Contact Professor Yifan Zhao

Areas of expertise

  • Ageing & Chronic Disease
  • Autonomous Systems
  • Digital Twinning
  • Human Factors
  • Instrumentation, Sensors and Measurement Science
  • Sensor Technologies
  • Through-life Engineering Services

Background

Prof Zhao focuses on solving Inverse Problems based on data science approaches including Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer vision, pattern recognition, signal processing, and nonlinear system identification. He received his PhD degree in Automatic Control and System Engineering from the University of Sheffield in 2007. He also has MSc and BEng degrees in in Automatic Control Engineering from the Beijing Institute of Technology, China.

Research opportunities

Solving Inverse Problems based on data science including Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer vision, pattern recognition, signal processing, and nonlinear system identification. The covered themes include

- Data-driven solutions (Primarily AI) for decarbonisation and productivity improvement in Digital Construction

- Non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) within Digital Manufacturing

- Driver monitoring and human-machine interface for Intelligent Transport

- Brain functional imaging and analysis in Digital Healthcare

Current Grants:

PI, BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy), 'Fuel Coach - using computer vision technology, machine sensors and nudge-based behaviour coaching to reduce construction site emissions and fuel costs.', £675K, 2021-2024

PI, Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship, titled "A Digital Twin of construction machinery for improved energy efficiency", IF2223B-110

PI: “TRAMS-Enterprise - Trustworthy, Responsible AI and ML for construction, Secure and Enterprise Ready”, Innovate UK (Ref: 10093011), £815K

PI, “Trust evaluation of autonomous systems through a correlation analysis between brain activity monitoring and micro-expressions”, funded by EPSRC, iCASE, in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover

Completed Grants

PI, 'Cognitive states estimation using non-intrusive electroencephalogram', funded by Jaguar Land Rover

PI, EPSRC IAA, "Development of driver behaviour tracking technology for semi-autonomous and human-driving vehicles", £40K, 2020-2022

PI, Higher Education Innovation Fund, 'Commercialisation and knowledge exchange of BAMCAM for the construction sector', £31K, 2022-2022

PI, Innovate UK, "One Source of Truth: Using AI & Computer vision to reduce contract disputes, manage warranties in MMC building and measure productivity & safety" (Ref: 44190), £650K, 2020-2021

Co-I, DSTL, "Sonar data processing using machine learning"

Co-I, EPSRC, 'Distributed Intelligent Ultrasound Imaging System for Secure in-community Diagnostics (SecureUltrasound)', EP/R013950/1, £1 M, 2018-2021

PI, HEIF, "Exploration of The Learning Camera in construction sector", £20K, 2019-2020

PI, Lloyd Registration Foundation, 'Prototype development of a Real-time Electronic Counterfeit Batch Inspection Technique (RECBIT)', GA 100113, £250 K, 2018-2020

Co-I, Jaguar Land Rover and EPSRC, "TASCC: Driver-Cognition-Oriented Optimal Control Authority Shifting for Adaptive Automated Driving (CogShift)", EP/N012089/1, £2 M, 2015-2019

PI, Innovate UK, "The Learning Camera" (Ref: 22994), £274 K, 2018-2019

Academic Supervisor, KTP with iDirect, 'Anomaly detection of satellite architectures', £130 K, 2017-2019

Co-I, BAE Systems, PhD project 'Process monitoring and control for Wire + Arc Additive Manufacture', £100 K, 2016-2019

Clients

Jaguar Land Rover

BAM Nuttall Ltd

BAE Systems

Airbus

NHS

Flannery Plant Hire

Thales

BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT LIMITED

GLIDEOLOGY LIMITED

IOTIC LABS

ITA Labs

Anti Counterfeiting Forum

iDirect

WERNER HOMES LTD

Publications

Articles In Journals

Conference Papers

Books