Biography

Polar is a research fellow at the National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH), Center for Occupational Robotics Research. His research and teaching interests include Human-Robot Collaboration, Computer Vision, Reinforcement Learning, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Extended Reality (XR) to develop the future workspace in construction and digital fabrication. He received his Ph.D. in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. He also received his M.S. in Robotics from the University of Michigan, and M.S. and B.S. in Civil Engineering from National Taiwan University.

Interests

  • Robotics
  • Computer Vision
  • Reinforcement Learning
  • BIM
  • Extended Reality (XR)

Education

  • Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2021

    University of Michigan

  • M.S. in Robotics, 2017

    University of Michigan

  • M.S. in Civil Engineering, 2015

    National Taiwan University

  • B.S. in Civil Engineering, 2012

    National Taiwan University

Projects

Teaching robots to perform construction tasks through demonstration

Apply Learning from Demonstration method to teach construction robots.

Vision-based pose estimation for construction robots

Develop a vision-based DNN pose estimation system.

ARCT: AR for Clinical Training

Develop an AR stroke simulation for clinical training.

RAS: Robotic Assembly System for Steel Structure

RAS, a robotic assembly system for steel structure, remove workers from high places and perform steel beam assembly tasks semi-automatically.

Sky Classroom: Global Team Project and Virtual BIM Reviewer

Global construction collaboration course taught between seven universities using BIM and online collaboration platform.

BotBeep: Warning Device for Wheelchair Rearward Safety

BotBeep, an innovative and low-cost device, was developed to warn the user of elevation changes behind the wheelchair.

Course Projects

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All User Design Robotics Visualization

ROB550: Balance Lab

Develop a balancing bicoptor.

ROB550: Maebot Lab

Develop a mobile robot including an efficient motion controller, a robust Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) module, a fast motion planning algorithm and a fail safe exploration strategy.

ROB550: Arm Lab

Program a manipulator to identify object’s position in a global frame using computer vision, design a gripper, and plan a means of grabbing the object and moving it to a new location.

ME310 Design Innovation at Staford University

Enabling a safe and comfortable living environment for elderly through a home automation proposition.

Visualization in Engineering: data visualization for flood warning

Develop an interactive data visualization for flood warning system.

Civil Engineering Capstone Challenge

Design and redecorate the student activity space in the Department of Civil Engineering.

Visualization in AEC: SKS Security Robot

Develop a tele-operated security robot in the simulator.

Automation and Robotics: Tele-operated Rescue Robot

Develop a tele-operated rescue robot.

Automation and Robotics: Robot Crane

Develop a tele-operated robotic crane.

Automation and Robotics: Virtual Rescue Robot

Develop a search algorithm for an indoor rescue robot.

Recent Publications

Xi Wang, Ci-Jyun Polar Liang, Carol C. Menassa, Vineet R. Kamat (2021). Interactive and immersive process-level digital twin for collaborative human–robot construction work. Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 35.

PDF Project DOI

Ci-Jyun Polar Liang, Xi Wang, Vineet R. Kamat, Carol C. Menassa (2021). Human–robot collaboration in construction: classification and research trends. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 147.

PDF Project DOI

Ci-Jyun Polar Liang, Wes McGee, Carol C. Menassa, Vineet R. Kamat (2020). Bi-directional communication bridge for state synchronization between digital twin simulations and physical construction robots. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC).

PDF

Ci-Jyun Polar Liang, Vineet R. Kamat, Carol C. Menassa (2020). Teaching robots to perform quasi-repetitive construction tasks through human demonstration. Automation in Construction, 120.

PDF Project DOI

Ci-Jyun Polar Liang, Charles Start, Hanna Boley, Vineet R. Kamat, Carol C. Menassa, Michelle Aebersold (2020). Enhancing stroke assessment simulation experience in clinical training using augmented reality. Virtual Reality.

PDF Project DOI

See all publications