PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Chenguang Yang

Also known as Charlie Yang

As of October 2026, Chenguang Yang is a professor in the Department of Computing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he works on embodied AI for robot learning and human–robot interaction. He completed a control-engineering PhD at the National University of Singapore and conducted human-robotics research at Imperial College London. His career includes professorships in the UK and China, an EU Marie Curie fellowship, IEEE paper awards in 2012 and 2022, and leadership of robotics groups at Liverpool and Bristol. In 2026, he coauthored research on language-guided robot tool use and multirobot cargo manipulation.

Works
932
Citations
25,929
h-index
82
Rankings
#88 by cited papers
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2010

    Control engineering training

    He completes a PhD in control engineering at the National University of Singapore in 2010. His training includes a BEng in measurement and control from Northwestern Polytechnical University and postdoctoral research in human robotics at Imperial College London.

  2. 2011–2013

    A fellowship and paper award

    He receives an EU FP-7 Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship for 2011–2013. As lead author, he wins the IEEE Transactions on Robotics Best Paper Award in 2012.

  3. December 2018–December 2021

    Human-centred robotics for manufacturing

    At UWE Bristol, he holds a UK EPSRC Innovation Fellowship from 2018 to 2021 and leads its £492,351 project on human-centred robotics for flexible manufacturing. The project aims to develop an interface for teaching robots through body posture, hand gesture and voice commands.

  4. 2019–2025

    Collaborative automation leadership

    He serves as corresponding co-chair of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society's Technical Committee on Collaborative Automation for Flexible Manufacturing from 2019 to 2025.

  5. 2022

    Two research awards

    As lead author, he receives the IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems Outstanding Paper Award in 2022. He also contributes to work that earns the Chinese Association of Automation's Natural Science Award first prize in 2022.

  6. By 2025

    Professorships and robotics groups

    By 2025, he holds the Chair in Robotics in the University of Liverpool's Department of Computer Science and leads its Robotics and Autonomous Systems group. His career also includes professorships at UWE Bristol and South China University of Technology, plus leadership of Bristol Robotics Laboratory's Robot Teleoperation Group.

  7. August 2026

    Planning robot tool use

    In August 2026, he coauthors an article that uses large language models and natural-language instructions to plan non-prehensile tool manipulation, with a controller guided by visual feedback. He also coauthors an accepted IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics article on multirobot cargo manipulation in 2026.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor at PolyU

    He is a professor in PolyU's Department of Computing. His research focuses on embodied AI for robot learning, human–robot interaction, and intelligent system design.

Career

  1. Since 2026Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityProfessor
  2. 2024–2026University of LiverpoolChair in Robotics
  3. 2019–2026Bristol Robotics LaboratoryGroup leader
  4. 2018–2021University of the West of EnglandInnovation Fellow
  5. 2016–2020Swansea University
  6. 2014–2026South China University of TechnologyProfessor
  7. 2014–2026Key Laboratory of Autonomous Systems and Network Control, Ministry of Education
  8. 2011–2018University of Plymouth
  9. 2010–2013Imperial College LondonPostdoctoral researcher
  10. Department of Computer ScienceGroup leader

Education

  1. 2010National University of SingaporePhD
  2. Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityBEng

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. Extended State Observer-Based Integral Sliding Mode Control for an Underwater Robot With Unknown Disturbances and Uncertain Nonlinearities2017 · IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics · 566 citations
  2. Adaptive Neural Network Control of AUVs With Control Input Nonlinearities Using Reinforcement Learning2017 · IEEE Transactions on Systems Man and Cybernetics Systems · 538 citations
  3. Adaptive Parameter Estimation and Control Design for Robot Manipulators With Finite-Time Convergence2018 · IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics · 472 citations
  4. Human-Like Adaptation of Force and Impedance in Stable and Unstable Interactions2011 · IEEE Transactions on Robotics · 397 citations
  5. Neural Control of Bimanual Robots With Guaranteed Global Stability and Motion Precision2016 · IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics · 397 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

  1. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers rose from 2% to 32%Includes Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We estimate where leading AI researchers worked when their most-cited papers appeared. The company share rose from 2% in 1975–1979 to 32% in 2020–2024.
  2. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.
  3. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes South China University of Technology. Our estimates of where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led, from education records in cited biographies.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Imperial College London. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Chenguang Yang yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Prof. YANG Chenguang Charlie | Department of Computing polyu.edu.hk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. Research Workshop – The Chinese Automation and Computing Society in the UK cacsuk.co.uk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. Chenguang Yang - IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Website ieee-ras.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  4. Human Centred Robotics for Next-generation Flexible Manufacturing gtr.ukri.org. Checked 19 October 2026.
  5. Non-prehensile tool-object manipulation by integrating LLM-based planning and manoeuvrability-driven controls research.polyu.edu.hk. Checked 19 October 2026.
  6. Chenguang Yang - PolyU Scholars Hub research.polyu.edu.hk. Checked 19 October 2026.