The Research and Postgraduate Centre at Xiamen University Malaysia congratulates Associate Professor Dr. Tan Jian Ding, Head of the Robotics and Automation Engineering Program under the School of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Director of the S.M.A.R.T. Nexus Centre of Excellence, and his research team for their recent publications in two SCI Q1 journals.

The first article, "Analysis on Vision Sensing and Image Processing Trends in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles", was published in Expert Systems with Applications (impact factor 7.5, Zone 1 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences). Conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tee Wei Hown from Taylor's University and supported by the XMUMRF/2022-C10/IECE/0040 grant, the study examines advances in vision sensing and image processing for drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It addresses challenges such as positioning accuracy, real-time efficiency, and communication bottlenecks, and evaluates UAV swarm coordination systems to support high-precision autonomous UAV operations.

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The published full article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2025.129260.

The research team includes Chen Yujun, a Bachelor's student in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, who has consistently ranked among the top 3% of his intake and received the university merit scholarship for the past three years. Chen Yujun has been admitted to Zhejiang University for postgraduate studies. Postgraduate student Lee Yan Kang, pursuing a Master's degree in New Energy Science and Engineering under Dr. Tan's supervision, has received full merit scholarships for two consecutive years. His research focuses on meta-heuristic algorithms, multi-objective engineering optimization, and power conversion efficiency in energy harvesting systems.

The second article, "Nature-Inspired Heuristic Frameworks Trends in Solving Multi-Objective Engineering Optimization Problems", was published in Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering (impact factor 12.1; ranked first in Mathematics Interdisciplinary Applications and top 1% in Interdisciplinary Engineering, Zone 1 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences). Conducted in collaboration with Prof. Ir. Dr. Johnny Koh Siaw Paw from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Malaysia, and supported by the XMUMRF/2021-C7/IECE/0020 grant, the study analyzes nature-inspired heuristic frameworks for multi-objective engineering optimization, including hybrid algorithm designs, integration with machine learning, and strategies to balance convergence and diversity.

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The published full article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11831-024-10090-x.

Postgraduate Clifford Choe Wei Chang, who recently completed his Master's degree under Dr. Tan Jian Ding, contributed to this study. Clifford also holds a Master's in Engineering, Technology and Business Management from the University of Leeds, has published 13 articles in top-ranking journals with over 300 citations, and focuses on improving renewable energy conversion efficiency.

Dr. Tan Jian Ding's research spans robotics, artificial intelligence, industrial automation, computer vision, and renewable energy, supporting the development of intelligent technologies and sustainable engineering solutions.