Dr Kai-Fung Chu

Assistant Professor (UK Lecturer) in AI

School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology, University of Bristol

Email: kaifung.chu [AT] bristol.ac.uk

Dr Kai-Fung Chu is an Assistant Professor (UK Lecturer) in AI in the School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology at the University of Bristol. He received the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, and the M.Sc. (Distinction) and B.Eng. (First Class Honors) degrees from the Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Prior to joining the University of Bristol, he was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the the Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory within the Machine Intelligence Laboratory research group at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Computing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and a Research Fellow of the School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University. He also worked in the industry as an engineer for several years. His research focuses on multi-agent systems, physical reservoir computing, robot learning and control, and intelligent transportation systems.

News

  • I am currently recruiting talented PhD students to study physical AI, learning-based control, multi-agent systems, and intelligent transportation systems. Please email me with your CV if you are interested.
  • 06/2026, I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Assistant Professor (UK Lecturer) in AI at University of Bristol!
  • My Research

    Mobility systems are undergoing a profound transition by AI and robotics, evolving into highly complex dynamical and multi-agent systems in modern society. My research adopts a multi-scale co-design perspective to shape collective, emergent behaviour at the system level from embodied intelligence at the vehicle level. Through the integration of robotics, machine learning, and control theory, I aim to enable resilient, efficient, and scalable mobility solutions.

    Multi-Agent Systems [#MAS]

    Decentralized coordination of large-scale systems

    Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning-based Passenger Spoofing Attack

    Rewiring Complex Networks to Achieve Cluster Synchronization

    Physical Reservoir Computing [#PRC]

    Using physical systems as computational reservoirs.

    Vehicular Reservoir Computing

    Pendulum Coupling Using Physical Reservoir Control

    Robot Learning and Control [#RL&C]

    Integration of machine learning and control theory for robotics systems

    Human-Robot Collaboration by Virtual Model Control

    Scalable Multi-Robot Collaboration

    Intelligent Transportation Systems [#ITS]

    AI-driven traffic control, autonomous vehicles, and mobility systems

    Interaction Between Autonomous Vehicles, Human-Driven Vehicles, and Intelligent Systems in ITS

    Deep Multi-Scale Convolutional LSTM Network for Travel Demand and Origin-Destination Predictions

    Publications

    See Google Scholar page for most updated list

    Teaching

    University of Cambridge

  • Co-Lecturer and Lab Demonstrator, Introduction to Robotics (4M20), Mich 2025
  • Supervisor and Teaching Assistant, Advanced Robotics (4M25), Lent 2025
  • Teaching Assistant and Lab Demonstrator, Integrated Design Project (IDP), Mich 2023, Lent & Mich 2024
  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

  • Subject Lecturer, Machine Learning and Applications in Finance (COMP5564), Spring 2023
  • The University of Hong Kong

  • Teaching Assistant and Lab Demonstrator, Everyday Computing and the Internet (CCST9003), Summer & Fall 2018, and Fall 2019
  • Teaching Assistant and Lab Demonstrator, Introduction to Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ELEC1203), Fall 2017
  • Professional Services

    Associate and Guest Editor

  • Guest Editor, Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, Special Issue on Multi-Robot Autonomous Collaborative Control and Detection Technology
  • Guest Editor, Wireless Networks, Special Issue on Intelligent Communication Technologies for Smart Cities
  • Associate Editor, HKIE Transactions
  • Associate Editor, EAI Endorsed Transactions on Energy Web
  • Reviewer

    ACM TIOT, ACM TOSEM, IEEE Access, IEEE OJVT, IEEE T-AI, IEEE T-BD, IEEE T-ETCI, IEEE T-EVC, IEEE T-IE, IEEE IoT-J, IEEE T-ITS, IEEE T-IV, IEEE T-NNLS, IEEE T-NSM, IEEE T-SG, IEEE T-TE, IEEE T-VT, IET ITS, IJIS, ITU J-FET on Vehicular networks, J. Advanced Transportation, J. Scheduling, J. Transport Geography, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the IEEE, RA-L, Scientific Reports, Transportmetrica A Transport Science, Transportmetrica B Transport Dynamics, Travel Behaviour and Society

    AAAI2025, CDC2019, DASA2020, EAI SmartGIFT 2024, EECon2024, EI2023, EI2025, ICRA2024, INFOCOM2020, IROS2025, IROS2026, ITSC2024, ITSC2022, ITSC2021, ITSC2018, TAROS2023

    Conference and Workshops

  • Organizing Committee, 6th International Conference on Embodied Intelligence, 2026
  • Organizer, Future Intelligence Talk, 2024
  • Organizing Committee, 5th International Conference on Embodied Intelligence, 2025
  • Technical Program Committee, EAI SmartGIFT 2024
  • Organizing Committee, 4th International Conference on Embodied Intelligence, 2024
  • Organizing Committee, 24th Towards Autonomous Robotics Systems, 2023
  • Organizing Committee, Special Session on Mobility-as-a-Service: managing cyber security risks for a seamless smart connectivity at IEEE 26th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2023
  • Session chair, Smart transportation session at 3rd IEEE International Smart Cities Conference, 2018
  • Organizing Committee, International Conference on Smart Mobility and Logistics in Future Cities, 2018
  • Experience

  • 2022–2023, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Computing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • 2022–2022, Research Fellow, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University
  • 2020–2022, Senior Research Engineer, BaseBit Technologies Company Limited
  • 2015–2016, Research Assistant, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • 2013–2016, Project Engineer, Electronic Theater Control Asia Limited
  • 2012–2012, Intern, Office of the Communication Authority, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
  • Awards and Scholarship

  • 2023-2026, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
  • 2021/22, Outstanding Young Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, PolyU EIE
  • 2017/18, Champion of the IEEE (HK) Computational Intelligence Chapter - Graduate Student Paper Competition, IEEE (HK)
  • 2018, 2nd runners up of HKUEAA Enginnovate 2018, HKU Engineering Alumni Association
  • 2016-2020, Postgraduate Scholarships, HKU
  • 2016/17, Chiang Chen Overseas Fellowship, Chang Chen Industrial Charity Foundation (Hong Kong) LTD.
  • 2015, MSc Studentship Project Scheme, PolyU
  • 2016, Scholarships for Postgraduate Scheme in Engineering Type II, PolyU
  • 2015 and 2016, Scholarships for Postgraduate Scheme in Engineering Type I, PolyU
  • 2015 and 2016, EIE Alumni Scholarship, PolyU
  • 2012, Chiap Hua Cheng’s Foundation Scholarship, PolyU
  • 2010/11, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, The Dean’s Honours List, PolyU
  • 2011/2012, Best GPA award, PolyU
  • 2010 Fall, 2011 Fall and 2012 Spring, Best Semester GPA award, PolyU