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About

Fenghui Yao is a robotics and computer vision researcher whose work spans two distinctive yet complementary domains: cultural heritage preservation through robotic art systems and autonomous infrastructure inspection. Best known for his pioneering contributions to Chinese character calligraphy robotics, Yao has developed sophisticated methods for extracting brush trajectories, modeling ancient-style Chinese characters, and enabling robotic arms to faithfully reproduce the nuanced techniques of master calligraphers. His landmark 2004 paper on extracting writing brush trajectories has garnered 38 citations, reflecting the originality of his approach to digitizing and replicating traditional brush strokes. Alongside calligraphy, Yao extended robotic artistry into Chinese painting, engineering a system capable of rendering classical subjects such as bamboo, plum blossoms, and orchids with authentic brush control techniques. Equally significant is his work in autonomous inspection robotics: his early 2000s research on mobile robots for concrete tunnel inspection — employing ultrasonic sensors and video cameras — addressed critical public safety concerns following tunnel collapse incidents. Collectively, Yao's research elegantly bridges cultural preservation and practical engineering, demonstrating how robotics can safeguard both artistic heritage and civil infrastructure.