Biography

Dr Xing Wang is currently a Lecturer in Robotics Engineering at the University of Canberra, where his research focuses on agricultural robotics, soft robotics, and the integration of robotic manipulation with machine learning-based perception systems.

Prior to this role, Dr Wang was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at CSIRO Robotics, Data61 (2022 – 2024), where he worked on computational design methods for soft robotics, contributing to both the theoretical and applied advancements in adaptive and compliant robotic systems.

In recognition of his research excellence and international impact, Dr Wang was granted the prestigious Global Talent Independent (GTI) permanent visa by the Australian Government in 2022.

Dr Wang is also one of the four key inventors of the Monash Apple Retrieving System (MARS), an autonomous apple-harvesting robot designed for real-world agricultural deployment. The system was awarded a provisional Australian patent AU 2021904217 and has been widely recognised in the field of agri-tech, featured in over 50 national and international media outlets, including BBC News and ABC News. MARS was also demonstrated at Agriculture Victoria's Tatura Smart Farm in March 2022.

Dr Wang holds a PhD in Robotics from Monash University, which he completed in 2022 with an “Excellent” grade in the thesis examination. His PhD research focused on the development of soft robotic grippers for adaptive grasping and machine learning-driven vision systems for object perception. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering (First Class Honours) from Monash University (2018), as well as a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Central South University (China), completed through a 2+2 joint program.

For details, please visit my Google Scholar via the link.

Grants

• Lead-PI: Towards Dexterous Soft Robotics, Start-up funding, University of Canberra
• Co-PI: Accelerate-C2D3 AI for research and innovation scheme (UK £15,000)
  
• Co-applicants for CERC R+ funding: Machine learning model for additive manufacturing

Research interest

• Soft Robotics: design (unconventional), modelling, evaluation, control, real-world deployment
• Agricultural Robotics
• Robotics grasping and manipulation
• Tactile sensing

Supervision: I am looking for motivated students to join me for research :) Detailed roles include:

• PhD 
• Master by research
• Honours project (Engineering & IT)
• Capstone
• Research assistant or intern

Award

I have been honoured with numerous academic and professional awards, including:

• 2023 Excellence Award – Project of the Year Finalist (Engineers Australia)
• CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Fellowship
• Editor’s Choice Papers in Sensors and Agronomy
• Monash Graduate Scholarship, Monash International Tuition Scholarship, Faculty of Engineering International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, International Student Scholarship
• Dean’s Honour List at Monash University (2017)

Professional service

University of Canberra 

• Member of Faculty Research Committee 

IEEE Member

• Co-organiser for IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) Chapter in ACT, AU (Under Petition)

Guest Editor

• Technology - MDPI, JCR Q1, IF 4.2

Workshop Organiser:

• Corresponding organiser: ICRA2024 workshop: Sustainable soft robotics
  
• Co-organiser: GECCO2024 workshop: Embodied and Evolved Artificial Intelligence
• Co-organiser: RoboSoft 2023 workshop: soft robotics for the real world

Active reviewer for several top-tier robotics journals and conferences, including:

• IEEE ICRA, IROS, Robosoft, IEEE TRO, Transactions on Mechatronics, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)
• Computers and electronics in agriculture
• Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, Smart materials and structures
• Agriculture, Sensors, Technology, Agronomy - MDPI