CCAI9025: AI-driven Robotics for Humankind
The University of Hong Kong - Fall 2025
Course Description
Robots have become a pervasive part of our lives, evolving from obscure novelties to indispensable components of modern life. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, robots have become an increasingly integral part of our society and daily lives. With each stride in robot technology, tasks that were once solely within the domain of human capability are now effortlessly executed by robotic counterparts, heralding a new era of efficiency and innovation.
In an era marked by the swift evolution of AI, the field of robotics is experiencing unprecedented growth and innovation. Throughout this course, we will delve into a series of fundamentals at the heart of this technological revolution and try to answer the following questions: What led us to the current state of robotics? How do robots play an essential role across diverse sectors? Why do robots possess the remarkable capabilities that enable them to undertake tasks that were once deemed impossible? How does AI benefit robots in the era of big data? How do robots contribute to the Hong Kong community and society at large? Do robots only benefit humanity, or do there exist costs and concerns that necessitate careful consideration? What groundbreaking horizons lie ahead as we stride towards the future alongside robots?
This course is fundamentally transdisciplinary and is designed for students who are new to robotics and AI. We will cultivate a foundational understanding of AI-driven robotics. The course will focus on the role of robotics in our society, considering its practical and potential uses, and how it can dramatically revolutionize our society in the future. This course does not assume previous knowledge.
Course Logistics
- Lecture Venue and Time
Wednesday 1:00-2:50PM HKT at Wang Gungwu Lecture Hall. - Available Tutorial Timeslots
Monday
Thursday
Friday
Each student may select a suitable timeslot based on their schedule. Allocation will primarily follow a first-come, first-served basis. Priority consideration will be given to students from specific majors who only have availability in certain timeslots. Members for the group project will be automatically determined according to tutorial selections. - Lecture Slides and Recordings
Will be posted on the Moodle website shortly after each lecture. - Contact
For enquiries, emergencies, or personal matters, you can email us through [email protected]. - Related Links
HKU commoncore website.
HKU-IDS website.
Moodle website (HKU student only).
Coursework Assessment
- Essay (30%)
Students are encouraged to apply the knowledge acquired throughout the course by developing an individual essay that explores robotics applications, including societal impact and future trend analysis. Details will be announced throughout the lectures and tutorials. - Reflection Report About the Field Trips (15%)
Students are encouraged to develop a "report" to describe what they gain during the field trip. Details will be announced throughout the lectures and tutorials. - Participation (20%)
Students are encouraged to actively participate in a variety of interactive activities—such as panels, debates, role-playings, and discussions with guest speakers—across lectures, tutorials, and field trips. - Group Project (30%)
Students are encouraged to cooperate to finish a group project to demonstrate their comprehensive and overall summary of the whole course. Details will be announced throughout the lectures and tutorials. - Social Media Outreach (5%)
Students are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about state-of-the-art AI-driven robotics applications worldwide. - Regrade Request
If you believe that the course staff made an objective error in grading, you may submit a regrade request and email us within 3 days of the grade release. Your request should briefly summarize why the original grading was incorrect. Note that staff may regrade the entire submission, so it is possible for you to lose more points than you gain if a mistake was overlooked in the first time.
Course Schedule
| Date | Lecture | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2025 | Introduction to Embodied AI, Machine Learning and Beyond [slides] | - |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Pursuing the Nature of Intelligence [slides] | Details of Course Assessment and Introduction of Basic Math [slides] |
| Sep 17, 2025 | Robotic Applications: Autonomous Driving and Transportation [slides] | Basic Knowledge of Machine Learning [slides] |
| Sep 24, 2025 | Robotic Applications: Manufacturing [slides] | Basic Knowledge of Robotics and 2D Vision [slides] |
| Oct 1, 2025 | HK Holiday, NO ONSITE LECTURE Robotic Applications: Healthcare (Recording) [slides] | Basic Knowledge of 3D Vision and Coding [slides] |
| Oct 8, 2025 | Robotics with Foundation Models [slides] | Hands-on Study of the Robotic Simulation [slides] |
| Oct 13 ~ Oct 17, 2025 | Reading Week, NO ONSITE LECTURE Field Trip to Hong Kong 10.15 Field Trip to Shenzhen 10.16 | Reading Week, NO ONSITE TUTORIAL |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Multi-agent Robotic Systems | Hands-on Study of Teleoperation and Data Collection |
| Oct 29, 2025 | HK Holiday, NO ONSITE LECTURE Robotic Applications: Drones and Low-altitude Economy (Recording) | Hands-on Study of Data Pre-processing |
| Nov 5, 2025 | Guest Lecture from MiraclePlus | Hands-on Study of Policy Training |
| Nov 12, 2025 | Robotics with Learning Methods(1h) Panel: Will Robots Replace Humans? (1h) | Hands-on Study of Policy Inference |
| Nov 19, 2025 | Embodied AI on the Societal Impact | Demonstration of Unitree-G1 Humanoid |
| Nov 26, 2025 | Group Project Presentation | Brilliant Builds of HKU Robotics Teams |
Course Materials
- A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains.
- Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030.
- State of AI Report 2024.
- Understanding Deep Learning.
- Robotics, Modelling, Planning and Control.
- OpenAI DevDay: Opening Keynote.
- GPT-4 Developer Livestream.
- We, Robot | Tesla Cybercab Unveil.
- Tesla AI Day 2022.
- MIT Embodied Intelligence Seminars.
- Talk AI, Tech & the Future.
- Responsible AI development.
FAQ
- Can I audit or sit in?
In general, we are very open to auditing if you are a member of the HKU community (registered student, staff, and/or faculty). Out of courtesy, we would appreciate if you first email us or talk to the instructor after the first class you attend. - I have a question about the class. What is the best way to reach the course staff?
For discussions regarding course content, please directly email us through [email protected]. For all other inquiries, kindly reach out directly to the course instructors.