertainties” (poster) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School: Robotic Phenotyping [July 2024] – Wageningen, The Netherlands.

“Virtual model control for compliant reaching under uncertainties” (poster) – IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2024) [October 2024] – Abu Dhabi, UAE.

“Robust Cutting with Virtual Model Control” (oral) – Embodied Intelligence Conference 2025 [April 2025] – Online.

“Virtual model control for robust cutting” (poster) – 25-years of Embodied Intelligence Conference EI 2025 [April 2025] – Lausanne, Switzerland.

“Virtual model control for robust cutting” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Annual Conference 2025 [May 2025] – Online.

“ShepSimulation” (oral) – AgriFoRwArdS CDT Summer School 2025: Going to the Dogs! [June 2025] – Lincoln, UK.

About me

I was born in China and moved to Japan when I was 12. Before joining the AgriFoRwArdS CDT community, I finished a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Osaka University. My research experience started when I was an exchange student at UC Berkeley, I was involved in research of argon power cycle at Combustion Modeling Lab. After taking several classes about robotics and control, I got interested and found opportunities to conduct work relating to autonomous driving including performance analysis and prediction algorithm implementation at Berkeley. For my undergraduate thesis, I developed a multi-robot cooperative transportation system that uses flexible tactile sensors.

I chose the AgriFoRwArdS CDT not only because the challenging and essential topics in robotics are addressed but also because of the positive environmental impact it could create through the application to agriculture. I got excited about moving to Lincoln because of the amazing view and buildings in the city. I will be studying for my PhD at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Dr. Fulvio Forni.

I enjoy traveling and hiking to explore both culture and nature in different places during my spare time. I would like to take advantage and visit various cities and mountains while in the UK. Fun fact, I climbed Mountain Fuji twice in one month in the summer of 2022.

MSc Project

Object manipulation using model-based reinforcement learning

Using model-based Reinforcement Learning (RL) methods, we tackle the complex and nonlinear control problem in robotic strawberry harvesting where strawberries are in a cluster. To address this issue, we decided to solve a similar problem from the control field: balancing a 2D inverted pendulum. Our approach involves developing a simulation of the problem in Mujoco and using deep RL combined with dynamics model to expedite the learning process through the acquisition of the discrepancy between the dynamics model and real-world interactions. As part of the problem, we validate a Xela sensor simulation by a dataset of pushing experiments with a real Xela tactile sensor.

PhD Project

Data-driven autonomous robotic food handling

The project will develop new reliable data-driven control algorithms for robotic manipulation. Technologies for low-cost handling of food products will be explored in this project. Some low-cost articulated robotic arms equipped with grasping end-effectors will be developed and tested with the reasonable speed, accuracy, and reliability. 

The research will focus on reliable data-driven control algorithms for food manipulation. The student will develop adaptive impedance control through a path of increasing complexity, starting from basic energy-aware control algorithms to a reliable adaptive control framework. This will be paired with mechanical design and prototyping, with the goal of co-designing control algorithms and (compliant, tuneable) hardware. The research will be validated on a commercial robotic system provided by RT Corp. 

The student will have full access to all teaching courses at undergraduate, master, and PhD level, in engineering and wider domains (communication, management, etc.). The student will also learn from a large body of activities at the Control Laboratory, at the Bio-Inspired Robotic Laboratory, and at the Observatory for Human-Machine Collaboration.

Yi’s PhD project is being carried out in collaboration with RT Corporation, under the primary supervision of Dr Fulvio Forni.