UW Marine Robotics Laboratory

Publications

Please see my Google Scholar for a full list of publications.

2025

  • W. Wang, N. Hagemann, A. Gonzalez-Garcia, C. Ratti, D. Rus, Self-Reconfiguring Modular Robotic Boats, under review, 2025.
  • S. Wang, and W. Wang, A Stiffness-Tunable Soft Actuator with Adjustable Jamming for Dexterous Manipulation, Soft Robotics, in revision, 2025.
  • A. Gamboa-Gonzalez, W. Xiao, A. Gonzalez-Garcia, and W. Wang, Online Residual Model Learning for Robust-Adaptive Predictive and Barrier Control of Autonomous Vessels, under review, 2025.
  • Z. Chen, and W. Wang, Dynamic Modeling and Efficient Data-Driven Optimal Control for Micro Autonomous Surface Vehicles, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), accpeted, 2025.
  • A. Gonzalez-Garcia, W. Xiao, W. Wang, A. Astudillo, W. Decre, J. Swevers, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Safe Planning and Control Using Predictive and Adaptive Barrier Methods for Autonomous Surface Vessels, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), accpeted, 2025.
  • A. Gamboa-Gonzalez, C. Li, M. Wehner, and W. Wang, Online Residual Model Learning for Model Predictive Control of Autonomous Surface Vehicles in Real-World Environments, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), accpeted, 2025.
  • L. Li, M Nagy, G. Amichay, R. Wu, W. Wang, O. Deussen, D. Rus, and I. Couzin, Reverse engineering the control law for schooling in zebrafish using virtual reality, Science Robotics, 10, eadq6784, 2025.
  • K. Macauley, Z. Chen and W. Wang, MicroASV: An Affordable 3D-Printed Centimeter-Scale Autonomous Surface Vehicle, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) , Atlanta, GA, USA, 2025, pp. 12481-12487.
  • P. Chen, P. Ma, N. Hagemann, J. Romanishin, W. Wang, D. Rus, and W. Matusik, AI-Assisted Automatic Design of Efficient Underwater Gliders, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Atlanta, GA, USA, 2025, pp. 1713-1719.

2024

  • K. -Y. Lin, J. A. Stonecipher, Z. Rusch, W. Wang, and M. Wehner, Hybrid Soft Pneumatic and Tendon Actuated Finger With Selective Locking Chain Link Joints, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 9, no. 11, pp. 9876-9882, Nov. 2024, doi: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3455758.
  • W. Wang, W. Xiao, A. Gonzalez-Garcia, J. Swevers, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Robust Model Predictive Control with Control Barrier Functions for Autonomous Surface Vessels, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 6089-6095, Yokohama, Japan, 2024.

Publications Before UW-Madison

2023

  • W. Wang, D. Fernandez-Gutierrez, R. Doornbusch, J. Jordan, T. Shan, P. Leoni, N. Hagemann, J. Schiphorst, F. Duarte, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Roboat III: An Autonomous Surface Vessel for Urban Transportation, Journal of Field Robotics, vol. 40, no. 8, 2023. (Selected as Cover Image).
  • Y. Qiao, J. Yin, W. Wang, F. Duarte, D. Wang, J. Yang, and C. Ratti, Survey of Deep Learning for Autonomous Surface Vehicles in Marine Environments, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 3678-3701, April 2023.
  • W. Wang, X. Cao, A. Gonzalez-Garcia, L. Yin, N. Hagemann, Y. Qiao, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Tracking Control of an Autonomous Surface Vessel in Natural Waters, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 3109-3115, 2023.

2022

  • H. Zhang, W. Wang, C. Wang, and G Xie, Development of an underwater networking system using bio-inspired electrocommunication, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 17 066001, 2022.
  • Y. Zhou, W. Wang, H. Zhang, L. Li, C. Wang, G. Xu, and G. Xie, Underwater Robot Formation using Electrocommunication, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 17 056005, 2022.
  • A. Zhao, T. Du, J. Xu, J. Hughes, J. Salazar, P. Ma, W. Wang, D. Rus, and W. Matusik, Automatic Co-Design of Aerial Robots Using a Graph Grammar, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 11260-11267, 2022.
  • A. Zhao, J. Xu, J. Salazar, W. Wang, P. Ma, D. Rus, and W. Matusik, Graph Grammar-based Automatic Design for Heterogeneous Fleets of Underwater Robots, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 3143-3149, 2022.
  • D. Fernandez-Gutierrez, N. Hagemann, W. Wang, R. Doornbusch, J. Jordan, J. Schiphorst, P. Leoni, F. Duarte, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Design of an Autonomous Latching System for Surface Vessels, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 1099-1105, 2022.

2021

  • X. Zheng, W. Wang, L. Li, and G. Xie, Artificial lateral line based relative state estimation between an upstream oscillating fin and a downstream robotic fish, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 16 016012, 2021.
  • W. Wang, N. Hagemann, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Adaptive Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Autonomous Surface Vessels with Largely Varying Payload, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 7337-7343, 2021.

2020

  • X. Zheng, W. Wang, M. Xiong, and G. Xie, Online State Estimation of a Fin-Actuated Underwater Robot Using Artificial Lateral Line System, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 36(2): 472-487, 2020.
  • R. Tian, L. Li, W. Wang, X. Chang, S. Ravi, and G. Xie, CFD based Parameter Tuning for Motion Control of Robotic Fish, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 15, 026008, 2020.
  • T. Shan, W. Wang, B. Englot, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, A Receding Horizon Multi-Objective Planner for Unmanned Surface Vehicles in Urban Waterways, The IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), pp. 4085-4092, 2020.
  • W. Wang, Z. Wang, L. Mateos, K. Huang, C. Ratti, M. Schwager, and D. Rus, Distributed Motion Control for Multiple Connected Surface Vessels, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 11658-11665, 2020.
  • W. Wang, T. Shan, P. Leoni, D. Fernandez-Gutierrez, D. Meyers, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Roboat II: A Novel Autonomous Surface Vessel for Urban Environments, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp.1740-1747, 2020.
  • T. Shan, B. Englot, D. Meyers, W. Wang, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, LIO-SAM: Tightly-coupled Lidar Inertial Odometry via Smoothing and Mapping, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 5135-5142, 2020.
  • Q. Wang, R. Liu, W. Wang, G. Xie, A New Electrocommunication System Using FSK Modulation and Deep Learning Based Demodulation for Underwater Robots, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 1699-1704, 2020.

2019

  • Y. Chen, W. Wang, L. Li, R. Kelly, and G. Xie, Obstacle effects on electrocommunication with applications to object detection of underwater robots, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, vol. 14, p. 056011, 2019-01-01, 2019.
  • L. Li, A. Liu, W. Wang, S. Ravi, R. Fu, J. Yu, and G. Xie, Bottom-level motion control for robotic fish to swim in groups: modeling and experiments, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 14, 046001, 2019.
  • W. Wang, D. Gu, and G. Xie, Autonomous Optimization of Swimming Gait in a Fish Robot with Multiple Onboard Sensors, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics: Systems, 49(5): 891-903, May 2019.
  • W. Wang, B. Gheneti, L. Mateos, F. Duarte, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Roboat: An Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Urban Waterways, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 6340-6347, 2019.
  • L. Mateos, W. Wang, B. Gheneti, F. Duarte, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Autonomous Latching System for Robotic Boats, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 7933-7939, 2019.

2018

  • W. Wang, X. Dai, L. Li, B. Gheneti, Y. Ding, J. Yu, and G. Xie, Three-Dimensional Modeling of a Fin-Actuated Robotic Fish with Multimodal Swimming, IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics, 23(4): 1641-1652, 2018.
  • W. Wang, L. Mateos, S. Park, P. Leoni, B. Gheneti, F. Duarte, C. Ratti, and D. Rus, Design, Modeling, and Nonlinear Model Predictive Tracking Control of a Novel Autonomous Surface Vehicle, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 6189-6196, 2018.

2017

  • W. Wang, J. Liu, G. Xie, L. Wen, and J. Zhang, A Bio-inspired Electrocommunication System for Small Underwater Robots, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, 12, 036002, 2017.
  • H. Zhang, W. Wang, Y. Zhou, C. Wang, R. Fan, and G. Xie, CSMA/CA-based Electrocommunication System Design for Underwater Robot Groups, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 2415-2420, 2017.

2016

  • W. Wang, Y. Li, X. Zhang, C. Wang, S. Chen, and G. Xie, Speed Evaluation of a Freely Swimming Robotic Fish with an Artificial Lateral Line, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 4737-4742, 2016.

2015

  • W. Wang, and G. Xie, Online High-Precision Probabilistic Localization of Robotic Fish Using Visual and Inertial Cues, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 62(2): 1113-1124, 2015.
  • W. Wang, X. Zhang, J. Zhao, and G. Xie, Sensing the Neighboring Robot by the Artificial Lateral Line of a Bio-inspired Robotic Fish, The IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), pp. 1565-1570, 2015.
  • W. Wang, J. Zhao, W. Xiong, F. Cao, and G. Xie, Underwater Electric Current Communication of Robotic Fish: Design and Experimental Results, The IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), pp. 1166-1171, 2015.

2014

  • W. Wang, and G. Xie, An Adaptive and Online Underwater Image Processing Algorithm Implemented on Miniature Biomimetic Robotic Fish, The 19th World Congress of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC), pp. 7598-7603, 2014.