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Daniel Zhou Hao

Dr. Hao is a lecturer (assistant professor) in AI and Robotics at CMS. He is the founder of the Dynamics and Neural Intelligence (DANi) Lab and the Team Lead of the DriverLeics research-inspired education group in AI-powered robotics and autonomous systems.

Dr. Hao is the Leicester's PI in the UK Space Agency (UKSA) funded PLATOR project. He is also the Robotics Lead for the ESA/NASA Mars Sample Return DWI Project (ESA Prog. ref: E/019A-02R - MSR SRP E3P2), affiliated with Space Park Leicester. Dr. Hao is the Co-I of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Digital Transformation of Metals Industry (2024), working with School of Engineering.

Dr. Hao's expertise encompasses Spacecraft AOCS/GNC, Robotics, and AI. His current research interests include autonomous GNC supporting in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, Large language and vision models driven robotics, Reinforcement Learning for Legged Space Robots, AI-driven Robotic Manipulation, and AI for Space Sciences.

Before joining Leicester, Dr. Hao worked at the Centre for Vision, Speech, and Signal Processing (CVSSP)- funded by the University of Surrey, and at the Surrey Space Centre- funded by EPSRC. He was awarded a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, specialising in Very Low Earth Orbits Thermospherical Spacecraft Attitude Control, from the University of Manchester in 2018. Additionally, he holds double-MSc in both Space Sciences and Astronautical Engineering.

Dr. Hao is passionate about discussing science to inspire the general public and younger generations to be fascinated by AI and Space. He has lead teams to participate in various outreach events, including the BrightSparks STEM Fair 2023, Cheltenham Science Festival 2019, and BlueDot Science Festival 2016

AI could be the breakthrough that allows humanoid robots to jump from science fiction to reality

Aug 12, 2024 09:18 am UTC| Technology

Humanoid robots have long been a staple of science fiction, but there is now real progress being made. A range of new models made by or backed by the likes of Boston Dynamics, Tesla and OpenAI are able to walk and move...

Economy

US Moves to Secure Gulf Shipping Amid Rising Tensions with Iran

The United States has announced plans to assist vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz following escalating tensions linked to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. President Donald Trump stated that efforts would begin...

Middle East Conflict Impacts Australia and New Zealand Businesses

Companies across Australia and New Zealand are increasingly feeling the economic pressure caused by the ongoing Middle East conflict, particularly the U.S.-Israeli war involving Iran. Rising fuel prices, supply chain...

Global Markets Rise as Oil Prices Stabilize Amid Middle East Tensions

Asian stock markets showed modest gains on Monday as investors reacted cautiously to ongoing developments in the Middle East conflict, while oil prices remained relatively stable. Market sentiment improved slightly due to...

Dollar Holds Firm as Asian Currencies Stabilize Amid Middle East Tensions and Rate Uncertainty

The U.S. dollar remained steady in Asian trading on Monday, while most Asian currencies moved within a narrow range as investors weighed geopolitical risks and uncertainty surrounding U.S. interest rates. Trading activity...

Gold Prices Hold Steady Amid Iran Tensions and Interest Rate Uncertainty

Gold prices remained relatively stable during Asian trading on Monday, as ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty surrounding global interest rates continued to influence market sentiment. Despite...

Politics

Oil Prices Hold Above $100 Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions and U.S.-Iran Uncertainty

Oil prices remained elevated above the $100 mark on Monday despite a slight pullback, as ongoing geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions continued to influence the global energy market. Brent crude futures dipped...

Australia Launches Public Hearings on Bondi Beach Shooting and Rising Antisemitism

Australia has officially opened public hearings into the Bondi Beach mass shooting that occurred in December, marking a significant step in a broader national inquiry into antisemitism and social cohesion. The tragic...

Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Russian Oil Port Primorsk and Naval Targets

Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russia, targeting key energy infrastructure and military assets in a large-scale overnight assault. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Baltic Sea port of...

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te Visits Eswatini Amid Rising China Pressure

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te has arrived in Eswatini, marking a significant diplomatic move after his earlier trip was delayed due to restricted airspace access reportedly influenced by China. The visit underscores...

Japan Signals Potential Shift on Arms Exports, Opening Door to Ukraine Support

Japans recent decision to relax its long-standing weapons export restrictions has created a potential pathway for future defense cooperation with Ukraine, according to Kyivs ambassador to Tokyo. While no immediate arms...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Anthropic’s $1.5B AI Venture with Wall Street Firms Targets Private Equity Market

Anthropic is reportedly nearing completion of a major $1.5 billion joint venture with leading financial institutions, including Blackstone and Goldman Sachs, aimed at expanding the use of artificial intelligence tools...

Samsung Appoints New TV Business Head Amid Rising Competition from Chinese Rivals

Samsung Electronics, the worlds leading TV manufacturer, has made a significant leadership change in its television division for the first time in over two years. The company announced that Lee Won-jin, formerly head of...

U.S. Cybersecurity Pushes Faster Patch Deadlines Amid Rising AI-Driven Threats

U.S. cybersecurity officials are exploring significantly shorter deadlines for fixing critical vulnerabilities in government IT systems, driven by growing concerns that hackers are leveraging advanced artificial...

Apple Q2 2026 Earnings Surge as iPhone 17 Sales Drive Record Revenue

Apple delivered a strong fiscal Q2 2026 performance, reporting record-breaking revenue and profit growth fueled by robust iPhone sales and expanding services. The tech giant posted earnings of $2.01 per share on $111.18...

FBI Warns of China’s Expanding Hack-for-Hire Network Amid Extradition Case

The Chinese governments alleged hack-for-hire ecosystem is rapidly expanding and becoming increasingly difficult to control, according to a senior FBI official. Speaking on Thursday, FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman...