Zilin Huang

Hey, thanks for stopping by!

I am currently a fourth-year Ph.D. student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working under the guidance of Prof. Sikai (Sky) Chen and serving as the Co-Founder of Sky-Lab. I am also affiliated with the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT) and the Smart Highway Research Center (SHRC). Before joining UW-Madison, I worked with Prof. Samuel Labi at the Purdue University.

I envision that future transportation systems will consist of humans and a wide range of intelligent agents (e.g., autonomous vehicles, delivery robots, and flying vehicles) coexisting and interacting in dynamic mobility environments. These agents must not only operate safely, but also understand human behaviors, preferences, and social norms, and collaborate effectively with road users. Building on this vision, my research aims to develop human-centered, trustworthy, and interactive autonomous systems that empower agents not only to ensure safety in complex settings, but more importantly, to interact naturally with humans and make decisions that are reliable, personalized, and socially compliant. To realize this vision, I adopt a sim-to-real paradigm that integrates simulation and real-world deployment in a continuous feedback loop. By advancing these capabilities, we can achieve broader societal goals—enhanced safety, mobility, and efficiency, along with improved user trust and satisfaction—ultimately enabling a future where humans and intelligent agents coexist harmoniously.

Technologically , I am interested in the following areas:

Please feel free to reach out to me for potential research collaboration!