Jun Zeng (曾俊)

I'm open to research discussions and project collaborations, please feel free to get in touch. For master and undergraduate students from UC Berkeley, if you are interested in some of my work, include your research interests in the email and I will likely forward them to my related collaborators.

At Berkeley, I've worked in Hybrid Robotics Group advised by Prof. Koushil Sreenath. My research lies on optimization, control, motion planning, and learning for hybrid nonlinear systems, especially for aerial manipulation and legged robotics. I have endeavored to formal methods and theoretical analysis about some optimization and control problems. Before joining UC Berkeley, I obtained Diplome d'Ingenieur from Ecole Polytechnique in June 2017 and B.S.E in Mechanical Engineering and Automation at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in June 2016. I have previously interned at Waymo, PlusAI, and Valeo.

Email / Google Scholar / GitHub / LinkedIn / Twitter

News

• Our paper about combining model-based control and model-free RL with low dimensional representation model from system identification is accepted to RSS 2022.
• Our papers about polytopic obstacle avoidance are accepted to ACC 2022 (continuous-domain) and ICRA 2022 (discrete-time domain).

Research

Safety-Critical Control, Planning and Navigation

• Theoretical Analysis

  Continuous-time domain: [ACC 2021], [ACC 2022].
  Discrete-time domain: [ACC 2021], [CDC 2021], [ICRA 2022], [sub. to ACC 2023].

• Applications

  Model-based approaches: [ACC 2021], [ICRA 2022].
  Learning-based approaches: [RSS 2022].

Polytopic Obstacle Avoidance

• Nonsmooth functions in dual space

  Continuous-time domain: [ACC 2022], [TAC 2022].
  Discrete-time domain: [RA-L 2020], [ICRA 2022], [RA-L 2022].

Publications

* indicates equal contribution.

1. Iterative Convex Optimization for Model Predictive Control with Discrete-Time High-Order Control Barrier Functions
   Shuo Liu*, Jun Zeng*, Koushil Sreenath , Calin A. Belta
   submitted to IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2023
   ArXiv
2. Vision-Aided Autonomous Navigation of Underactuated Bipedal Robots in Height-Constrained Environments
   Zhongyu Li, Jun Zeng, Shuxiao Chen, Koushil Sreenath
   submitted to International Journal of Robotics Research (IJRR)
   ArXiv / YouTube
3. Collaborative Navigation and Manipulation of a Cable-towed Load by Multiple Quadrupedal Robots
   Chenyu Yang, Guo Ning Sue, Zhongyu Li, Lizhi Yang, Haotian Shen, Yufeng Chi, Akshara Rai, Jun Zeng, Koushil Sreenath
   IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L)
   Publisher / ArXiv / YouTube
4. Adapting Rapid Motor Adaptation for Bipedal Robots
   Ashish Kumar, Zhongyu Li, Jun Zeng, Deepak Pathak, Koushil Sreenath, Jitendra Malik
   IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2022
   Publisher / ArXiv / YouTube Webpage
5. Bridging Model-based Safety and Model-free Reinforcement Learning through System Identification of Low Dimensional Linear Models
   Zhongyu Li, Jun Zeng, Akshay Thirugnanam, Koushil Sreenath
   Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS) 2022
   ArXiv / YouTube / Webpage
6. Model-free online motion adaptation for energy efficient flights of multicopters
   Xiangyu Wu, Jun Zeng, Andrea Tagliabue, Mark Mueller
   IEEE Access
   Publisher / ArXiv / YouTube Github
7. Duality-based Convex Optimization for Real-time Obstacle Avoidance between Polytopes with Control Barrier Functions
   Akshay Thirugnanam, Jun Zeng, Koushil Sreenath
   IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2022
   arXiv / YouTube
8. Safety-Critical Control and Planning for Obstacle Avoidance between Polytopes with Control Barrier Functions
   Akshay Thirugnanam*, Jun Zeng*, Koushil Sreenath
   IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2022
   ArXiv / YouTube / GitHub
9. Autonomous Racing with Multiple Vehicles using a Parallelized Optimization with Safety Guarantee using Control Barrier Functions
   Suiyi He*, Jun Zeng*, Koushil Sreenath
   IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2022
   ArXiv / YouTube / GitHub
10. Bayesian Optimization Meets Hybrid Zero Dynamics: Safe Parameter Learning for Bipedal Locomotion Control
    Lizhi Yang*, Zhongyu Li*, Jun Zeng, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2022
    ArXiv / YouTube
11. Enhancing Feasibility and Safety of Nonlinear Model Predictive Control with Discrete-Time Control Barrier Functions
    Jun Zeng*, Zhongyu Li*, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC) 2021
    Publisher / ArXiv / GitHub
12. Safety-Critical Control with Optimal-decay Control Barrier Function with Guaranteed Point-wise Feasibility
    Jun Zeng, Bike Zhang, Zhongyu Li, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2021
    Publisher / ArXiv / GitHub
13. Safety-Critical Model Predictive Control with Discrete-Time Control Barrier Function
    Jun Zeng*, Bike Zhang*, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2021
    Publisher / ArXiv / GitHub / NorCal Control Workshop
14. Rule-Based Safety-Critical Control Design using Control Barrier Functions with Application to Autonomous Lane Change
    Suiyi He, Jun Zeng, Bike Zhang, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2021
    Publisher / ArXiv / GitHub / YouTube
15. Autonomous Navigation for Quadrupedal Robots with Optimized Jumping through Constrained Obstacles
    Scott Gilroy*, Derek Lau*, Lizhi Yang*, Ed Izaguirre, Kristen Biermayer, Anxing Xiao, Mengti Sun, Ayush Agrawal, Jun Zeng, Zhongyu Li, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE) 2021
    ArXiv / YouTube
16. A Quadrupedal Robot Leading Human with Leash-Guided Hybrid Physical Interaction
    Anxing Xiao*, Wenzhe Tong*, Lizhi Yang*, Jun Zeng, Zhongyu Li, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2021
    Best Paper Award in Service Robotics — Finalist
    ArXiv / YouTube
17. Dynamic Legged Manipulation of a Ball Through Multi-Contact Optimization
    Chenyu Yang, Bike Zhang, Jun Zeng, Ayush Agrawal, Koushil Sreenath,
    IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2020
    Publisher / ArXiv / YouTube
18. Differential Flatness based Path Planning with Direct Collocation on Hybrid Modes for a Quadrotor with a Cable-Suspended Payload
    Jun Zeng, Prasanth Kotaru, Mueller Mueller, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L) 2020
    Publisher / YouTube
19. Geometric Control and Differential Flatness of a Quadrotor UAV with Load Suspended from a Pulley
    Jun Zeng, Prasanth Kotaru, Koushil Sreenath
    IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2019
    Publisher
20. Geometric Control of a Quadrotor with a Load Suspended from an Offset
    Jun Zeng, Koushil Sreenath,
    IEEE American Control Conference (ACC) 2019
    Publisher

Awards & Honors

• Chin Leung Shui Chun Fellowship, UC Berkeley, 2021
• Graduate Division Block Fellowship, UC Berkeley, 2020-2021
• Mechanical Engineering Department Award, UC Berkeley, 2020
• X Fondation Fellowship, Ecole Polytechnique, 2015-2017
• Ardian Excellence Scholarship, SJTU, 2014

Teaching

• EECS106B/206B - Robotic Manipulation and Interaction (Spring 2020)
• EECS106A/206A - Introduction to Robotics (Fall 2019)

Professional Activities

Journal Reviewer: TR-O ('21), Auto. Robots ('21), RA-L ('19-'22), TAC('21-'22), T-CST('21-'22), T-CNS('21), L-CSS ('20, '22), J. Dyn. Sys., Meas., Control. ('22)

Conference Reviewer: ICRA ('19-'23), IROS ('19-'22), ACC ('18-'23), CDC ('20-'22), ICUAS ('20-'21), ICC ('19), CoRL ('22), AAAI ('22)

The latest update: Sep 2022.