Note to Prospective Students

Thanks for your interest to join my group at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the University of Hong Kong (HKU EEE)!

Currently, I have 2-4 fully funded Ph.D. openings for strong candidates starting in Spring/Fall 2026, 12 Postdoc or RAP opening with competitive salaries, and multiple RA openings starting anytime (typically for at least six months). Exceptional students will be supported to apply for Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), HKU presidential Ph.D. Scholar Programme (HKU-PS) and Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS).

Major Research Topics

Our group will work on building mobile systems, with a long-term focus on exploring how cutting-edge CV/AI advances can empower running robots, flying drones, and soaring satellites to operate in the real world, NOT just excel on datasets. Our works have appeared in top system and mobile computing venues such as NSDI/EuroSys, MobiCom/MobiSys/SenSys, ICCV/CVPR, with industrial deployments demonstrating practical impact. In the era of the Low-Altitude Economy, our current and upcoming research focuses on Vision Foundation Models For, With, and On Flying Drones:

  • For [Model, Algorithm]: Adapting and Repurposing Foundation Models For Drone-based Systems
    • Large-scale VGGT, Depth Anything, Map Anything, 3DGS, VLM, VLA, WM, SLAM, etc.
    • Multi-modality Foundation Model (e.g., Vision + mmWave/LiDar/Event Camera/IMU)
    • Embedded and Embodied Localization/Navigation in GPS-denied scenarios
  • With [System, Platform]: Augmenting Drone’s Autonomy With Edge-assisted Foundation Models
    • Real-time Foundation-Model-in-the-Loop Path Planning and Flight Control
    • Edge-based Multi-Drone Collaboration and Task Scheduling in Open World
  • On [Software-Hardware Co-design]: Accelerating Foundation Model Inference On Drones
    • KV-cache, Intermediate-result Reuse for Inference Acceleration
    • Ultra-fast, high-dynamic Drone Obstacle Avoidance

Eligibility & Application

Candidates who majored in CS/EE/Software Engineering/Automation and related fields are encouraged to apply, particularly those with backgrounds in: drone-based applications, computer vision, computer networks, mobile and embedded systems, FPGA, etc.. Applicants should meet the HKU Postgraduate Admission Requirements. Here are some students I mentor/have mentored.

AGI IS COMING! So, the following two qualities matter to me.

  • Your Coding, Writing, Reading, Literature Reviewing, Research, ..... ability:
  • Have a PHYSICAL sports HOBBY - something you are willing to invest time in developing your skills.

• Our goal is to enable mobile systems to leverage AI...
• So we should first master how to use→control→beat AI

To apply, please email me (jingaoxu@hku.hk) your CV and a brief statement of your research interests or plans. Please use this exact subject format: [Prospective PhD/Postdoc/RA] Your Name - Your Affiliation. My n8n-powered LLM agent screens incoming emails, so following the format ensures your application reaches me (my Notion Database) directly.