Time: 15:00-16:00 (UTC+8, Beijing Time), 18th November 2022

VooV Meeting ID: 494-167-168 (Password:10497)

Host: Prof. Zhuang Kejia

Lecturer：Prof. Wang Yongjing , University of Birmingham

Abstract: Disassembly is a key step in remanufacturing and recycling, both of which are critical components in a circular economy. Disassembly is also a common operation in the repair and maintenance of machines and public infrastructure facilities (e.g. transport and energy).   In many ways, disassembly is challenging to robotise due to variability in the condition of the returned products and the required dexterity in robotic manipulations. Unlike the tasks that have no physical contacts (e.g. computer visual inspection) or simple contacts (e.g. cutting, welding, pick-and-place), disassembly usually involves complex contact problems. Compared to the assembly of new products, which is deterministic because the components to be assembled are of known geometries, dimensions and states, disassembly is more stochastic as it has to contend with used products of uncertain shapes, sizes and conditions. This talk reviews research progress in the area of robotic disassembly at the Autonomous Remanufacturing Laboratory, the University of Birmingham, UK, and emerging opportunities.

Brief introduction of the lecturer: Dr Yongjing Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham. Wang obtained his PhD in 2017, followed by 3 years of postdoc research on the topic of robotic disassembly in the EPSRC project AUTOREMAN. Wang was appointed to his current role in 2020. Wang is leading a research team focusing on robotics and automation technologies for industrial sustainability. Wang is the Principal Investigator of the EPSRC New Investigator Award on self-learning manufacturing robotics and several high-TRL industrial projects. Wang is also a Co-investigator of the £6.7m Smart Factory Hub (SmartFub). The value of Wang’s active research funding portfolio is greater than £900k. Wang is a member of the Focus Group on "Environmental Efficiency for Artificial Intelligence and other Emerging Technologies", the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialised agency of the United Nations, and a member of TPR/1/7/5 Design for MADE standards committee, the British Standards Institution (BSI), UK. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and one of the seven elected members of the UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems Network Early Career Forum.

Source: School of Mechatronics Engineering

Edited by: Li Tiantian