Associate Professor School of Automation and Intelligent Manufacturing
Liangming Chen is an associate professor in the Center for Control Science and Technology, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China. Before joining SUSTech, he was a postdoctoral research fellow under the supervision of Prof Lihua Xie (Fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore, IEEE Fellow) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He currently serves as Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Robotics, a leading journal in the field of robotics and automation, and IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, a leading JCR Q1 journal. He has led and participated in numerous national and provincial research projects. He has mentored students who have won numerous national and provincial awards, including those in the Undergraduate Electronic Design Competition and the Undergraduate Robotics Competition, and several of his students have received offers from prestigious universities both domestically and internationally. He and his collaborators developed the theory of angular rigidity graphs and successfully applied it to multi-agent formation control and distributed localization using angle measurement. He has published numerous research results as first or corresponding author in leading journals such as IEEE TAC and Automatica in control theory, IEEE TRO and IJRR in robotics, IEEE TSP in signal processing, and IEEE JSAC in computer communications. He has also been granted over ten invention patents. His research integrates theory and practice, accumulating a wealth of mathematical knowledge and practical engineering experience in the control, formation, and localization of robots and drones. His research group aims for high-impact results. His current research interests include multi-agent system estimation and control, robot swarms and embodied intelligent robots, brain-inspired intelligence, and machine learning. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and has been selected for the National High-level Talent Program and the Shenzhen Overseas High-level Talent Program. He currently serves as the instructor for the Robomaster Robotics Team at the Southern University of Science and Technology.
Personal Profile
Education background
2017.9-2021.3 Ph. D. Systems and Control, University of Groningen, The Netherlands, Supervisors: Prof. Ming Cao (IEEE Fellow), Prof. Jacquelien M. A. Scherpen (IEEE Fellow)
2015.9-2019.12 Ph. D. Control Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, China, Supervisors: Prof. Chuanjiang Li, Prof. Yanning Guo
2011.9-2015.6 B.Eng. Automation, Southwest Jiaotong University, China
Working experience
2022.12-now Associate Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology
2022.4-2022.11 Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Supervisor: Prof. Lihua Xie (Fellow of Academy of Engineering Singapore, IEEE Fellow)
2021.4-2022.4 Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Supervisor: Dr. Mir Feroskhan
Research
1. Rigid graph theory and multi-agent system: angle rigidity graph theory, multi-agent formation control, multi-agent cooperative localization, etc.
2. Unmanned system swarms and new robots: UAV swarms, UAV localization, and the application of artificial intelligence in tasks such as robot formation and localization.
3. Brain-inspired intelligence and neural networks: machine learning, spiking neural networks, neuromorphic systems, intelligent robots, etc.
Publications Read More
1. L Chen; R Ruan;J Li;W Yuan;Z Lin;An Angle-Based Control Law for Target Location Stabilization in 3D Space, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2025,early access.
2. C Liang;L Chen;B Cui; J Mei ;3-D Relative Localization for Multi-Robot Systems with Angle andSelf-Displacement Measurements, The International Journal of Robotics Research, 2025,early access.video
3. L Chen; C Liang; S Yuan; M Cao; L Xie; Relative localizability and localization for multirobot systems, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2025,41:2931-2949.video
4. L Chen; L Xie; Z Lin; Analysis of noisy angle-only network localization, Automatica, 2025,173:112033.
5. L Chen; C Liang; Y Li; J Mei; L Xie; Performance optimization for continuous network localization, Automatica, 2025, 171: 111903.
6. L Chen; Z Lin; L Xie; Angle-Based distributed node localizability and localization, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2024, 69(3):1890-1897.
7. L Chen; J Xiao; Y Zheng; N A Alagappan; M Feroskhan; Design, modeling, and control of a coaxial drone, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2024, 40: 1650-1663. video
8. L Chen; M Cao; Angle rigidity for multiagent formations in 3-D, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2023, 68(10): 6130-6145 (Regular paper).
9. L Chen; Z Sun; Globally stabilizing triangularly angle rigid formations, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2023, 68(2): 1169-1175.
10. L Chen; L Xie; X Li; X Fang; M Feroskhan; Simultaneous localization and formation using angle-only measurements in 2D, Automatica, 2022, Vol. 146, 110605 (Regular paper). video
11. L Chen; Triangular angle rigidity for distributed localization in 2D, Automatica, 2022, Vol. 143, 110414 (Regular paper).
12. L Chen; Z Sun; Gradient-based bearing-only formation control: an elevation angle approach, Automatica, 2022, Vol. 141, 110310.
13. L Chen; H Garcia de Marina; M Cao; Maneuvering formations of mobile agents using designed mismatched angles, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2022, 67(4): 1-14 (Regular paper). video
14. L Chen; K Cao; L Xie; X Li; M Feroskhan; 3-D Network localization using angle measurements and reduced communication, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 2022, 70: 2402-2415.
15. L Chen; M Cao; C Li; Angle rigidity and its usage to stabilize multi-agent formations in 2-D, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2021, 66(8): 3667-3681 (Regular paper). video
16. L Chen; J Mei; C Li; G Ma; Distributed leader-follower affine formation maneuver control for high-order multiagent systems, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 2020, 65(11): 4941-4948.
More published papers can be found in here. More videos related to our developed robotics platforms can be found in here.
News More
Join us
Master student: senior undergraduates are welcome to contact me or join the SUSTech summer camp to get the admission qualification as a graduate student (or directly as a Ph.D student). For relevant requirements, please refer to the website of the Graduate School of SUSTech
Doctoral student: 1 position available per year; in addition to directly applying the Ph.D position via the SUSTech summer camp, there is an opportunity to apply it once in Spring or Autumn of each year. For relevant requirements, please refer to the website of the Graduate School of SUSTech
Post-doc: currently 3 positions available, each with a term of 2 years. The research topics can be rigidity graph theory, multi-agent systems, and others related to systems and control, robotics, and signal processing
Research Assistant/Visiting Scholar/Visiting student: many positions available; Research Assistant position starts from half of a year; Visiting Scholar/Visiting student also has a flexible term
Undergraduate student of SUSTech: no requirements on majors/grades, joining in the form of a team (normally including at least 3 students) is encouraged
Oversea visiting PhD student: based on the university's PhD fellowship program (click here); meet the requirements from the university; visiting SUSTech one or two years; application deadline is March or September each year
Salary benefits and research support
Master: In addition to the scholarship from SUSTech (check the website of the Graduate School of SUSTech), some bonus from this research group can be given each year based on the scientific research outputs (such as published papers), provide opportunities to improve engineering or academic capabilities, and help students expand their academic horizons and achieve impactful research results
Ph.D: SUSTech provides a scholarship of about 100,000 yuan per person per year for each PhD student; this research group will provide each PhD student scientific training and long-term academic cooperation opportunities; other resources/facilities can also be equipped to help PhD students expand their academic horizons, improve scientific research capabilities, and publish top journal papers
Postdoc:
- The appointment is for two years, with a comprehensive annual salary starting at 330,000 yuan (including living allowances for postdoctoral fellows in Guangdong Province and Shenzhen), and participation in social insurance and housing fund according to the regulations of Shenzhen. Postdoctoral benefits are distributed according to the standards of the university's faculty and staff. Exceptional candidates can apply for the President's Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship, with an annual salary reaching up to 500,000 yuan or more (including living allowances for postdoctoral fellows in Guangdong Province and Shenzhen).
- Postdoctoral fellows who stay in (or come to) Shenzhen for full-time work within 6 months after completing their postdoctoral program and sign a labor (employment) contract of 3 years or more with enterprises or institutions will receive a living allowance of 360,000 yuan from the Shenzhen municipal government (subject to the latest application requirements of Shenzhen).
- During their tenure, postdoctoral fellows can apply for public rental housing in Shenzhen through the university. Those who do not use public rental housing in Shenzhen through the university can enjoy a housing allowance of 2,800 yuan per month before tax for two years.
- There is an excellent working environment and opportunities for domestic and international cooperation and exchange. Postdoctoral fellows receive a total of 25,000 yuan in funding for academic exchanges during their two-year tenure.
- Postdoctoral fellows who receive support from the Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Support Program or special funding from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation during their tenure, and sign a labor (employment) contract of 3 years or more with the city within 6 months after completing their postdoctoral program, will receive an additional funding from the Shenzhen municipal government at a 1:1 ratio to the national funding standard, up to a maximum of 300,000 yuan (subject to the latest application requirements of Shenzhen).
- Postdoctoral fellows who win gold, silver, or bronze awards in national or Guangdong Province postdoctoral innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, and sign a labor (employment) contract of 3 years or more with the city within 6 months after completing their postdoctoral program, will receive an additional innovation and entrepreneurship award from the Shenzhen municipal government at a 1:1 ratio to the national and provincial reward amounts, up to a maximum of 200,000 yuan (subject to the latest application requirements of Shenzhen).
Research Assistant:
- Salary negotiable; social insurance and housing fund are provided in accordance with the regulations of Shenzhen City and the standards of the university.
- Good research and working conditions are provided; encouragement and full support are given for research assistants to deeply participate in the research projects of the research group and to publish in domestic and international academic conferences and journals.
Visiting Scholar/Visiting student:
-Provide salaries that match the academic background of visitors, encourage visitors to participate in research projects from the research group and cooperate together to achieve high-impact research results
Senior undergraduate student of SUSTech:
-Provide good scientific research environment and research training, opportunities to participate in research projects from the research group, and various support to achieve high-impact research results
Contact and application
Interested ones should send the following materials to the email address chenlm6@sustech.edu.cn (Those sent materials will be kept strictly confidential) with the email title "Name + position applied for (e.g., PhD/Postdoc/Research Assistant/Visiting Scholar/Visiting student, etc.)":
-Resume (including education and work experience, publication list, contact information, etc.)
-About 2 representative publications
- Other materials or information that is useful to show the background or abilities of the applicant (please mention the approximate time when you can join the team)