Professor Dan Zhang is a Chair Professor of Intelligent Robotics and Automation at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Laval University, Canada in 2000. He was a Kaneff Professor and Tier 1 York Research Chair in Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at York University. Dr. Zhang was a Canada Research Chair in Advanced Robotics and Automation, was a founding Chair of the Department of Automotive, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering with the Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science at Ontario Tech University. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Laval University, Canada, in June 2000.

Dr. Zhang’s research interests include: synthesis and optimization of parallel and hybrid mechanisms; generalized parallel mechanisms research; reconfigurable robots; micro/nano manipulation and mems devices (e.g., sensors); rescue robots; smart biomedical instruments (e.g., exoskeleton robots and rehabilitation robotics); AI/robotics/autonomous systems; Aerial and Underwater Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Robotics.

Dr. Zhang has published 254 journal papers and 190 conference papers, 12 books, 9 book chapters and numerous other technical publications. Dr. Zhang has served as a General Chair for 67 International Conferences and delivered 117 keynote speeches. Dr. Zhang is listed as the World’s Top Two Percent Researchers by Stanford’s Standardized Citation Indicators in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Dr. Zhang is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), a Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and a Fellow of Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME), a Senior Member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and a Senior Member of SME.