Assistant Professor - Department of Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering
CECS, Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering
WAEC 3205
304-696-2265
Biography
Dr. Pingping Zhu is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Marshall University. Prior to joining Marshall University, he was a Research Associate in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University. Before that, He worked as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Duke University. Dr. Pingping Zhu received the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Florida in 2013 and 2010, respectively, and the M.S. degree from the Institute for Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence and B.S. degree in Department of Electronics and Information Engineering in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, in 2008 and 2006, respectively. His research interests include signal processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, intelligent control, and human behavior research.
Ph.D. University of Florida, 2013
M.Sc. University of Florida, 2010
M.Sc. Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, 2008
B.Sc. Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, 2006
Signal & Systems
Signal & Image Processing
Noise and Random Signal Processing
Analog & Digital Communications
Control Systems
AI-based Intelligent Control
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Computer Architecture
Programming Lab: MATLAB & C++
EE 210 Programming Lab
EE 320 Analysis of Signals and Systems
EE 340 Computer Architecture and Design
EE 360 Control Systems
EE 375 Communication System – I
EE 650 Intelligent Control and Systems
EE 650 AI in Control Systems
Signal Processing: Statistic Signal Processing, Digital Signal Processing, Detection and Estimation theory, Kernel Adaptive Filtering
Machine Learning: Kernel Methods, Neural Networks, Deep Learning (Convolutional Neural Networks), Non-parametric Supervise Learning, Reinforcement Learning, Pattern Recognition.
Intelligent Control: Distributed Optimal Control, Approximate Dynamical Programming, Intelligent Control of Multiple-scale Dynamical Systems, Very-large-scale robotic (VLSR) Systems, robotics swarm, centralized and decentralized Control.
Google Scholar: Google Scholar
Yucheng Chen, Pingping Zhu, Anthony Aler, Tobias Egner, Marc A Sommer, and Silvia Ferrari, “Heuristic Satisficing Inferential Decision Making in Human and Robot Active Perception,” Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Vol. 11, 2024.
Keith LeGrand, Pingping Zhu, Silvia Ferrari, “Cell multi-Bernoulli (cell-MB) sensor control for multi-object search-while-tracking (SWT),” IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 45 (6), 2023.
Pingping Zhu, Chang Liu, Silvia Ferrari, “Adaptive Online Distributed Optimal Control of Very-Large-Scale Robotic Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, 8 (2), 2021.
Bryce Doerr, Richard Linares, Pingping Zhu, and Silvia Ferrari, “Random Finite Set Theory and Optimal Control of Large Collaborative Swarms,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2020.
Pingping Zhu, Silvia Ferrari, Julian Morelli, Richard Linares, and Bryce Doerr,”Scalable Gas Sensing, Mapping, and Path Planning via Decentralized Hilbert Maps.” Sensors 19, no. 7 (2019): 1524.
James Gao, Jacob Lee, Yuting Zhou, Yunze Hu, Chang Liu, and Pingping Zhu, “SwarmCVT: Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation-Based Path Planning for Very-Large-Scale Robotics,” American Control Conference (ACC), 2025
Xuru Yang, Yunze Hu, Han Gao, Kang Ding, Pingping Zhu, Ying Sun, and Chang Liu. “ROVER: Risk-Aware Swarm Robotics MOtion Planner Using Conditional ValuE at Risk,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2024.
Yunze Hu, Xuru Yang, Kangjie Zhou, Qinghang Liu, Kang Ding, Han Gao, Pingping Zhu, and Chang Liu. “SwarmPRM: Probabilistic Roadmap Motion Planning for Swarm Robotic Systems,” IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2024.
Pingping Zhu, Chang Liu, and Peter Estephan, “A Novel Multivariate Skew-Normal Mixture Model and Its Application in Path-Planning for Very-Large-Scale Robotic Systems,” American Control Conference (ACC), Toronto, Canada, 2024.
Pingping Zhu, Jose Principe, “Kernel Nonlinear Dynamic System Identification Based on Expectation-Maximization Method,” IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), 2022.
Hengye Yang, Joy Putney, Usama Bin Sikandar, Pingping Zhu, Simon Sponberg, Silvia Ferrari, “A relative spike-timing approach to kernel-based decoding demonstrated for insect flight experiments,” IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN), 2022.
Cong Pu, Pingping Zhu, “Mitigating Routing Misbehavior in the Internet of Drones Environment,” IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC), 2022.
Keith LeGrand, Pingping Zhu, Siliva Ferrari, “A Random Finite Set Control Approach for Vision-based Multi-object Search-While-Tracking,” IEEE 24th International Conference on Information Fusion (FUSION), 2021.
Cong Pu and Pingping Zhu, “Defending against Flooding Attacks in the Internet of Drones Environment,” IEEE GLOBECOM, 2021.
Junyi Dong, Pingping Zhu, Silvia Ferrari, “Oriented Interaction Inference for Autonomous Pedestrian Trajectory Prediction and Tracking,” American Control Conference (ACC), 2020.
Junyi Dong, Pingping Zhu, Silvia Ferrari, “Oriented Interaction Inference for Autonomous Pedestrian Trajectory Prediction and Tracking,” American Control Conference (ACC), 2020.
Julian Morelli, Pingping Zhu, Bryce Doerr, Richard Linares, and Silvia Ferrari, “Integrated Mapping and Path Planning for Very Large-Scale Robotic (VLSR) Systems.” In 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 3356-3362. IEEE, 2019.
John Marshall University Undergraduate Creative Discovery and Research Scholar Award for Fall 2025, ”A Reinforcement Learning-based Algorithm for Labeled Data Generation,” Role: PI and faculty mentor, Student: Dylan Lester, Amount: $1,750 (for student) + $750 (for faculty mentor), Period: Aug. 18 - Dec. 12, 2025.
NASA WV EPSCoR Seed Grant, “ACERS-GCVT: Adaptive Coverage and Exploration for Robotic Swarms Using Gaussian Distribution-Based Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation,” Role: PI, Amount: $22,172, Period: Jun. 1, 2025 - May 31, 2026.
NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Fellowship, ”Training YOLO Models with Assisted Labeling Techniques and RGB-D Fusion,” Role: PI and Mentor, Student: Dylan Lester, Amount: $5,000, Period: June 1,2025 - May 31, 2026.
NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Fellowship, ”Human Operator in Drone Swarm Control Loop,” Role: PI and Mentor, Student: Samuel Sutphin, Amount: $5,000, Period: June 1,2025 - May 31, 2026.
John Marshall University Undergraduate Creative Discovery and Research Scholar Award for Spring 2025, ”Multi-Camera Gesture Recognition,” Role: PI and faculty mentor, Student: Samuel Sutphin, Amount: $1,750 (for student) + $750 (for faculty mentor), Period: January 13 - May 9, 2025.
NASA WV EPSCoR Seed Grant, ”Study of Wasserstein Metric in Obstacle-Deployed Environments and Its Application to Multi-Scale Robotic Spatial Exploration Systems,” Role: PI, Amount: $22,138, Period: Jun. 15, 2024 - Jul. 15, 2025.
NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Fellowship, ”Advancements in Autonomous Drone Operations: A Research Project on Obstacle Avoidance Techniques,” Role: PI and Mentor, Student: Preston Sellards, Amount: $5,000, Period: April 10th, 2024 – April 9th, 2025.
NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Fellowship, ”Advancements in Autonomous Drone Operations: Emergency Response and Recognition,” Role: PI and Mentor, Student: Ben Taylor, Amount: $5,000, Period: April 10th, 2024- April 9th, 2025.
NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Fellowship, ”Human Interaction in Drone Operations,” Role: PI and Mentor, Student: Mathew Allen, Amount: $5,000, Period: April 10th, 2024 - April 9th, 2025.
NASA WVSGC Undergraduate Fellowship, ”Comparison of Penalty Terms of Obstacle Avoidance for Very-Large-Scale Robotic Systems,” Role: PI and Mentor, Student: Jacob Lee, Amount: $5,000, Period: April 10th, 2024 - April 9th, 2025.
DARPA Collaborative Grant, “AI-CRAFT: Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Readiness and Future Training, funded by the Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,” Role: Senior Personnel at Marshall University, Amount (Marshall University): $1.25 M, Period: 2024-2026. PI at Marshall University: Dr. Haroon Malik. This collaborative project is led by Florida International University (FIU), and the other collaborator is West Virginia University (WVU). total grant amount of $4,499,555 for two years.
ERDC Grant, “Automatic Assessment and Repair for Military Railroads,” Role: Co-PI, Amount: $2,050,000.00, Period: Feb. 1, 2024 - Jan. 31, 2026. PI: Dr. Ammar Alzarrad and other Co-PI: Dr. Husnu Narman, Dr. Sudipta Chowdhury, Dr. Greg Michaelson, Dr. Arka Chattopadhyay.
ERDC Grant, “Detection of Subterranean Threat Activity in Hard Rock Environments,” Role: Co-PI, Amount: $2,998,647.46, Period: Feb. 1, 2024 - Jan. 31, 2026. PI: Dr. Greg Michaelson and other Co-PI: Dr. Arka Chattopadhyay, Dr. Mehdi Esmaeilpour.
NASA WV EPSCoR Seed Grant, “Centralized-Decentralized-Hybrid Control for Multi-Scale Robotic Spatial Exploration Systems,” Role: PI, Amount: $21,868, Period: Jun. 1, 2023 - May 31, 2024.
John Marshall University Scholars Awards for Spring 2023, “An Adaptive Distributed Optimal Control for Decentralized Very-Large-Scale-Robotic Systems,” Role: PI, Award: Four-courses release in Spring 2023.
Section Editor: Current Robotics Reports - Defense, Military, and Surveillance Robotics
Guest Editor: Applied Sciences - Special issue: “Application of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Human-Computer Interaction,” URL: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci/special issues/I10I165619
Reviewer for IEEE Transaction on Control of Network Systems
Reviewer for IEEE Transaction on Neural Networks and Learning Systems
Reviewer for IEEE Transaction on Signal Processing
Reviewer for IEEE Transaction on Cybernetics
Reviewer for IEEE Transaction on Automatic Control
Reviewer for Information Fusion
Reviewer for IET Image Processing
Reviewer for Neural Computing and Applications
Reviewer for Digital Signal Processing
Reviewer for Signal, Image and Video Processing (SIVP)
Reviewer for IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC): 2018
Reviewer for IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN): 2011 – 2015
Reviewer for IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS): 2014, 2024
IEEE American Control Conference (ACC): 2024
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Senior Member.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Computational Intelligence Society (CIS), Senior Member.
The Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), Member.