Hi, I’m Linzhen Zhu, a first-year PhD student with broad interests in smart devices, robotics, and sensing technologies. I am fascinated by how we can push the boundaries of existing hardware by rethinking and repurposing sensors that already surround us in everyday life. Rather than building entirely new devices from scratch, my work explores creative ways to elevate commodity sensors into powerful new tools for perception and interaction.
My current research focuses on using this approach to address challenges in robotics and ambient intelligence. For example, I am working on giving robots a form of tactile sensing by re-engineering visual or optical sensors, allowing them to better understand contact, pressure, and surface geometry during interaction. In another line of work, I am developing methods to detect subtle environmental phenomena such as heat plumes rising from stoves or harmful cooking oil fumes in kitchens. These projects not only advance the capabilities of robotic systems but also open up new opportunities for safer, healthier, and more responsive living environments.
Ultimately, my goal is to bridge the gap between low-cost, widely available sensors and high-impact applications in robotics and smart environments. By combining creativity in sensor design with rigorous experimentation, I hope to contribute to systems that are both practical and transformative—technologies that enhance human life while expanding what machines can perceive and do.