The DRF Lunchtime Clinic is proud to host Dr Erika Parn, Senior Research Associate in Sustainable Digital Twins, and Dr Jerry Xu, Senior Research Associate in Automation and Robotics from the Digital Roads Prosperity Partnership from the University of Cambridge, who will be delivering talks on their recent research outcomes.
More details of the talk will be added shortly.
Dr Erika A. Pärn is a Research Assistant Professor at University of Cambridge based at Civil Engineering Department Construction Information Technology Lab. Previously, whilst working in industry, she led multiple research project technical deliverables for the EU commission, such as the two H2020 initiatives, GreenInstruct and BIMERR, and the UKRI project SeismPrecast. During her time in academia as lecturer at Birmingham City University, she taught undergraduate and postgraduate students of built environment school and accrued research experience.
Dr Jie Xu is a Senior Research Associate (Research Assistant Professor) at the Division of Civil Engineering of the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He is leading the Automation and Robotics team in the Digital Roads of the Future (DRF) initiative. Prior to this, he was a post-doctoral research associate in Professor Richard Buswell’s group at Loughborough University to deliver two EPSRC-funded significant projects (worth £2.2 mil in total) that delivered the next generation of 3D Concrete Printing technology - Hybrid Concrete Printing. He was responsible for providing robotic toolpath programs for 3D printing and milling operations, sensor-integrated robotic system development, geometric quality control and process monitoring. His work led to the realization of a world-first full-scale concrete structural assembly with dry joints and integrated building services through precision manufacturing. Jie received his PhD in Engineering (Construction) Management from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China in Dec 2019 and BEng in Civil Engineering (road and bridge) in 2013. During his PhD, he developed a patented novel variable size nozzle device with new volumetric printing principles to efficiently fabricate precise complex architectural geometries and he also worked as a research assistant on a Chinese National Key R&D Program to explore BIM-driven robotic applications for typical construction operations. Due to his academic excellence and leadership, he was given the prestigious Leadership Scholars Award by Committee of 100 (USA) in Dec 2019 (32 awards across the country).
Jerry has been awarded the Chinese Excellent Young Scientist Fund, which he will take up in July 2025, moving back to China to take up a faculty position at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST).