Kaiyu Hang

Kaiyu Hang is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Rice University, directing the Robotics and Physical Interactions Lab (RobotΠ Lab). He holds a PhD and MSc from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and a B.Eng. from Xi’an Jiaotong University. His postdoctoral research was conducted at Yale University.

His research focuses on robotic systems capable of physically interacting with the environment and humans, emphasizing algorithms in optimization, learning, and control. Key areas include manipulation systems (small-scale grasping to large-scale multi-robot manipulation), robust control, and energy-efficient UAV perching mechanisms inspired by nature. His work has been featured in MIT Technology Review, Science Robotics, and NPR.

Hang has received notable awards such as the NSF CAREER Award (2023) and ASME Rising Star (2024). He serves on editorial boards for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (2019–present), ICRA (2021–present), IROS (2020–present), and Humanoids (2019). He also organizes the 10th Robotic Grasping and Manipulation Competition (RGMC) at ICRA 2024.

As a faculty advisor for the Rice Robotics Club and on the CS Graduate Admission Committee, Hang actively mentors students and promotes inclusivity in robotics through initiatives like Inclusion@RSS. His lab’s projects aim to enhance manipulation robustness, develop novel UAV landing gear, and advance nonprehensile manipulation via motion planning and control.