Prof. Achim Lilienthal | LiDAR Perception | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Achim Lilienthal | LiDAR Perception | Research Excellence Award 

Prof. Achim Lilienthal | LiDAR Perception | Technical University of Munich | Germany

Prof. Dr. Achim Josef Lilienthal earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Tübingen (summa cum laude), following a diploma in Physics from the University of Konstanz. Over his distinguished career, Achim Josef Lilienthal has held leading academic and research-oriented roles across Europe and beyond, including his current appointment as Full Professor (W3), Chair of Perception for Intelligent Systems at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and Deputy Director at the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI). He previously served as full professor at Örebro University, founding and directing the Mobile Robotics & Olfaction Lab, and has been a visiting professor at institutions such as Cornell University, as well as a consultant for industry including Bosch and robotics startups. His research interests span mobile robot olfaction (gas distribution mapping and gas source localization), 3D perception and SLAM (LiDAR/radar mapping, sensor fusion, localization), human–robot interaction (intention recognition, human-aware navigation), and eye-tracking–based AI systems for human–robot interaction, driver monitoring, and safety applications. He is skilled in robotics, sensor fusion, 3D mapping, machine learning, perception algorithms, gas-sensing robotics, human-robot interface design, and systems integration enabling development of autonomous intelligent systems capable of robust perception in complex, dynamic environments. Through a prolific publication record of over 300 peer-reviewed papers, supervision of 50+ PhD students, leadership of major EU research projects and startups, and securing substantial research funding, Achim Josef Lilienthal has made foundational contributions to the robotics and intelligent systems community  particularly gas-sensing robotics, safe human-machine interaction, and autonomous perception.

Professional Profiles: ORCID | Google Scholar | Scopus

Selected publications 

  • Lilienthal, A. J., & Duckett, T. (2007). Scan registration for autonomous mining vehicles using 3D-NDT. Journal of Field Robotics, 24(10), 803–827. (Citations: 951)

  • Triebel, R., Arras, K., Alami, R., Beyer, L., Breuers, S., Chatila, R., Chetouani, M., … & Lilienthal, A. J. (2016). Spencer: A socially aware service robot for passenger guidance and help in busy airports. Field and Service Robotics: Results of the 10th International Conference. (Citations: 364)

  • Magnusson, M., Nüchter, A., Lorken, C., & Lilienthal, A. J. (2009). Evaluation of 3D registration reliability and speed – A comparison of ICP and NDT. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). (Citations: 348)

  • Valgren, C., & Lilienthal, A. J. (2010). SIFT, SURF & Seasons: Appearance-based Long-term Localization in Outdoor Environments. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 58(2), 149–156. (Citations: 314)

  • Stoyanov, T., Magnusson, M., Andreasson, H., & Lilienthal, A. J. (2012). Fast and Accurate Scan Registration through Minimization of the Distance between Compact 3D NDT Representations. International Journal of Robotics Research, 31(12), 1377–1393. (Citations: 303)

  • Neumann, P. P., Hernández Bennetts, V., & Lilienthal, A. J. (2013). Gas source localization with a micro-drone using bio-inspired and particle filter-based algorithms. Advanced Robotics, 27(9), 725–738. (Citations: 270)

  • Lilienthal, A. J., & Duckett, T. (2004). Building gas concentration gridmaps with a mobile robot. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 48(1), 3–16. (Citations: 210)

Prof. Guanghao Huang | Optical sensors Awards | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Guanghao Huang | Optical sensors Awards | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Guanghao Huang, Qingdao University, China

Dr. Guanghao Huang is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Future, Qingdao University, where he has served since April 2020. He holds a Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering from Pusan National University, South Korea, and previously earned an M.S. in Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering from the same institution. He also holds a B.Eng. in Electronics Engineering from Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology. Dr. Huang’s research focuses on integrated optical sensors, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). He has been recognized with multiple best paper awards and a national scholarship from the Chinese Embassy in South Korea. His work has led to several patents in optical waveguide technologies and polarization devices.

Professional Profile:

ORCID

Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award – Dr. Guanghao Huang

Dr. Guanghao Huang exemplifies research excellence in the fields of integrated optical sensors, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), artificial intelligence, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). With a robust academic trajectory from Pusan National University and professional experience spanning both academia and industry, Dr. Huang is currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the Institute For Future, Qingdao University.

🎓 Education

  • 🧑‍🎓 Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering, Pusan National University, South Korea (2015.03 – 2020.02)

  • 📘 M.S. in Cogno-Mechatronics Engineering, Pusan National University, South Korea (2012.03 – 2014.08)

  • 💻 B.Eng. in Electronics Engineering, Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology, China (2006.09 – 2010.06)

💼 Work Experience

  • 🧑‍🏫 Assistant Professor, Institute for Future, Qingdao University, China (2020.04 – Present)

  • 🔬 Research Associate, Department of Electronics Engineering, Pusan National University (2014.08 – 2015.03)

  • 🛠️ Engineer, Beijing Rijin Automotive Systems Co., Ltd (2010.03 – 2012.01)

🏆 Patents & Achievements

  • 🔧 Apodized Gratings for Polymeric Waveguide Tunable Wavelength Filters (Patent No. 10-1759727, 2017)

  • 🔧 Integrated Optic Polarization Splitter via Total Internal Reflection (Patent No. 10-2018368, 2017)

  • 🔧 Broadband Integrated Optic Polarization Splitters (Patent No. 10-1923956, 2018)

🥇 Awards & Honors

  • 🇨🇳 2018: National Excellent Self-funded Scholarship (Excellence Award), Chinese Embassy in South Korea

  • 🏅 2017: Best Paper Award, 24th Optoelectronics & Optical Communications Conference

  • 🏅 2016: Best Paper Award, 23rd Optoelectronics & Optical Communications Conference

  • 🏅 2015: Best Paper Award, 24th Photonics Conference

  • 🏅 2013: Best Paper Award, 20th Optoelectronics & Optical Communications Conference

Publication Top Notes:

Development and Characterization of an Asymmetric MZI Temperature Sensor Using Polymer Waveguides for Extended Temperature Measurement Scopes

Physiological Noise Filtering in Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Signals Using Wavelet Transform and Long-Short Term Memory Networks