Yue Hu (She/Her)

Yue Hu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where she directs the Active & Interactive Robotics Lab. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, Yue had extensive international experience. She obtained her master's degree in Advanced Robotics from the University of Genova, Italy, and Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France, in 2013. She then carried out her PhD in robotics at Heidelberg University, Germany, receiving her degree in 2017. She was a postdoc first at Heidelberg University, then at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), in Italy. Between 2018 and 2021 she was first a JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) fellow at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technologies (AIST) in Japan, and then an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT). Yue was one of the co-chairs of the IEEE-RAS Technical Committee on Model-based Optimization for Robotics from 2019 to 2025, and is currently an Associate Vice-President of the IEEE-RAS Members Activities Board (MAB), and an advisor for the organization Women in AI & Robotics. Her research interests include physical-social human-robot interaction, collaborative robots, robot manipulation, privacy in robotics, cybersecurity in robotics, humanoid robots, and optimal control.

• Robotics

• Collaborative Robots

• Human-Robot Interaction

• Robot Manipulation

• Humanoid Robots

• Cybersecurity and Privacy in Robotics

• Human Motion Analysis

• Optimal control

• 2017, Doctorate Computer science (Dr. rer. nat.), Heidelberg University, Germany

• 2013, Master of Science European Master in Advanced Robotics, Ecole Centrale de Nantes, University of Genova, France, Italy

• 2011, Bachelor's Electronics Engineering, University of Genova, Italy

• 2025, Best Research Paper, The International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES)

• 2023, Best Paper Award, International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR)

• 2022, IEEE-RAS Most Active Technical Committee Award

• 2018, Japan Society for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellow

• 2017, Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences (HGS MathComp) Fellow

• 2017, Summa Cum Laude (distinction) Doctoral Examination, Heidelberg University

• 2026-present General co-chair, IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN)

• 2024–present Associate Vice President, Members Activities Board, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)

• 2025 Publication chair - IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots

• 2024 Publicity co-chair - IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots

• 2024-2025 Publicity co-chair - Robotics Science and Systems (RSS)

• 2023 Publication chair - IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots

• 2022 Award Committee - IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication

• 2019–2025 Co-chair of the IEEE-RAS Technical Committee for Model-based Optimization for Robotics.

• ME 262 - Introduction to Microprocessors and Digital Logic
  • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
• ME 640 - Autonomous Mobile Robotics
  • Taught in 2024, 2026
• ME 780 - Special Topics in Mechatronics
  • Taught in 2026
• MTE 544 - Autonomous Mobile Robots
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Mahdi, A.*; Dong, Z.; Hu, Y.; Hirata, Y.; Mombaur, K. (2026), Close-Proximity Vision-Guided Control and Performance Evaluation of a Mobile Robot for Sit-to-Stand Assistance, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems & Rehabilitation Engineering.

• Mahdi, A*; Buchner, T; Werner, A; Hu, Y; Mombaur, K (2026), From sitting to standing: Feasibility, Biomechanics, and User Experience of a Robotic Rollator for Active Sit-to-Stand Assistance in Older Adults with Mobility Challenges, JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies.

• Yang, YT*; Hu, Y; Dautenhahn, K (2026), Comparing a tutor and peer-learner social robot in a vocabulary learning activity, Interaction Studies.

• Tang, C.*; Barradas, D; Hengartner, U.; Hu, Y. (2026), Uncovering Robot Joint-Level Controller Actions from Encrypted Network Traffic: Empirical Attacks and Information-Theoretic Bounds, Computer & Security.

• Tang, C.*; Tang, C.; Gong, S.; Kwok, TM*; Hu, Y, Robot Character Generation and Adaptive Human-Robot Interaction with Personality Shaping, IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, 2026.

• Tang, C.*; Zhong, J.*; Hu, Y, MILE: Multimodal Interactive Learning Enhancement for Robot Task Execution, IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), 2026.

• Fernandes, N.*; Shahbaz, T.; Davies-Robinson, E.; Hu, Y.; Dautenhahn, K., Co-designing a Social Robot for Newcomer Children's Cultural and Language Learning, ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), Companion Proceedings of the 21st ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, 36-40, 2026.

• Lee, J.*, Marotta, T., Borenstein, N.*, Bouganim, E.*, McLachlin, S., Hu, Y., Investigating the Repeatability of Model-Free, Dynamic Knee Ranging using a Collaborative Robot, International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 1-7, 2026.

• Yang, Z*; Liu, S; Charawala, B; Li, J; Liu, D; Bellinger, C; Shu, C; Hu, Y; Xi, P, Teleoperation Signal Characterization for Data-Driven Robot Learning, 2026 IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference (I2MTC), 1-6, 2026.

• Capy, S.; Kwok, T. M.*; Joseph, K.*; Kawasumi, Y.; Sanderson, A.*; Nagashima, K.; Sasaki, T.; Hu, Y.; Yoshida, E., A Cross-Cultural Study of User Perception in Robot Teleoperation Between Japan and Canada, IEEE International Conference on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN), 2026.

• Mahdi, A*; Dong, Z; Feng-Shun Lin, J; Hu, Y; Hirata, Y; Mombaur, K (2025), Real-time Sit-to-Stand Phase Classification with a Mobile Assistive Robot From Close Proximity Utilizing 3D Visual Skeleton Recognition, Robotics and Automation Letters (RAL), Volume 10, Issue 3, 2160-2167.

• Abdulazeem, N*; Hu, Y (2025), Quantifying Human Mental State in Interactive pHRI: Maintaining Balancing, Robotics and Automation Letters (RAL), Volume 10, Issue 3, 2958-2955.

• Abdulazeem, N*; Hu, Y (2025), Exploring the Impact of Robots’ Facial Emotional Expressions on Physical Exercise Across Different Age Groups, International Journal of Social Robotics (SORO), Volume 17, Issue 1, 1-21.

• Mahdi, A*; Dong, Z; Lin, J; Hu, Y; Hirata, Y; Mombaur, K (2025), Close-Range Single-Camera Vision-Based Adaptive Control for STS Assistance: A Unified Approach, IEEE Transactions on Medical Robotics and Bionics (TMRB), Volume 0, 0.

• Tang, C*; Barradas, D; Hengartner, U; Hu, Y, Uncovering Robot Joint-Level Controller Actions with Encrypted Network Traffic Analysis, IFIP International Conference on ICT Systems Security and Privacy Protection, 121-135, 2025.

• Researchers awarded funding for cybersecurity innovations
• MME surgical robotics collaboration debuts at top international robotics conference
• Researchers make final of robotics innovation competition
• Seven researchers receive Graham Seed Fund awards
• Faculty researchers awarded $900K from government