PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Zhang Libin

Also known as 张立彬, 張立彬

Zhang Libin is a Chinese roboticist whose research focuses on automation and robotics in agriculture and industrial mass production. Born in Yiwu in 1955, he studied at Zhejiang Agricultural University, became a lecturer in agricultural engineering there in 1985, and moved to Zhejiang University of Technology as vice president in 1994. He served as the university’s president from 2005 to 2015, and his papers cover agricultural robot research and cucumber robot trajectory planning. In August 2026, he is chairman of the International Alliance of Robotics Associations (IARA).

Now at
International Alliance of Robotics Associations
Born
1955
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1955

    Birth and agricultural studies

    Born in Yiwu, Zhejiang, in August 1955, he is a Chinese roboticist and studies at Zhejiang Agricultural University, now part of Zhejiang University, for his undergraduate and postgraduate education.

  2. 1985

    Lecturer in agricultural engineering

    In 1985, he becomes a lecturer in Zhejiang Agricultural University’s Department of Agricultural Engineering. He later becomes the department director and dean.

  3. September 1994

    Vice president at ZJUT

    In September 1994, he transfers to Zhejiang University of Technology as its vice president.

  4. March 2005–July 2015

    President of ZJUT

    In March 2005, he becomes president of Zhejiang University of Technology, succeeding Shen Yinchu. In July 2015, Cai Yuanqiang takes over as president.

  5. 2008

    Surveying agricultural robots

    In 2008, he and six coauthors publish an overview of agricultural robots in China, describing grafting, transplanting, mowing, spraying, harvesting, and other systems.

  6. 2009

    A cucumber harvesting robot

    In 2009, he and five coauthors publish a paper on a cucumber harvesting robot’s kinematics and trajectory planning. The paper describes a vision system, a four-degree-of-freedom manipulator, and cycloidal motion for joint trajectories.

  7. 2010

    Agricultural automation research team

    In 2010, he and Yang Qinghua write an introduction to Zhejiang University of Technology’s Agricultural Engineering Equipment and Automation Research Team. The article lists agricultural engineering, tractor, and robot as keywords; his research focuses on automation and robotics in agriculture and industrial mass production.

  8. As of October 2026

    Chairman of IARA

    In August 2026, he is chairman of the International Alliance of Robotics Associations (IARA).

Career

  1. NowInternational Alliance of Robotics AssociationsChairman
  2. 1994–2015Zhejiang University of TechnologyVice President, President
  3. 1985–1994Zhejiang Agricultural UniversityLecturer, department director, and dean

Education

  1. Zhejiang Agricultural University

From the biography.

  1. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Zhejiang University of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  2. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Zhejiang University of Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  3. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes Zhejiang University. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  4. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Zhejiang University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.

Colleagues

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

Sources and credits

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

  1. Zhang Libin - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. Zhejiang University of Technology - Baidu Baike baike.baidu.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Overview of research on agricultural robot in China ijabe.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Kinematics and trajectory planning of a cucumber harvesting robot manipulator ijabe.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Equipment and Automation Research Team, Zhejiang University of Technology ijabe.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. IARA y la cooperación internacional en robótica | Roboticssa roboticssa.eu. Checked 21 October 2026.