Zhiang Chen

Zhiang Chen is a Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in Geophysics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His work bridges geophysical research with robotics and machine learning for environmental monitoring.

Research interests include:

• Development of low-cost robotic tools (e.g., Shakebot) for seismic studies
• Integration of UAVs, lidar, and zero-shot deep learning for geologic mapping
• Analysis of fault scarps, precariously balanced rocks, and volcanic deformation
• Optimization of environmental monitoring via decision-theoretic and digital twin frameworks

Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary applications of robotics and machine learning in geophysics, focusing on 3D mapping of surface deformations, wildfire-induced geohazards, and autonomous detection of geologic features.