Yakun Zhang

Henan University of Science and Technology, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Purdue University West Lafayette

Papers

Total Citations

109

H-Index

About

Yakun Zhang is a researcher whose work spans agricultural robotics, intelligent automation, and advanced manufacturing systems. Zhang has made significant contributions to the field of robotic harvesting technology, most notably through pioneering research on flexible end-effectors designed for picking small spherical fruits such as cherry tomatoes. This work, which has garnered 56 citations since 2023, introduced innovative two-stage "holding-rotating" picking strategies that enable rapid, stable, and damage-free fruit collection — a breakthrough for intelligent agricultural robots. Complementing this, Zhang developed an improved YOLOv4-Tiny detection framework capable of multi-class cherry tomato recognition, earning 27 citations and addressing the critical challenge of distinguishing pickable fruits from those obscured by foliage. Beyond agricultural applications, Zhang's research extends into spray painting robotics, where a Gaussian sum model for predicting coating growth rates during varied dip-angle spraying has contributed to more precise automated painting systems. Most recently, Zhang has explored the frontier of underground construction automation, investigating the transformation of tunnel boring machines into intelligent tunnel boring robots. With a cumulative citation profile reflecting growing influence across multiple engineering domains, Zhang represents a versatile and impactful voice in intelligent robotics research.