About Me

Hello, I am currently a researcher with the TAMS Group, led by Prof. Jianwei Zhang, at the University of Hamburg. I obtained my Ph.D. from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, where I was supervised by Prof. Tin Lun Lam. My research interests focus on modular robotics and multimodal systems.

News

[08/2025] Invited to serve as an Associate Editor for ICRA 2026.

[07/2025] One paper accepted to International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR).

[05/2025] One paper accepted to IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (T-MECH).

[05/2025] Our paper was honored as an ICRA Best Paper Award Finalist.

[04/2025] Selected as a RSS Pioneers 2025.

[01/2025] Invited to serve as an Associate Editor for IROS 2025.

[01/2025] Two papers accepted to IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2025.

[09/2024] One papers accepted to International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR).

[08/2024] One papers accepted to International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR).

[08/2024] Received the Best Poster Award at the Annual Conference of the China Robotics Society (中国机器人学术年会最佳海报奖).

[07/2024] Successfully defended my PhD dissertation.

[10/2023] Our work “DISG” was featured in IEEE Spectrum!

[08/2023] One paper accepted to IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO).

[07/2022] One paper accepted to IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO).

Selected Publications

• Guanqi Liang, Di Wu, Yuxiao Tu, Tin Lun Lam, “Decoding Modular Reconfigurable Robots: A Survey on Mechanisms and Design,” International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR), 2025.

• Guanqi Liang, Rong Ou, Yuxiao Tu, Di Wu, Tin Lun Lam, “S-DISG: Position and Torque Sensing for Driving Integrated Spherical Gear,” IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (T-MECH), 2025.

• Guanqi Liang, “Freeform Modular Robots: Reconfigurability via Swarm Spheres,” Robotics: Science and Systems. [RSS Pioneers 2025]

• Guanqi Liang, Lijun Zong, Tin Lun Lam, “DISG: Driving-Integrated Spherical Gear Enables Singularity-Free Full-Range Joint Motion,” IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2023.

• Guanqi Liang, Yuxiao Tu, Lijun Zong, Junfeng Chen, Tin Lun Lam, “Energy Sharing Mechanism for a Freeform Robotic System - FreeBOT,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2022.

• Guanqi Liang, Haobo Luo, Ming Li, Huihuan Qian, Tin Lun Lam, “FreeBOT: A Freeform Modular Self-reconfigurable Robot with Arbitrary Connection Point - Design and Implementation,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2020. [IROS Best Paper Award on Robot Mechanisms and Design]

• Yuxiao Tu, Guanqi Liang, Di Wu, Xinzhuo Li, Tin Lun Lam, “Locomotion and self-reconfiguration autonomy for spherical freeform modular robots ,” International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR), 2025.

• Di Wu, Guanqi Liang, Yuxiao Tu, Lijun Zong, Tin Lun Lam, “Linear-Time Quasi-Static Stability Detection for Modular Reconfigurable Robots,” International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR), 2025.

• Lijun Zong, Guanqi Liang, Tin Lun Lam, “Kinematics Modeling and Control of Spherical Rolling Contact Joint and Manipulator,” IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), 2023.

• Yuming Liu, Qiu Zheng, Yuxiao Tu, Yuan Gao, Guanqi Liang, Tin Lun Lam, “Configuration-Adaptive Visual Relative Localization for Spherical Modular Self-Reconfigurable Robots,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2025. [ICRA Best Paper Award Finalist]

• Peiqi Wang*, Guanqi Liang*, Da Zhao, Tin Lun Lam, “Enhancing Connection Strength in Freeform Modular Reconfigurable Robots through Holey Sphere and Gripper Mechanisms,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2025.

• Rong Ou*, Guanqi Liang*, Tin Lun Lam, “FPECMV: Learning-based Fault-Tolerant Collaborative Localization under Limited Connectivity,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2023

• Yuxiao Tu, Guanqi Liang, Tin Lun Lam*, “FreeSN: A Freeform Strut-node Structured Modular Self-reconfigurable Robot - Design and Implementation,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2022.

• Yuxiao Tu, Guanqi Liang, Tin Lun Lam*, “Graph Convolutional Network based Configuration Detection for Freeform Modular Robot Using Magnetic Sensor Array,” IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2021.

• Ming Li, Guanqi Liang, Haobo Luo, Huihuan Qian, Tin Lun Lam, “Robot-to-Robot Relative Pose Estimation based on Semidefinite Relaxation Optimization,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2020.

Awards

• RSS Pioneers, Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS), 2025

• ICRA Best Paper Award Finalist, ICRA, 2025

• IROS Best Paper Award on Robot Mechanisms and Design, IROS, 2020

• Best Poster Award, Annual Conference of the China Robotics Society, 2024

• AIRS Talent PhD Fellowships, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, 2021

• AIRS Talent PhD Fellowships, Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, 2020

• National Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China, 2018

• National Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China, 2017

• National Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China, 2016

Press

• IEEE Spectrum: Metal Spheres Swarm Together to Create Freeform Modular Robots.

• NHK: 世界!オモシロ学者のスゴ動画祭2：可能性は無限大！夢の合体ロボ！

• Engadget: Magnetic FreeBOT orbs work together to climb large obstacles.

• TechXplore: Magnetic FreeBOT balls make giant leap for robotics.

• DeepTech: 《超能陆战队》磁性球体机器人成真？中国内地高校近十年来首获机器人顶会IROS最佳论文奖

• 机器人大讲堂: 现实版《超能陆战队》：港中深「新型自重构机器人」获IROS最佳机器人设计提名

Service

Associate Editor

• IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)

• IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

Reviewer

• Science Robotics (SR)

• International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR)

• IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO)

• IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics (T-MECH)

• Autonomous Robots (AURO)

• Journal of Field Robotics (JFR)

• IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)

• Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS)

• IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)

• IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)