Research Groups
1. Agents, Robotics and Embodied AI (ARE)
Group Leader: Prof. YANG Chenguang Charlie
Focuses on autonomous systems that perceive, learn, plan, and act in dynamic environments. This area spans robotics, embodied AI, and agent-based systems, integrating sensing, perception, decision-making, and control. Key topics include perception and navigation, human–robot interaction, multi-agent coordination, and safe, robust autonomy for real-world deployment.
2. Cybersecurity, Privacy and Blockchain (CPB)
Group Leader: Prof. LUO Xiapu Daniel
Covers cybersecurity across cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies, network and system security, and secure decentralized systems. Key emphases include smart contract analysis, verification and vulnerability detection; secure Web3 infrastructure; and privacy-enhancing technologies for authentication, data analytics, and digital currency/payment systems; as well as robust defences against emerging threats (including AI-enabled attacks).
3. Theoretical foundations of AI & Machine Learning (AI-ML)
Group Leader: Prof. LI Zhenhui Jessie
Focuses on the mathematical and computational foundations of AI and machine learning, including computational complexity, algorithms and optimization, algorithmic game theory, and theories of data science and machine learning. This area drives principled advances in efficiency, scalability, and provable guarantees.
4. Advanced System Software (SS)
Dedicated to AI/LLM-enabled systematic design, development, and assurance of advanced complex software systems. Key topics include dependable and secure software, testing and verification, formal methods, engineering practices for AI systems including safety-critical cyber-physical applications, and quantum computing.
5. Edge Computing and AIoT (ECA)
Group Leader: Prof. YANG Lei Ray
Focuses on distributed intelligence and next-generation connectivity, spanning edge/cloud computing, IoT/AIoT systems, and mobile and wireless networking (including 6G). Key topics include real-time and resource-efficient AI on devices, privacy- and security-aware sensing, and reliable large-scale deployment of intelligent connected systems.
6. Multi-Model Interactions and Communication (MIC)
Explores the interaction between humans, digital systems, and physical/virtual environments, including AR/VR/XR and Metaverse-style applications. A key focus is multi-model communication and orchestration which enables collaboration and interoperability among specialised AI models (and agents), often over multimodal inputs (text, vision, speech, sensor data), to support complex, human-centric tasks.
