Assistant Professor Zhengbo Zou Receives NFRF Grant to Enhance Social-Emotional Intelligence of Construction Robots

Assistant Professor Zhengbo Zou has recently been awarded the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF). The grant is aimed at supporting world-leading interdisciplinary research projects that are transformative and have a rapid response, with a focus on Canadian-led research.

The need for social-emotional intelligence in construction robots is critical in today’s fast-paced construction industry.

By using robots to collaborate with humans on arduous tasks or replace humans in dangerous tasks, the safety of construction workers can be greatly improved. It will also increase productivity and provide relief to the current housing crisis.

Dr. Zou is among the recipients of the NFRF 2022 Exploration Stream funding. His work aims to reduce barriers for human-robot collaboration in construction sites.

“Our goal is to improve and leverage human-robot interaction, so that we can enhance the construction and facility management process,” said Dr. Zou.

Dr. Zou and his team are working towards a future where humans and robots collaborate to deliver projects and help operate buildings, using cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize the construction industry.

The Government of Canada has awarded over $3.7 million to research projects led by UBC Faculty of Applied Science-affiliated members through the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF)

For more information about other UBC-led projects that were awarded by NFRF, please see the announcement on the website of UBC’s Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation.