Automation for a safer and sustainable future
Zhang was elected as an IEEE Fellow for his contributions to fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control systems.
His research revolves around one main question: how can we use automation to both correct and prevent unexpected events in everyday life?
From unmanned vehicles to aircraft safety to forest fires, Zhang’s research explores how automation and artificial intelligence can be used to make the correct decisions in unprecedented situations.
The automation that Zhang and his team are researching can have applications in many areas. Its capabilities span from assisting airplane pilots with safe landings when mechanical failures arise to diagnosing and putting out forest fires using UAVs or drones.
“The goal is to have fully autonomous vehicles replacing human drivers and pilots altogether,” Zhang explains. “The current technology has not matured enough to allow full automated control for, say, self-driving cars on the road — but we are well on our way toward making that happen.”
The system can also be used with smart grids by reducing the influence of human operators. More importantly, it can both diagnose and prevent potential threats, like cyberattacks and physical-system damages.
Beyond improving the safety and efficiency of transportation, smart grids and forest fire monitoring and fighting, Zhang’s research also positively impacts sustainability. By integrating automation in these sectors, carbon emissions can be reduced and energy efficiency improved compared to systems currently operated by humans.
“It’s an honour for not only myself but my whole team of colleagues, students and collaborators to have received this title,” Zhang says. “Receiving such a widely recognized distinction from the IEEE is a testament to the hard work of my entire team over the course of my career.”
Zhang has been faculty at the Gina Cody School since 2006. He earned his PhD from Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi’an, China, in 1995.
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