Meng Cheng Lau

About

Meng Cheng Lau is a robotics researcher whose work spans humanoid robot navigation, entertainment robotics, and human-robot interaction. He made an early and significant contribution to autonomous robot locomotion with his 2006 paper on footstep planning for Honda's ASIMO humanoid, which has accumulated an impressive 384 citations and remains a landmark reference for obstacle-aware navigation in bipedal robots. This work addressed a critical gap in humanoid autonomy by enabling robots to intelligently select foot placements in complex environments. Beyond navigation, Lau has cultivated a distinctive research thread in entertainment and creative robotics, developing humanoid systems capable of performing magic shows, drawing portraits, and playing music alongside human musicians. His portrait-drawing robot "Betty" exemplifies this creative direction, employing innovative geometric graph approaches to generate artistic line drawings. More recently, his work on closed-loop push recovery and Q-learning-based gait generation reflects a continued commitment to making humanoid robots more robust and accessible on inexpensive platforms. Lau's research is notable for bridging rigorous engineering with imaginative applications, demonstrating that humanoid robots can engage meaningfully with human audiences in performance contexts. His body of work offers students a compelling model of how technical robotics research can intersect with creativity and public engagement.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Footstep Planning for the Honda ASIMO Humanoid

   384 citations · 2006
2. 2
   A robust interactive entertainment robot for robot magic performances

   25 citations · 2019
3. 3
   Robot Magic: A Robust Interactive Humanoid Entertainment Robot

   12 citations · 2018
4. 4
   A sketch drawing humanoid robot using image-based visual servoing

   10 citations · 2019
5. 5
   Closed-loop push recovery for inexpensive humanoid robots

   9 citations · 2019
6. 6
   A portrait drawing robot using a geometric graph approach: Furthest Neighbour Theta-graphs

   8 citations · 2012
7. 7
   Q-Learning of Straightforward Gait Pattern for Humanoid Robot Based on Automatic Training Platform

   7 citations · 2019
8. 8
   Interaction and learning in a humanoid robot magic performance

   6 citations · 2018
9. 9
   Integrating humanoid robots with human musicians for synchronized musical performances

   4 citations · 2025
10. 10
    The Real-Time Embedded System for a Humanoid: Betty

    4 citations · 2010

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links