Dr Erfu Yang is a Reader in Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Group within the Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management (DMEM) at the University of Strathclyde. He is the Co-lead of the RAS Group, Programme Lead of MSc in Mechatronics and Automation, Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Champion, Mechatronics theme Champion of both UG and MSc.  In 2008, he received his Ph.D. degree in robotics from the University of Essex, Colchester, UK, within the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. 

Before joining the DMEM in May 2014, he was a research fellow in the Cognitive Signal Image and Control Processing Research (COSIPRA) Laboratory at the University of Stirling, UK. Previously, as a research fellow he also worked in the Department of Mechanical and Control Systems Engineering (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan) and School of Engineering (University of Edinburgh, UK). His main research interests include robotics, autonomous systems, human-robot collabrations, computer vision, image/signal processing, mechatronics, data analytics, manufacturing automation, multi-objective optimizations, and applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence, including multi-agent reinforcement learning, deep learning, neural networks, bio-inspired algorithms, and cognitive computation, etc. He has over 200 publications in these areas, including more than 100 journal papers and 10 book chapters. He is Stanford’s Top 2% Scientist for 2024 & 2025.

Dr Yang has been awarded over 15 research grants as PI (principal investigator) or CI (co-investigator). He is the Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, Member of the UK Engineering Professors’ Council,  Senior Member of the IEEE Society of Robotics and Automation, IEEE Control Systems Society, IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society, Publicity Co-Chair (pre-April 2024) and now Engagement Chair of the IEEE UK and Ireland Industry Applications Chapter. Dr Yang has been a Scientific/Technical Programme Committee member or organizer for a series of international conferences and workshops. He serves as an associate editor and editorial board member for many international journals, including Cognitive Computation (Springer), Sensors, Manufacturing Review, Frontiers in Robotics and AI, etc.