{"id":44487,"date":"2026-06-29T15:03:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T19:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/?page_id=44487"},"modified":"2026-06-29T15:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T19:28:13","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/home\/","title":{"rendered":"Lab News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

News of Our lab<\/h1>
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2026<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Welcome – AIRIS Lab welcomes Ruojing Song\ud83c\udf89<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

May 2026<\/strong>
We are excited to welcome Ruojing Song to AIRIS Lab as a new Ph.D. student.
Ruojing will contribute to the lab\u2019s research in embodied AI, robotics, and intelligent systems for the built environment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – HOIST for humanoid manipulation of suspended loads<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

May 2026<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab released HOIST, a humanoid learning framework for manipulating suspended payloads. The work addresses a challenging manipulation problem in which a humanoid robot
must control an underactuated and oscillatory load through whole-body motion and intermittent contact. The project combines imitation learning and sample-efficient reinforcement learning to improve suspended-load placement, supporting the lab\u2019s broader vision of deploying humanoid robots for real-world construction and field tasks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Event – Dr. Shuai Li presents at the UF AI & Robotics Mini-Symposium<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

April 2026<\/strong>
Dr. Shuai Li presented \u201cPhysical AI for Construction\u201d at the University of Florida AI & Robotics Mini-Symposium. The event brought together UF faculty and external partners to discuss future opportunities at the intersection of artificial intelligence and robotics. Dr. Li\u2019s presentation highlighted AIRIS Lab\u2019s research vision in physical AI, embodied intelligence, construction robotics, and human-centered robotic systems.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – New paper on humanoid locomotion for construction material handling<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

March 2026<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab contributed to a new paper on learning humanoid locomotion skills for material handling and transportation in construction sites. The study explores how reinforcement learning can enable humanoid robots to carry payloads across complex construction surfaces, including flat ground, ramps, stairs, narrow beams, random obstacles, and irregular trenches. This work supports the lab\u2019s long-term goal of using humanoid robots to assist with labor-intensive, repetitive, and potentially hazardous construction tasks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Congrats – Dingyuan Huang becomes a Ph.D. student in AIRIS Lab\ud83c\udf89<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

January 2026<\/strong>
We are excited to share that Dingyuan Huang officially became a Ph.D. student in AIRIS Lab.
Dingyuan first joined the group in April 2025 and will continue working on robotic manipulation,
embodied AI, and human-robot collaboration for clinical and built-environment applications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab contributes to NSF project on wearable intelligent soft exosuits<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

January 2026<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab contributed to an NSF-supported project on wearable intelligent soft exosuits for musculoskeletal disorder understanding and rehabilitation. The project aims to advance
human-centered robotic assistance and intelligent wearable systems, aligning with the lab\u2019s broader interest in robotics for workforce health, safety, and physical assistance.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2025<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Research – Roadmap paper on humanoid robots in construction published in Scientific Reports<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

December 2025<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab contributed to a new Scientific Reports paper on the opportunities, challenges, and roadmap for humanoid robots in construction. The paper discusses how humanoid robots may
help address labor shortages, hazardous working conditions, and productivity challenges in construction. It also identifies major technical and non-technical challenges, including robust
perception, adaptive locomotion, dexterous manipulation, continual learning, human-robot collaboration, safety, ethics, and workforce impact.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AI-assisted spatial-awareness framework for laparoscopic surgery training<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

November 2025<\/strong>
Songyang Liu, Yunpeng Tan, and Dr. Shuai Li released a new study on AI-assisted visual feedback for improving spatial awareness in laparoscopic surgery training. The framework integrates simulation, AI perception, and mixed-reality feedback to help trainees better understand depth, contact, and tool orientation during minimally invasive surgical tasks. This
work expands AIRIS Lab\u2019s embodied AI research into healthcare training and clinical robotics.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab launches NSF project on immersive training for fire investigations<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

October 2025<\/strong>
Dr. Shuai Li received NSF support for a project on multimodal immersive training to develop spatial-temporal reasoning expertise for fire investigations. The project explores how immersive technologies, intelligent training environments, and AI-supported reasoning tools can help investigators understand complex fire scenes and improve professional training in safety-critical built-environment applications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab contributes to NSF project on biomimetic soft robots for minimally invasive surgery<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

October 2025<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab contributed to an NSF-supported project on AI-embodied biomimetic soft robots for superior vision in minimally invasive surgery. The project connects embodied AI, soft robotics, perception, and surgical assistance, extending the lab\u2019s research from construction and infrastructure robotics to healthcare and medical robotic systems.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab receives NSF I-Corps support for contextual robotic AI agents<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

September 2025<\/strong>
Dr. Shuai Li received NSF I-Corps support for translating contextual robotic artificial intelligence agents for field tasks in construction and project-based industries. The project investigates the real-world potential of robotic AI agents that can understand task context, assist field workers, and support decision-making in complex, dynamic work environments.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Welcome – AIRIS Lab welcomes Shunyu Yao\ud83c\udf89<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

August 2025<\/strong>
We are excited to welcome Shunyu Yao to AIRIS Lab as a new Ph.D. student.
Shunyu will contribute to the lab\u2019s research in robotics, embodied AI, and intelligent systems for construction
and field applications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab contributes to the AMERICA project on extreme-resistance materials<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

August 2025<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab joined the AMERICA project, Architected Materials for Extreme Resistance in Coastal Applications. The project brings together a multidisciplinary UF team to explore resilient
materials and systems for coastal applications. AIRIS Lab contributes expertise in robotics, AI, and intelligent built-environment systems to support the development and deployment of next-generation resilient infrastructure technologies.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab continues NSF FAIR4WISE research on AI and robotics for smart engineering<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

August 2025<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab continued NSF-supported FAIR4WISE research on Future AI and Robotics for
Women in Smart Engineering. The project focuses on using AI, robotics, and human-centered
interfaces to make engineering and construction work safer, more inclusive, and more
accessible. This work reflects the lab\u2019s commitment to developing robotic systems that not only
improve productivity but also support workforce equity and well-being.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Welcome – AIRIS Lab welcomes Dingyuan Huang\ud83c\udf89<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

April 2025<\/strong>
We are excited to welcome Dingyuan Huang to AIRIS Lab. Dingyuan joined the group to work on robotic manipulation, embodied AI, and intelligent robotic systems for high-precision real-world tasks<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Welcome – AIRIS Lab welcomes Ruiren Mei\ud83c\udf89<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

March 2025<\/strong>
We are excited to welcome Ruiren Mei to AIRIS Lab as a master\u2019s student. Ruiren will contribute to the lab\u2019s research in AI, robotics, and built-environment applications.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – AIRIS Lab contributes to NSF project on human-robot sensory transfer for remote undersea tasks<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

March 2025<\/strong>
AIRIS Lab contributed to an NSF-supported project on human-robot sensory transfer for worker productivity, training, and quality of life in remote undersea inspection and construction tasks. The project explores how robotics, sensing, and immersive interfaces can help human operators work more effectively with remote robots in challenging environments.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research – Review paper on AI-based robots in industrialized building manufacturing published<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

March 2025<\/strong>
Mengjun Wang and Dr. Shuai Li contributed to a review paper on AI-based robots in industrialized building manufacturing. The paper reviews how artificial intelligence and robotic systems can improve off-site construction and building manufacturing through better perception, planning, control, communication, collaboration, precision, and quality control.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2024<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Shuai Li joins the University of Florida\ud83c\udf89<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

December 2024<\/strong>
Dr. Shuai Li joined the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida
as an Associate Professor. His research advances artificial intelligence and robotics for the built
environment, with current focuses on construction humanoids, diverse robotic systems, AI
agents for construction enterprises, and digital twins for buildings and urban environments. At<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1473,"featured_media":43553,"parent":0,"menu_order":7,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"featured_post":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-44487","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1473"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44487"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44567,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44487\/revisions\/44567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.eng.ufl.edu\/airis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}