Abstract: Canada is in a housing crisis. Part of the challenge is low construction productivity, which has been stagnant for decades. Introducing robots to construction sites holds the promise of improving productivity and project quality while reducing material waste. However, deploying robots onsite requires solving complex problems in robot perception and control that are unique to construction. In this seminar, Zhengbo will discuss how robots may automatically navigate in complex and unseen environments and achieve dexterous manipulation of everyday construction tools with minimum training. Bio: Dr. Zhengbo Zou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at The University of British Columbia. His group (intelligent construction lab, or ICON lab) focuses on understanding how intelligent agents, such as construction robots and building control systems, interact with human operators, occupants, the built environment, and the society. Zhengbo received his PhD from New York University, MSc from Carnegie Mellon, and BEng from Tongji, China. (https://civil.ubc.ca/zhengbo-zou/) Speaker(s): Dr. Zhengbo Zou , Agenda: 10:00 am Start – Gathering – Introduction 10:10am – Talk – Discussion 11:00am End Speaker: Prof. Zhengbou Zho Moderator: Prof. Kefei Wen Room: CEME 2202, Bldg: Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building, 6250 Applied Science Lane, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, UBC Vancouver Campus , Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/407613