Chengkai Dai

Research

My research focuses on computational fabrication, particularly in additive manufacturing and textile-based fabrication. I develop computational and robotic methods that bridge the gap between digital design and physical fabrication.
For additive manufacturing, I explore multi-axis slicing algorithms and robotic motion planning to enable freeform fabrication beyond conventional layering. For textile fabrication, I develop knitting and weaving algorithms to build freeform sensing interfaces using functional fibers, advancing robotic skins capable of multimodal perception and intuitive interaction. By combining geometry computing, artificial intelligence, and robotic control, my work seeks to create a unified framework that can translate digital designs into precise, functional physical forms.

Publications

^*: co-first author, ^†: corresponding author(s)

**Towards Intuitive Human-Robot Interaction through Embodied Gesture-Driven Control with Woven Tactile Skins**
ChunPing Lam, Xiangjia Chen, Chenming Wu, Hao Chen, Binzhi Sun, Guoxin Fang, Charlie C.L. Wang, **Chengkai Dai**^†, Yeung Yam
ArXiv Preprint
[paper] [video]

**INF-3DP: Implicit Neural Fields for Collision-Free Multi-Axis 3D Printing**
Jiasheng Qu, Zhuo Huang, Dezhao Guo, Hailin Sun, Aoran Lyu, **Chengkai Dai**, Yeung Yam, Guoxin Fang
**ACM Transactions on Graphics (SIGGRAPH Asia), 2025**
[project] [paper] [video]

**Curve-based Slicer for Multi-Axis DLP Printing**
**Chengkai Dai**^*, Tao Liu^*, Dezhao Guo, Binzhi Sun, Guoxin Fang, Yeung Yam, Charlie C.L. Wang
**ACM Transactions on Graphics (SIGGRAPH Asia), 2025**
[project] [paper] [video]

**Computer-Controlled 3D Surface Weaving**
Xiangjia Chen, Lip M. Lai, Zishun Liu, **Chengkai Dai**, Isaac C.W. Leung, Charlie C.L. Wang, Yeung Yam
**Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 2024**
[paper] [video]

**GauLoc: 3D Gaussian Splatting-based Camera Relocalization**
Zhe Xin, **Chengkai Dai**, Ying Li, Chenming Wu
**Computer Graphics Forum (Pacific Graphics), 2024**
[paper] [code]

**A Multi-Axis Robot-Based Bioprinting System Supporting Natural Cell Function Preservation and Cardiac Tissue Fabrication**
Zeyu Zhang^*, Chenming Wu^*, **Chengkai Dai**^*, Qingqing Shi, Guoxin Fang, Dongfang Xie, Xiangjie Zhao, Yong-Jin Liu, Charlie C.L. Wang, Xiu-Jie Wang
**Bioactive Materials, 2022**
[paper] [video]

**Planning Jerk-Optimized Trajectory with Discrete Time Constraints for Redundant Robots**
**Chengkai Dai**, Sylvain Lefebvre, Kai-Ming Yu, Jo MP Geraedts, Charlie C.L. Wang
**IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (T-ASE), 2020**
[paper] [video]

**General Support-Effective Decomposition for Multi-Directional 3D Printing**
Chenming Wu, **Chengkai Dai**, Guoxin Fang, Yong-Jin Liu, Charlie C.L. Wang
**IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (T-ASE), 2019**
[paper] [code]

**Energy-Efficient Coverage Path Planning for General Terrain Surfaces**
Chenming Wu, **Chengkai Dai**, Xiaoxi Gong, Yong-Jin Liu, Jun Wang, Xianfeng David Gu, Charlie C.L. Wang
**IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), 2019**
[paper]

**Support-Free Volume Printing by Multi-Axis Motion**
**Chengkai Dai**, Charlie C.L. Wang, Chenming Wu, Sylvain Lefebvre, Guoxin Fang, Yong-Jin Liu
**ACM Transactions on Graphics (SIGGRAPH), 2018**
[paper] [video] [code]

paper title — **Thermal-Comfort Design of Personalized Casts**
Xiaoting Zhang, Guoxin Fang, **Chengkai Dai**, Jouke Verlinden, Jun Wu, Emily Whiting, Charlie C.L. Wang
**UIST, 2017**
[project] [paper] [video]

**RoboFDM: A Robotic System for Support-Free Fabrication using FDM**
Chenming Wu^*, **Chengkai Dai**^*, Guoxin Fang, Yong-Jin Liu, Charlie C.L. Wang
**ICRA, 2017**
[paper] [video]

**Photometric Stereo with Near Point Lighting: A Solution by Mesh Deformation**
Wuyuan Xie, **Chengkai Dai**, Charlie C.L. Wang
**CVPR, 2015**
[paper] [video]

Awards and Honors

Bronze Prize of 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, 2025
MEDTECH award of 3D Pioneers Challenge, 2022 [press]

Academic Service

Conference Reviewer: SIGGRAPH (Asia), Eurographics, AAAI, CVPR, ICRA, IROS, etc.

Journal Reviewer: ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (T-ASE), IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RA-L), etc.