Curriculum Vitae

Last updated: April 2025

Education

• PhD Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
  • Spring 2024 - present
  • Advisor: Dr. Houtan Jebelli
  • GPA: 3.87/4.00
  • Robotic, Automation, and Intelligent Sensing (RAISe) Lab
• Graduate Fellow, Architectural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, USA
  • Fall 2023
  • University Graduate Fellowship
• Master of Architecture, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
  • 2019 - 2021
  • Research fields: Robotic Construction, 3D Printing, Computational Design
  • GPA: 3.97/4.00
• Bachelor of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
  • 2014 - 2019
  • Research fields: Computational Design
  • GPA: 3.85/4.00
• Undergraduate Study, Department of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
  • 2013 - 2014

Research Interests

• AI and machine learning algorithms for seamless human-robot collaboration
• Computer vision techniques for automated inspection tasks
• Construction robotics
• Robotic control and navigation
• Digital architecture and robotic construction
• Computational design and 3D printing

Academic Experiences

• Robotic Construction Safety Training Prototype with Immersive Technology (VR), Fall 2023
  • Graduate Student Course, Icon Lab, Penn State University

  • Role: Team Leader

    Supervisor: Professor John Messner

  • Connected ROS (Robot Operating System) with Unity 3D to control robot arm mounted UGV in immersive simulation environments
  • Developed an interactive, game-based prototype for collision-avoidance safety training
• Robotic Construction Research Series, Sep. 2022 - Apr. 2023
  • Master’s Thesis Research, Robotic Construction Group, Tsinghua University

  • Role: Teaching Assistant

    PI: Professor Weiguo Xu

  • Advising master students with graduation projects related to robotic construction
• Digital Architecture and Robotic Construction Research, Jul. 2021 - Apr. 2023
  • DAIC (Digital Architecture and Robotic Construction) Lab, Tsinghua University

  • Role: Research Assistant

    PI: Professor Weiguo Xu

  • Extracted design information to program and control robot arms for large-scale 3D printing
  • Developed software plug-ins for robotic construction
• Large-Scale Multi-Robots 3D Printing Construction Planning, Spring 2021

  • Master’s Thesis and Graduation Design

    Instructor: Professor Weiguo Xu

  • Tsinghua University
• Research on the Spatial Cognitive Characteristics of Traditional Villages Based on VR Technology, 2016 – 2017
  • Built Environmental Virtual Reality Lab, Tianjin University

  • Role: Student Assistant

    Instructor: Professor Sinan Yuan

  • Sponsor: National Natural Science Foundation

Professional Experiences

• Research Engineer, Institute of Future Human Habitats, Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School (SIGS)
  • 2021 - 2023
  • Developed large-scale robotic construction technology based on composite consumables and practical building materials
  • Developed software interface to streamline input and control
• Robotic Construction Designer, Heqing Digital Building Technology Co.
  • 2020 - Apr. 2023
  • Participated in several on-site robotic construction projects in China and the US
• Intern Architect, Zaha Hadid Architects
  • Jun. - Sept. 2020
  • Project Director: Satoshi Ohashi
  • Participated in design stage of final winning bid-competition - design of Tower C of Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters
• Intern Architect, China Architecture Design & Research Institute
  • Jun. - Sept. 2018
  • Project Director: Professor Xinggang Li
  • Participated in design of the National Sliding Center in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience 2

Teaching experience 1

[Or manually list teaching experiences if not using the teaching collection]

Publications

LLM-Driven Safe Robotic Navigation in Construction Sites: A Prompt Engineering Framework with Terrain-Adaptive Path Planning

Zhao, X., Ren, T., and Jebelli, H. (2026). "LLM-Driven Safe Robotic Navigation in Construction Sites: A Prompt Engineering Framework with Terrain-Adaptive Path Planning." Computing in Civil Engineering 2025: Computational and Intelligent.

Dynamic Robotic Control Strategies for UAV Stability with Rotatory Payload

Ren, T., Zhao, X., and Jebelli, H. (2026). "Dynamic Robotic Control Strategies for UAV Stability with Rotatory Payload." Computing in Civil Engineering 2025: Resilient, Robotic, and Educational.

Hybrid UAV-UGV System with Interchangeable Ground Modules for Multi-Terrain Construction Site Inspection

Zhao, X., Liu, Y., and Jebelli, H. (2026). "Hybrid UAV-UGV System with Interchangeable Ground Modules for Multi-Terrain Construction Site Inspection." Computing in Civil Engineering 2025: Resilient, Robotic, and Educational.

Toward engineering AGI: Benchmarking the engineering design capabilities of LLMs

Guo, X., Li, Y., Kong, X., Jiang, Y., Zhao, X., Gong, Z., Zhang, Y., Li, D., Sang, T., et al. (2025). "Toward engineering AGI: Benchmarking the engineering design capabilities of LLMs." arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.16204.

Advanced Sensor Integration for Enhanced Flight Control in UAV-Based Construction Automation

Ren, T., Zhao, X., and Jebelli, H. (2025). "Advanced Sensor Integration for Enhanced Flight Control in UAV-Based Construction Automation." ISARC. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction.

Machine Learning-Based Optimization for Modular Robotic Systems in Construction: A Review

Liu, J., Ping, Y., Wang, Y., and Zhao, X. (2025). "Machine Learning-Based Optimization for Modular Robotic Systems in Construction: A Review." Computing in Civil Engineering 2024, 851-860.

Adaptive kinematic and dynamic control for hexapod robots in complex construction environments

Zhao, X. and Jebelli, H. (2025). "Adaptive kinematic and dynamic control for hexapod robots in complex construction environments." Proc., 42nd Int. Symp. on Automation and Robotics in Construction, Montreal.

Sensor fusion and hierarchical inspection strategy for aerial-ground multi-robot system

Zhao, X., Ren, T., Liu, Y., and Jebelli, H. (2025). "Sensor fusion and hierarchical inspection strategy for aerial-ground multi-robot system." 42nd International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC).

Module-Enhanced Slope-Adaptive and Hazard-Aware Hexapod Robotic System for Safe Roof Inspection

Zhao, X., Liu, Y., and Jebelli, H. (2025). "Module-Enhanced Slope-Adaptive and Hazard-Aware Hexapod Robotic System for Safe Roof Inspection." ASCE OPEN: Multidisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering, 3(1), 04025011.

A Computational Method for Real-time Roof Defect Segmentation in Robotic Inspection

Zhao, X. and Jebelli, H. (2025). "A computational method for real-time roof defect segmentation in robotic inspection." Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 40(23), 3596-3623.

Understanding the Impact of an Exoskeleton System On Metabolic Cost of Workers During Common Repetitive Construction Tasks

Ojha, A., Gautam, Y., Zhao, X., Sharifironizi, A., Jebelli, H., and Martin, A. (2024). "Understanding the Impact of an Exoskeleton System On Metabolic Cost of Workers During Common Repetitive Construction Tasks." 2024 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Accepted).

Improving Heat Strain Prediction in Construction Workers: A Transfer Learning Approach to Overcome Variability Challenges

Ojha, A., Zhao, X., Zhang, Y., Liu, Y., and Jebelli, H. (2024). "Improving Heat Strain Prediction in Construction Workers: A Transfer Learning Approach to Overcome Variability Challenges." 2024 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Accepted).

Grounding Large Language Models in Robot Control: Facilitating Human-Robot Collaboration in Construction

Zhao, X., and Jebelli, H. (2024). "Grounding Large Language Models in Robot Control: Facilitating Human-Robot Collaboration in Construction." 2024 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Accepted).

Adaptive Intelligence for Robot Navigation Efficiency with a Deep-Reinforcement-Learning-Based Cyber-Physical System

Zhao, X., Ren, T., and Jebelli, H. (2024). "Adaptive Intelligence for Robot Navigation Efficiency with a Deep-Reinforcement-Learning-Based Cyber-Physical System." 2024 International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Accepted).

Porous Space — Biomimetic of Tafoni in Computational Design

Ye, W., Chen, S., Zhao, X., Xu, W. (2022). "Porous Space — Biomimetic of Tafoni in Computational Design." Architectural Intelligence, 18 (2022).

Simulation Algorithm Based on Weathered Rock Morphology and Optimization Algorithm for Design Applications

Ye, W., Zhao, X., Xu, W. (2022). "Simulation Algorithm Based on Weathered Rock Morphology and Optimization Algorithm for Design Applications." in Hybrid Intelligence: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication (CDRF 2022). Online and Global, 2022.

Research Progress and Application Status of 3D Printing Construction Technology

Zhao, X., Xu, W. (2021). "Research Progress and Application Status of 3D Printing Construction Technology." Chinese & Overseas Architecture, 10(2021):7-13.

You can also find my publications on Google Scholar.

Talks and Presentations

Conference Proceeding talk 3 on Relevant Topic in Your Field

March 01, 2014

Conference proceedings talk at Testing Institute of America 2014 Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Talk 2 on Relevant Topic in Your Field

February 01, 2014

Talk at London School of Testing, London, UK

Tutorial 1 on Relevant Topic in Your Field

March 01, 2013

Tutorial at UC-Berkeley Institute for Testing Science, Berkeley, CA, USA

Talk 1 on Relevant Topic in Your Field

March 01, 2012

Talk at UC San Francisco, Department of Testing, San Francisco, CA, USA

[Or manually list talks/presentations if not using the talks collection]

Skills

Computer Skills

Robot Programming/OS: ROS, Industrial Robot Language (URScript), C#

Programming: Matlab, Python, R, C++

Simulation Software: Unity, Unreal Engine

Statistical Analysis Software: IBM-SPSS

Drawing and Building Information Modeling: AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, Sketch-Up, SolidWorks, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

General Software/Platform: MS-Office, Latex, Google Colab, Jupyter Notebook

Languages

• English: Professional proficiency
• Chinese: Native

Awards and Honors

Academic Scholarships

• University Graduate Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University (2023)
• College of Engineering Scholarship, College of Engineering, PSU (2023)
• China National Scholarship (1/101) (2018)
• China National Scholarship (1/97) (2016)
• China National Scholarship (1/94) (2015)
  • Sponsor: Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China

Academic Awards

• Outstanding Graduate Award (2019)
• Outstanding Graduation Design Award (2019)
• Tianjin University’s Outstanding Student Award (1/1000) (2019)
• Outstanding Project Assignment in National Higher Education Institutions (2017)
• Honorable Mention - Skyscraper Competition (eVolo) (2018)
• China Architecture Newcomers Competition – Top 100 Award (2017)
• 4th National Tournament of Green Building Innovation – First Prize (2015)
  • Sponsor: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)

Leadership and Activities

• Student Member, The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Fall 2023 – present
• Team Leader, Data Forum Center, Tsinghua University Student Union, Fall 2020
• Activity Manager, Sports Department of Graduate Student Union, Tsinghua University, Fall 2019
• Event Organizer, Purple (LGBTQ+ Community), Tsinghua University
• Team Member, Women’s Soccer Team, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, 2019 - 2020

Exhibitions and Invited Speeches

• Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture 2022, Apr. 2022 – Jan. 2023
  • Title: Assembled 3D Printed Concrete Urban Miniature Garden

  • Role: Lead Exhibit Designer

    Kingway Brewery, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

• Design as Solution: Shenzhen Design Week 2021, Dec. 2021
  • Title: Robotic 3D Printed Concrete Construction Works

  • Role: Keynote Speaker & Lead Exhibit Designer

    UpperHills, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

• Future-Home: Beijing Urban Architecture Biennale 2021, Oct. 2021

  • Role: Exhibit Designer

    Zhangjiawan Design Town, Beijing Urban Vice Center

References

Available upon request.