IPAB Guest Speaker - Prof. Shan Luo (King’s College London) - 22/10/2026

Title: Robot Visuo-Tactile Intelligence

Abstract: This talk explores the important role of visuo-tactile intelligence in shaping robot embodiment, enabling their interactions with the physical world. By integrating visual and tactile sensory modalities, robots attain a deeper understanding of their surroundings, facilitating perception for agile grasping and manipulation. Drawing upon recent advancements in tactile sensor development including GelTip, TouchRoller and RoTipBot, multimodal integration, and simulation techniques, I will delve into the foundations of visuo-tactile learning and its implications for robotics. Through case studies and experimental insights, I will share how this paradigm shift in robotic perception enhances adaptability, dexterity, and autonomy.

Bio: Prof. Shan Luo is a Full Professor in Robotics and AI at King’s College London, where he leads the Robot Perception Lab and directs research on tactile sensing, multimodal perception, and robot dexterity. He obtained his PhD in Robotics from King’s College London in 2016 and was a visiting researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Following his PhD, he held research positions at the University of Leeds and Harvard University, joined the University of Liverpool as a Lecturer in 2018, before returning to King’s College London in 2021. He has published over 100 papers in leading journals and conferences, including Nature Communications, IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO), ICRA, IROS, RSS, ICML, CVPR, and ECCV. He is currently an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Robotics and a Senior Area Chair for RSS 2027. He has also served in editorial roles for major robotics conferences including ICRA, IROS, CoRL and AAAI. He led the highly successful T-RO Special Collection on Tactile Robotics, which attracted a record breaking number of submissions. He has secured significant research funding from major UK and international agencies and industry partners, including EPSRC, AHRC, Innovate UK, the Royal Society, and Unilever, with over £4.4 million as Principal Investigator and more than £13 million as Co-Investigator. Prof. Luo is an EPSRC Open Fellow, a Turing Open Source AI Fellow, and a Hi! Paris Visiting Chair. Prof. Luo’s accolades also include the EPSRC New Investigator Award, UK-RAS Early Career Award, and Faculty Learning & Teaching and Student Experience Award.