UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1106

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Xinyao Zhang
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: Cynthia
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): xzhang@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering 
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/20126/1-lab%20logo.png

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Teaching Robots to Be Smart Teammates Using AI
Project Keywords: Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Smart Manufacturing, Data Analysis, Predictive Modeling
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 6
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Open to all majors

Project Location:: College of Engineering Building 
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: Bus routes from FSU main campus to Engineering Building, https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/students/bus-routes
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5-10 hours a week
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: During business hours
Overall Research Project Description:
Inspired by the power of effective teamwork, our research tackles challenges in modern robotics: enabling humans and robots to collaborate as true teams. To achieve this, robots evolve from simple tools into intelligent partners capable of understanding human actions and anticipating their needs. For example, teach a robot to pass the correct tool to an operator or assist a technician with a complex assembly task.
Our research group builds the AI brains for next-generation collaborative robots. This project offers an exciting opportunity to become an AI trainer and data detective, turning raw data into robotic intelligence. 


Research Tasks:
• Explore literature in the field of human-robot collaboration.
• Write Python scripts to clean, process, and visualize data.
• Develop and test predictive algorithms.
• Participate in weekly team meetings to share ideas and results.
• Document findings in a final research poster or report.


Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
• Curiosity and willingness to learn about AI, data, and robotics.
• Basic programming familiarity. No expert coding skills are required.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.


Mentoring Philosophy:
• Identifying mentees’ goals.
• Developing a relationship founded on mutual respect. 
• Evaluating mentees’ talents and building on them. 
• Encouraging questions, experimentation, and out-of-the-box thinking.


Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://xinyao-zhang.github.io/
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
If you are interested in joining my lab, feel free to attend my roundtable (3:00-3:30 pm on 09/02 or 09/04) using this Zoom link (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/9937971059). You could also reach out by email (xzhang@eng.famu.fsu.edu) with the subject line "UROP Project". Please attach your resume and include your background and research interests. 


Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
3:00-3:30 pm on 09/02 or 09/04, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/9937971059

For those who were unable to attend the roundtable sessions, you can view the recorded meeting [https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/0wk3R7qOXrQW8i4CaZUVEhsVFPtStOKho1KsicHSWXMpQLuCU9Wus9Jv2P--TbZB.lLcl54m8x0pdtnNb?startTime=1757012467000]. I've also summarized the key points from the discussion below. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in joining this exciting project!

Project Overview
- Dr. Xinyou Zhang (Cynthia Zhang) introduced a research project on human-robot collaboration
- Research focuses on making robots "real teammates" for human operators in industrial settings
- Project aims to equip robots with human-like intelligence for proactive collaboration
- Dr. Zhang is a first-year research faculty from the industry and manufacturing engineering department
Technical Requirements
- Basic programming skills recommended but not required at expert level
- Python knowledge (NumPy, scikit-learn) and familiarity with platforms like Jupyter Notebooks or Google Colab is helpful
- Dr. Zhang teaches data engineering and can provide resources for students to learn necessary skills
- Project will be tailored to match students' skill sets and interests
Project Structure
- Emphasis on undergraduate researchers (first and second-year students through UROP)
- Both independent research and collaborative work possible depending on project scope
- For UROP timeline, focus will be on simulation environments rather than physical robots
- Long-term lab members may get hands-on experience with real robots
Application Scenarios
- Manufacturing processes: assembly and disassembly of products
- Recycling applications: disassembling used electronic products to extract valuable materials
- Data types will include:
    - Time series data from sensors (temperature, speed, powder quantity)
    - Image data from cameras
- Focus on anomaly detection for preventive maintenance in manufacturing
 Action Items
- Interested students to email Dr. Zhang with "UROP project" in the subject line

Roundtable Info:
- Day: Tuesday, September 2
  Start Time: 3:00
  End Time: 3:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/9937971059
- Day: Thursday, September 4
  Start Time: 3:00
  End Time: 3:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/9937971059

UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2025
update url: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=3C4zTuKz9Pg818vbjbxF3dQ8quPRcbP-s59p6V2K0tE