Yu Zhang

Website

Curriculum Vitae

Career

As a seasoned system architect with a strong background in autonomous driving systems, I have successfully delivered multiple advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving features for various vehicle platforms.

Currently, I am very interested in solving navigation/planning problems through AI with physics/optimization-informed neural networks.

My research interests cover the area of decision making, motion planning, control algorithms and simulation for autonomous cars.

  • Reshape Navigation/planning through AI with Physics/optimization-informed Neural Networks
  • Optimization-based, Search-based, Sampling-based and Learning-based Motion Planning Algorithms with Differential Constraints / Interactive Uncertainty
  • Realtime and Embedded Solvers for Nonlinear Optimal Control
  • Decision-making for Autonomous Systems
  • Computational Geometry
  • Simulation For Autonomous Driving

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (December, 2020 - Now)

System Architect/Team Lead, Planning & Control System, ADS, Intelligent Automotive Solution Business Unit (IAS BU)

  • Led the motion planning team to successfully deliver the Integrated Cruise Assist (ICA), the Navigation Cruise Assist (NCA), as well as AVP (Automated Valet Parking) and APA (Automated Parking Assist) parking systems for the Arcfox αS HI, AITO M Series, Avita E Series, Luxeed. The usability, performance metrics, and user experience of these functionalities have achieved industry-leading standards.
  • Responsible for the architecture design and core algorithm development of the motion planning system for the ICA/NCA/AVP/APA.This includes, but is not limited to, modeling and solving trajectory planning problems considering perception uncertainty, interaction uncertainty, and multi-modal predictions, developing SOTA mathematical models and cutting-edge numerical and neural solvers for decision-making, motion planning and control problems.
  • Managed and built the motion planning team, achieving a threefold increase in team size to over 40 members.

UISEE Technology Co. Ltd. (March, 2019 – October, 2020)

Planning and Control Algorithm Engineer

  • Conceived, designed and implemented a general and highly-efficient hierarchical collision detection framework and algorithms (the most efficient compared to the famous open-source collision detection libraries, such as Bullet, FCL, OpenGJK, Box2D, Apollo)
  • Conceived, designed and implemented a general and real-time optimization-based motion planning framework (highly-efficient, easy to control the shape of the path, and optimize over a more complete solution space compared to MPCC, SLP and EMPlanner)

Education

Beijing Institute of Technology (September, 2012 - March, 2019)

  • Ph.D, Mechanical Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Supervisor: Prof. Huiyan Chen
  • Thesis Title: Hybrid Motion Planning for Autonomous Driving

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada (August, 2015 - August, 2017)

  • Visiting Scholar, Wavelab, Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Supervisor: Prof. Steven L. Waslander

China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing, China (August, 2008 - June, 2012)

  • B.S., Automotive Engineering, College of Engineering, Supervisor: Prof. Yu Tan

Skills

  • Programming Languages: C++ > Python = Lua = Julia > Bash ...
  • Platform: Linux, Windows, QNX
  • Tools: ROS/ROS2, Eigen, acados, Symforce, Pytorch, OpenCV, Various Solvers:IPOPT/SNOPT/OSQP ...
  • Transformer, Diffusion Models

Awards

  • Leading Talent, 2019-2020
  • Scholarship for Joint PhD Programs from China Scholorship Council, 2015-2017
  • Part of BIT team that won the second place in Unmanned Groud Vehicle Challenge 2014
  • Part of BIT team that won the championship in China Intelligent Vehicle Future Challenge 2013
  • First-class Doctoral Scholarship for PhD Students, BIT, 2012
  • National Scholarship for Encouragement, CAU, 2011
  • Technological Innovation Award, CAU, 2011
  • Leader of CAU team that won the second place in the RoboCup China Open, 2011
  • Prize of Pioneer of College Student’s Holiday Social Pratice, CAU, 2010
  • Major Award, CAU, 2009
  • Outstanding Reporter, CAU, 2009
  • Anlifang Individual Scholarship, CAU, 2009
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