Bio
Dr. Yifang Liu received her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University in 2023 August. Her doctoral research specialized in robotic construction, specifically focusing on assembly planning using in-situ materials. She developed rock stacking algorithms that allow today’s robots, like robotic arms or excavators, to rearrange rocks into stable structures without mortar or binder. In addition to her primary research, she participated in other research projects, including studying error effects in collective robotic construction and investigating active face frontalization techniques using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), among others. In her role at ORNL, Dr. Liu is conducting research on advanced building construction techniques utilizing robots. The work involves designing and modeling a cable-driven parallel robot with the aim of achieving autonomous construction processes. Her responsibilities also include deploying control algorithms in an experimental setup for advanced building construction projects related to automation in construction, as well as evaluating the performance of novel control algorithms for robotic construction.