Min Hu

Nanyang Technological University, Hefei University of Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Min Hu’s research lies at the intersection of precision actuation and humanoid robotics, with a focus on developing novel mechanisms for multi-degree-of-freedom motion and lifelike robotic expression. A key contribution is the pioneering work on piezoelectric and ultrasonic spherical motors, including a two-degree-of-freedom piezoelectric spherical motor (2001, 15 citations) and a novel ultrasonic spherical motor design (2002, 4 citations). These compact, single-moving-part actuators were specifically conceived for demanding applications such as micro-satellite and space robot actuation, demonstrating Hu’s early vision for high-precision, multi-axis motion in constrained environments. More recently, Hu has advanced the field of social robotics with a 2020 paper (14 citations) proposing a real-time Facial Expression Imitation (FEI) method for humanoid robots. This work introduces a Smooth-Constraint Reversed Mechanical Model (SRMM) that integrates sequence-to-sequence deep learning with motion-smoothing constraints, significantly improving the spatiotemporal accuracy and naturalness of robotic facial expressions. By bridging mechanical design and intelligent control, Hu’s work has laid foundational principles for both compact space-grade actuators and emotionally expressive humanoid robots, impacting fields from aerospace engineering to human-robot interaction.