Prof. GAO Yang Appointed as IEEE Robotics and Automation Society’s Inaugural Distinguished Lecturer in Space Robotics
Prof. GAO Yang, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been appointed a Distinguished Lecturer in Space Robotics for a three-year term (2026-2028) by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS). This marks the first and only appointment in space robotics to date.
The Distinguished Lecturer Program is a prestigious appointment that recognizes leading experts with exceptional communication skills and significant technical contributions. The role entails delivering invited lectures at IEEE events, chapters, and student branches worldwide, with the goal of inspiring the next generation, fostering global collaboration, and sharing cutting-edge research with the broader robotics community.
Many IEEE units can formally request Distinguished Lectures delivered by Prof. Gao at their events. This offers a unique opportunity for local robotics communities to engage directly with a world-leading expert. Furthermore, Prof. Gao will be organizing a theme-based webinar series in Space Robotics and creating a library of video materials available to the wider community, ensuring broad access to cutting-edge knowledge.
An emeritus co-chair of the IEEE-RAS Technical Committee on Space Robotics, Prof. Gao’s appointment is a testament to her outstanding leadership and pioneering contributions to space robotics. Her research, spanning robotic sensing, perception, visual GNC, and bio-inspired mechanisms, has directly supported real-world space missions such as ESA’s ExoMars/Proba3 and CNSA’s Chang’E-3/8. She currently leads the development of the Hong Kong Operation Robot for launching to the Moon’s South Pole in 2029, as the Director of the Hong Kong Space Robotics and Energy Center (an InnoHK center). She also serves as the Mentor of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Space4Women program.
Related link:
- Announcement by IEEE RAS on LinkedIn