Heng Yang

Heng Yang is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). He directs the Computational Robotics Group, focusing on robust and efficient computational algorithms for intelligent systems. His research spans robotics, control theory, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Yang holds a Ph.D. in Robotics from MIT, where he worked under Luca Carlone in the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems. He also serves part-time as a research scientist at NVIDIA Research. His academic affiliations include Harvard SEAS and collaborations with institutions like the University of Minnesota and INRIA Paris.

His research interests emphasize the intersection of theory and practice in robotics and AI, particularly in areas like perception, control, and optimization. Recent work includes advancements in robot perception, convex optimization techniques, and algorithmic guarantees for autonomous systems.

Yang has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2025 IEEE RAS TC Best Paper Finalist and MIT LIDS/ALL Magazine Honors. His contributions to robotics and AI have been highlighted in MIT News and other prominent outlets.

His advising and grants focus on computational robotics and machine learning applications. The Computational Robotics Group at Harvard explores cutting-edge topics like perception, control, and optimization, with a lab dedicated to advancing intelligent systems.