Tien-Fu Lu

Associate Professor Tien-Fu Lu is a faculty member in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide, affiliated with the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. He holds a Reader position and specializes in intelligent mechatronics, robotics, and automation systems. His work spans nano-positioning technologies, industrial robotics, agricultural automation, and mining engineering.

Research Interests:
- Robotics and mechatronics in agriculture (vineyard pruning, stockpile management)
- Underwater robotics and autonomous systems
- Energy harvesting using piezoelectric materials
- Human-machine interaction through exoskeletons
- Precision motion control and sensor systems

Recent work focuses on automated pest detection in agriculture, real-time stockpile modeling for mining, and advanced robotic systems for industrial applications. He has secured over $12M in research funding, including major grants from CSIRO, GRDC, and SmartSat CRC.

Awards:

• Web of Science High-Citation Paper (2018)
• ASPEN2015 Conference Best Paper Award
• StateWeb Excellence Award (2007)

Grants and Supervision:
He leads teams in multidisciplinary projects, supervising Masters/PhD candidates in robotics and mechatronics. Active collaborations involve industry partners like CSIRO, GRDC, and Wine Australia.

Labs/Teams:
- Robotics and Automation Lab
- Agricultural Mechatronics Group
- Mining Automation Research Cluster