News

2026 IEEE RAS Summer School on Small Quadcopter Drones Successfully Held in PolyU

Led by Prof. Hailong Huang and the members of research group of Autonomous and Interactive Mobile Systems (AIMS), the 2026 IEEE RAS Summer School on Small Quadcopter Drones: Design, Operation, and Applications was successfully held in Hong Kong from 24 to 28 August 2026. The five-day intensive programme was delivered primarily in person, with online access provided for selected sessions. A total of 52 participants joined the programme, including 48 in-person participants and 4 online participants. Combining theoretical instruction with hands-on practice, flight training, and a final competition, the Summer School provided participants with a structured learning experience covering the design, system integration, control, planning, and autonomous operation of small quadcopter drones. The Summer School was hosted by the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering and delivered as part of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS) Technical Education Program (TEP). The programme focused on the design, operation, control, and real-world applications of small quadcopter systems, while also introducing participants to emerging opportunities associated with the low-altitude economy. The five-day programme was organised around the key stages of quadcopter system development. On the first day, participants were introduced to the fundamentals of quadcopter drones and took part in hands-on sessions on drone assembly and ground-station setup. The second day focused on ROS, onboard computing, and first-flight operation, followed by indoor position-mode flight practice to strengthen participants’ understanding of system integration and basic flight procedures. The third day centred on drone control and stabilisation, combining lectures on control algorithms with practical stabilisation and control exercises. On the fourth day, the programme progressed to planning and navigation, where participants studied path-planning algorithms and carried out autonomous navigation exercises, gaining experience in the key technologies required for autonomous drone operation. On the final day, participants worked in teams to conduct system debugging and final tuning, integrating the knowledge and skills developed throughout the week. Their learning outcomes were then put into practice through a flight competition, followed by an awards and certificate ceremony, group photo, and farewell session. A strong emphasis was placed on hands-on learning and teamwork throughout the Summer School. Practical sessions in drone assembly, indoor flight, stabilisation, control, and autonomous navigation enabled participants to apply theoretical concepts directly on quadcopter platforms. The hybrid format also allowed online participants to join selected lecture sessions, broadening access to the programme. As the low-altitude economy and autonomous aerial systems continue to develop rapidly, capabilities in drone system design, intelligent control, and autonomous navigation are becoming increasingly important. By integrating theoretical foundations, system implementation, and practical applications, the 2026 IEEE RAS Summer School provided participants with a comprehensive learning pathway in small quadcopter technologies and contributed to education, practical innovation, and talent development in aerial robotics and related low-altitude application.  

AAE Hosts ICASSE 2026, Advancing International Collaboration in Aerospace Systems

The 10th International Conference on Aerospace System Science and Engineering (ICASSE 2026), organised by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and hosted by the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering (AAE) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU),  was successfully held at PolyU from 16 to 17 July 2026. The conference convened over 160 researchers, academics and aerospace industry professionals from 10 countries and regions. The conference received 129 paper submissions and featured an academic programme comprising two keynote speeches, 15 invited speeches, 99 scheduled paper presentations and 19 thematic technical sessions. Discussions covered a broad range of topics, including AI-enabled aerospace systems, autonomous flight, satellite navigation, aircraft digital twins, advanced propulsion, composite materials and structural health monitoring. Twenty papers entered the final Best Paper evaluation, with three receiving Best Paper Awards and another three being recognised as Best Paper Award Finalists. Prof. Li-Ta Hsu, Associate Professor and Limin Young Scholar in Aerospace Navigation in AAE of PolyU, and Prof. Wu Xu, Vice Dean of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at SJTU, served as General Chairs. Prof. Yiping Jiang of AAE served as General Co-Chair, while Prof. Yu Guan of AAE served as Programme Committee Vice Chair. The local delivery at PolyU was jointly coordinated by Dr Penggao Yan (Organising Committee Chair), Ms Yuzhu Hu (Organising Committee Co-Chair) and Ms Xiaoyu Luo (Organising Committee Co-Chair), all of AAE, with support from a team of PolyU student helpers. At the opening ceremony, Prof. Wang Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research) of PolyU, and Prof. Shiqiang Hu, Secretary of the CPC School Committee of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at SJTU, delivered welcome remarks. The two keynote speeches were given by Prof. Florian Holzapfel of the Technical University of Munich and Prof. Qi Zhao of PolyU. The conference also showcased AAE’s contributions to the wider technical programme. Prof. Yiping Jiang and Prof. Guohao Zhang of AAE delivered invited speeches. Beyond the main programme, ICASSE 2026 facilitated a series of meaningful academic and institutional exchanges. Notably, a Young Scholars Exchange was held on 17 July 2026, providing a dedicated platform for doctoral candidates, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scholars to present their latest research, exchange innovative ideas, and build valuable professional networks. Following this, on 18 July 2026, the editorial board of the Aerospace Systems journal convened to discuss its strategic future directions, exploring upcoming special issues and the expansion of space-related research topics. By bringing together universities, research institutions, industry and academic publishing partners, ICASSE 2026 strengthened international exchange across aeronautics, astronautics and aerospace systems engineering. The conference also demonstrated AAE’s capacity to support international academic collaboration through its research expertise, facilities and collective organisational effort.

AAE Student Project Won the Best Project Award of the Inter-departmental Final Year Project 2025/26 and the Bronze Award at the ASMPT Technology Award 2026

An Inter-departmental Final Year Project accomplished by undergraduate students from the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering (AAE), the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), and the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) won the Bronze Award at the ASMPT Technology Award 2026, held on 10 July 2026.Prior to this, the outstanding project was also recognised as the Best Project Award of the Inter-departmental Final Year Project 2025/26.  The awarded project, entitled “Intelligent UAV Systems for GNSS-Based Remote Sensing on Vegetation”, showcased the exceptional talents and dedication of PolyU students. Traditional ground object detection (e.g., vegetation monitoring) relies on manual surveys, costly aerial imaging, or low-resolution satellite images. This work integrates Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS) onto an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platform with higher flexibility to achieve an intelligent and remote sensing system for ground object monitoring.  This complex project was supervised by Prof. Guohao Zhang and co-supervised by Prof. Li-Ta Hsu. The team members include: ZHOU Jiayi (AAE) Md Sahat MAHMUD (AAE) Sashenka GAMAGE (EEE) TAN Qing Lin (ME) The ASMPT Technology Award is an initiative led by ASMPT Limited and a symbol of the commitment to technological innovation in Hong Kong. This year is the 11th ASMPT Technology Award, the purpose of which is to promote excellence in technology. It is an interdisciplinary award inviting participation of top Faculties in Hong Kong, aiming to recognise and reward students with extraordinary Final Year Projects which showcase technological advancement and innovative thinking. This year, 12 exceptional projects were nominated by the 6 participating universities to compete for awards. The nominees presented their projects in 20-minute sessions, followed by a 10-minute Q&A with a panel of judges comprising ASMPT leaders, university faculty, and industry experts. The judging criteria focused on technical performance, project quality, creativity, originality, applicability, and practicability. Congratulations to our talented students for their outstanding achievement! We are proud of their dedication and commitment to advancing the field of aviation engineering.

STF Awards Prof. Bing Xu for Innovative Research in High-Precision Urban Positioning

Prof. Bing Xu’s project, “Enhancing Vehicular Positioning and Navigation Precision in Urban Environments Using Low Earth Orbit Satellites,” has been awarded over HK$ 4,000,000. The project aims to assess the feasibility of using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to provide high-precision positioning and navigation services by enhancing existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). While GNSS is essential for vehicular positioning and navigation, it faces numerous problems and challenges. For example, GNSS signals are easily obstructed or reflected in urban environments like Hong Kong, leading to degradation of positioning availability and accuracy. Additionally, secure GNSS positioning cannot be guaranteed due to increasing radio frequency interference and spoofing attacks. The proposed LEO-enhanced navigation services will be implemented in three steps: 1) positioning using current LEO satellites, such as Iridium satellites; 2) integrated positioning by GNSS satellites and the current LEO satellites; and 3) the study and implementation of integrated LEO/GNSS positioning using new LEO navigation signals. This research promises substantial benefits for all road users, encompassing both private vehicles and public transportation networks. By ensuring highly reliable and secure navigation, the project will also accelerate the transition toward autonomous and electric vehicles, serving as a critical stepping stone in realizing the broader blueprints for smart mobility and smart city development.  

AAE Student Wins Best Paper Award in The 20th IEEE International Conference on Control and Automation (ICCA) 2026

We are pleased to announce that Ms Xiong Wei, a PhD student enrolled in our full time PolyU-Tongji University Dual PhD Programme, won the Best Paper Award at the 20th IEEE International Conference on Control and Automation (ICCA) 2026, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 16 to 20 June 2026. Under the supervision of Prof. Wen Chih-Yung and Dr Wang Tianqi, Ms Xiong’s award-winning paper is titled “Inverse Learning-based Strategy for Linear Quadratic Differential Hypergame with Misperception”. This paper studies dynamic decision-making and control under misperception, where one player holds a biased understanding of another player’s objective. To address this issue, Ms Xiong proposes an inverse learning-based strategy that reconstructs the Nash-relevant closed-loop dynamics from finite state trajectories. In addition to this outstanding achievement, Dr Li Yu, a Postdoctoral Fellow under Prof. Wen Chih-Yung’s supervision, was selected as a finalist for the Best Paper Award at the same conference. Dr Li’s finalist paper is titled “Event-triggered incremental fault-tolerant control: recovery performance and convergence time guarantee”.

Built to Win: PolyU DBF Team Places 15th Place Globally and Once Again Claims Asia's Top Spot at AIAA DBF 2026

We are thrilled to share that our remarkable DBF team achieved 15th place out of 98 teams worldwide at the 2025-2026 AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) competition, hosted by AIAA Corporate Member Textron Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, from 16 April to 19 April 2026. This year’s mission challenged teams to design, build, and fly a remote-controlled aircraft capable of completing charter flights with plastic ducks and pucks as passengers and cargo, respectively. Another mission required teams to tow a long banner and deploy it mid-air. To succeed, aircrafts had to accommodate different mission payloads, withstand landing impacts and in-flight vibrations, and deliver reliable performance across all mission attempts. Competing against strong teams from around the world, we are proud to share that our team ranked 1st in Asia once again – a significant milestone in our journey this year.   About AEOLUS: AEOLUS is PolyU’s official representative team in the prestigious AIAA DBF Competition. Comprising passionate students from AAE, the team embodies the creativity, collaboration, and technical excellence of PolyU’s emerging aviation talent. AEOLUS is committed not only to the design, construction, and operation of innovative remote-controlled aircraft but also to fostering a strong culture of teamwork, resilience, and personal growth among its members. Through hands-on learning and real-world challenges, the team develops critical thinking, leadership, and problem-solving skills that prepare students for success in the ever-evolving aviation and aerospace industries. Through every project, AEOLUS strives to inspire the future of aviation engineering in Hong Kong by empowering young talents to push boundaries and embrace innovation.   About AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition: Now celebrating its 30th year, the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition was established by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in 1996 to provide university students with practical experience in aircraft design. In this competition, participants are required to design, build, and demonstrate the flight performance of an unmanned, electric-powered, radio-controlled aircraft. The event places strong emphasis on achieving a balanced design, good flight handling characteristics, cost-effectiveness, and high performance. Each year, new design challenges and performance goals are introduced to foster innovation and technological advancement. Overall, the competition offers students a valuable platform to apply their knowledge in a practical setting and contribute meaningfully to the field of aviation.

Inaugural UM–PolyU CREI Workshop Strengthens Collaboration in Robotics and Embodied Intelligence

The UM–PolyU Joint Research Centre for Robotics and Embodied Intelligence (CREI) successfully hosted its inaugural research workshop, marking an important milestone in strengthening research collaboration between the University of Macau and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The workshop brought together leading scholars, researchers, and students from both universities to exchange recent advances in robotics, autonomous systems, and embodied intelligence, and to explore future opportunities for joint research and talent development.   The workshop opened with keynote speeches by the Centre’s Co-Directors, Professor Cheng-Zhong Xu from the University of Macau and Professor Wen-Hua Chen from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Professor Xu delivered a keynote on “Cognitive Intelligence for Robust Autonomous Driving in Mixed Traffic,” offering insights into how cognitive intelligence can support autonomous systems in complex and human-involved environments. Professor Chen presented “Active Learning and Embodied Intelligence,” highlighting the importance of active interaction, learning, and adaptation for the next generation of embodied intelligent systems.   Following the keynote sessions, distinguished researchers from both universities shared their latest research progress across the Centre’s core directions. The speakers included Professor Chenguang Yang, Professor Hailong Huang, and Professor Lik-Hang Lee from PolyU, and Professor Carlos Jorge Ferreira Silvestre, Professor Junwen Zhong, and Professor Zhehua Zhou from the University of Macau. Their talks covered a wide range of topics, including human-like robot control and human–robot collaboration, intelligent autonomous robotic systems for aerial and ocean applications, perception and decision-making for embedded intelligence, bio-inspired insect-scale robots, XR interfaces for human–robot interaction, and trustworthy embodied intelligence with foundation models.   The workshop provided a valuable platform for deepening mutual understanding, identifying complementary research strengths, and promoting future collaboration between UM and PolyU. It also reflected CREI’s commitment to advancing interdisciplinary research that connects fundamental robotics technologies with real-world autonomous and embodied intelligence applications.   The UM–PolyU CREI sincerely thanks all speakers, participants, and organizing team members for their valuable contributions and support. The Centre looks forward to continuing these discussions and welcoming the research community to future CREI events.   For further information on upcoming events, please visit the UM–PolyU CREI website.

PolyU Hosts Second Research Workshop on Unmanned Autonomous Systems, Fostering Global Collaboration and Knowledge Transfer

The Research Centre for Unmanned Autonomous Systems (RCUAS) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) successfully hosted its 2nd Research Workshop of RCUAS on 7 May 2026 at PolyU campus, bringing together leading scholars, industry experts, and students to explore the future of intelligent autonomous technologies. The event showcased PolyU’s growing leadership in unmanned autonomous systems, serving a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration across academia and industry. Participants engaged in lively discussions on autonomous systems, embodied intelligence, trustworthy AI, robotics, and applications to the low-altitude economy. Morning session: The workshop was opened with the opening remarks by Professor Chih-Yung Wen, Director of RCUAS and Chair Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering (AAE). He highlighted the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing cutting-edge research that addresses major societal and industrial needs. The morning session featured a series of talks addressing cutting-edge research challenges in robotics and intelligent systems.  Professor Boyu Zhou from the Southern University of Science and Technology shared recent progress in efficient active perception and mobile manipulation, while Professor Chen Sun from The University of Hong Kong spoke on trustworthy driving intelligence, focusing on the challenges of generalization, safety, and deployment in autonomous driving systems.  Dr Xiaofei Li, CEO of Simple AI Technology, explored the rapid rise of embodied intelligence and offered perspectives on the next stage of AI development.  Mr Leo LIU, CTO of Gammon Construction Limited, examined the transformative potential of autonomous systems in the construction sector, along with the practical challenges of industry integration. A particularly engaging open discussion session before lunch brought together professors and industry leaders to reflect on how academia can build distinctive research strengths amid the rapid advancement of industrial AI and autonomous technologies.  Afternoon Session: The afternoon session continued with talks highlighting breakthroughs in robust autonomous driving, SLAM technologies, digital twins, and drone applications.  Professor Chengzhong Xu, IEEE Fellow and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Macau, shared research on robust autonomous driving in mixed traffic environments. Dr Jianhao Jiao from PolyU presented his insights on lifelong spatial memory and navigation for legged robots through advanced SLAM techniques. Mr Tony Chan from Esri China (Hong Kong) Limited introduced the role of GIS and living digital twin technologies in supporting the development of the low-altitude economy. Mr Dylan Tyack, Founder and Managing Director of Drone Solutions Asia, discussed practical drone operations and the exciting opportunities they present for Hong Kong’s low-altitude economy. Demo Session & Poster Session: Beyond the presentations, the workshop featured demonstration sessions, poster presentations of RCUAS’s research outputs, and interactive exchanges, creating valuable opportunities for participants to connect, share ideas, and spark new collaborations. Through this successful event, RCUAS once again demonstrated its dedication to fostering world-class interdisciplinary research and strengthening ties between universities and industry. By bridging academic excellence with practical application, PolyU continues to drive innovation in intelligent autonomous technologies and support their transformative impact across transportation, robotics, urban infrastructure and aerospace engineering.  

AAE Students Won the Excellence Award in the HKIE Logistics and Transportation Division (LTD) Best Student Papers Awards 2025-2026

We are pleased to announce that a research team led by Prof. Xu Gangyan has received the Excellence Award at the HKIE Logistics and Transportation Division (LTD) Best Student Papers Awards 2025-2026. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding engineering students from accredited programmes in Hong Kong, encouraging them to pursue excellence and innovation within the engineering profession.   Aligned with this year’s theme, "Innovation in Transport or Logistics," the team submitted their impactful research titled "Infrastructure Network Design for UAV-based Emergency Medical Delivery Service." The winning team consists of Mr Cheng Yung, Mr Meng Junkai, and Ms Yang Zixi, under the guidance of Prof. Xu, with mentoring support from his PhD student Ms Dong Wenzhao.   The award-winning research proposes a sophisticated, optimized infrastructure network tailored for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) emergency medical deliveries. The framework integrates several complex logistical elements, including strategic helipad placement, drone deployment, and precise task scheduling. Through detailed case studies based in Hong Kong, the research demonstrates how UAV can effectively complement traditional transport systems during time-critical emergencies. More reliable delivery of life-saving supplies, such as blood and essential medicines, can be achieved.   We extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Xu and his students on this remarkable honour. We look forward to their continued contributions to the aviation engineering field.

PolyU AAE Research Projects Win Gold and Silver Medals at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

The Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering (AAE) is proud to announce that its research projects achieved remarkable results at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, held at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland from 11 to 15 March 2026. The AAE projects in the PolyU delegation successfully clinched two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal. Stairio – Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury The project entitled "Stairio: Automated Staircase Safety Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance Robot with Handrail-affixed Locomotion System" was awarded the Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury. The project was led by Principal Investigator Prof. Li-Ta Hsu, with team members Mr Max Jwo Lem Lee, Mr Chi Leung Chan, Mr Hiu Hei Chong, Ms Luling Yuan, Ms Ruoyu Chen, Mr Yihan Zhang, and Mr Mingxiang Xiao. Stairio is an autonomous robot designed to improve staircase safety and maintenance, addressing the inefficiency and high cost of manual inspections, which often miss critical hazards. Its patented handrail-affixed locomotion system enables stable, continuous navigation across diverse staircase designs without obstructing users. LEO CNAV – Gold Medal The project entitled "LEO CNAV: A Spaceborne Payload for Low-Earth Orbit Communication and Navigation Services" was awarded the Gold Medal. The project was led by Principal Investigators Prof. Chih-Yung Wen and Prof. Bing Xu, with team members Dr Tianqi Wang, Ms Yuxin He, and Mr Zihong Zhou.   LEO CNAV is a low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite payload designed for next-generation integrated navigation and communication applications. It integrates a spaceborne GPS/BDS receiver with a navigation and communication signal transmitter to deliver high-precision and reliable positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services. The payload transmits integrated navigation and communication signals, allowing flexible allocation of resources based on mission needs. AI Drone System for Cleaning Building Exteriors – Silver Medal The project entitled "Safety-assured AI-driven Drone System for Cleaning Building Exteriors" was awarded the Silver Medal. The project was led by Principal Investigator Prof. Weisong Wen, with team members Mr Jiahao Hu, Mr Naigui Xiao, Mr Yingming Chen, Mr Peiwen Yang, and Mr Xiangru Wang.   This safety-assured, AI-driven drone system eliminates the high risks and inefficiencies of manual high-rise cleaning. Unlike conventional drones that struggle in dense cities due to signal obstruction, this innovation uses advanced multi-sensor fusion (LiDAR/GNSS/Vision) to achieve centimetre-level precision even in GNSS-denied urban canyons.