Blending Cutting-Edge Science and Commercial Potential

Below is a repost of Dr. Yuqian Lu's interview with the National Science Challenge, SfTI.

SfTI-sponsored researcher collaborates with telecoms giants

For many scientists, success is measured in the number of high-impact papers they publish. For others, it is about training the next generation of innovators. For some, the focus is on commercialisation — translating their research into real-world products. Dr Yuqian Lu from the University of Auckland is a scientist achieving all three, with the support of SfTI.

Dr Lu leads the university's Industrial AI Group, where his team works on everything from human-robot collaboration to next-generation communication for manufacturing systems. "We really believe artificial intelligence and robotics can have a huge impact on industry," he says. "Our work is about transforming the workplace into a more efficient, enjoyable, and sustainable environment."

After completing his PhD in mechatronics at UoA, Dr Lu spent three-and-a-half years in industry, working on manufacturing process automation for NZ-based companies including FRAMECAD Ltd. "It was like a start-up experience within a big company," he explains. "I did everything from leading the R&D, to developing the market strategy and pricing models."

In 2021, Dr Lu received a seed grant from SfTI titled 'Ultra-reliable time-sensitive industrial control in the cloud'. The project combines automation, artificial intelligence, and 5G communication to improve robotic control in industrial settings, in collaboration with Spark, Nokia, and Victoria University of Wellington.

"Imagine if one day, we could have the world's top surgeon based in the US remotely operating on a patient in Auckland Hospital via robots. Or a fleet of industrial robots are centrally managed remotely." — Dr Yuqian Lu

Joseph Wong, Innovation Lead of Spark New Zealand, noted: "Spark's goal is to help New Zealanders win big in a digital world, and Yuqian's project certainly fits very well into that. The research is very valuable — it basically opens up cloud-based robotics control to industry, and makes it more scalable."