Yanchao Yu

Dr Yanchao Yu is a Lecturer at the School of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment of Edinburgh Napier University. He earned a BSc from Beijing Information Science and Technology University, an MSc in Software Engineering (Distinction), and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Heriot-Watt University (UK).

• PhD in Artificial Intelligence (Heriot-Watt University)
• MSc in Software Engineering (Distinction)
• BSc in Computer Science

His research focuses on building smart agents and robots that assist humans in daily tasks through natural conversations. Key areas include:

• Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Generation (NLG), and Dialogue Management (DM)
• Visually grounded language learning
• Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)
• Machine learning for interactive systems

Recent publications emphasize context-aware dialogue systems, visual scene understanding, and ethical challenges in HRI. He leads the EPSRC-funded project Learning from Collaborative Storytelling (2025-2028, £439,581) to enhance robot perception through interactive storytelling.

• Director of Studies for Lewis Watson's PhD on AI-Driven Conversational Storytelling
• Co-supervisor for multiple PhD projects including medical training robotics and machine unlearning

Previously worked at Heriot-Watt's Interaction Lab (postdoc) and industry roles at Voysis (acquired by Apple) and Alana AI.