Opto-Mechatronic Equipment Technology Beijing Area Major Laboratory
? Profile
The Opto-Mechatronic Equipment Technology Beijing Area Major Laboratory is a key laboratory recognized by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission. It was approved for establishment in 2004. The laboratory focuses on the development plan of Beijing's opto-mechatronics integration industry. To address the energy equipment manufacturing needs of Beijing and the nation, it capitalizes on the interdisciplinary strengths of optics, mechanics and electronics with the academic innovation team of special robots as the main body. It carries out research in specialized robotics, advanced manufacturing technologies for extreme environments, and related applications. Research in specialized robotics focuses on three core domains: mobile welding robots, medical rehabilitation robots, and industrial robot integration. It focuses on adaptability theories and technologies for extreme-environment specialized robots, intelligent perception and high-precision control systems for specialized robots, collaborative operation mechanisms for multi-agent specialized robotic systems, and brain-computer interface (BCI)-based precision and personalization technologies for medical rehabilitation robots. The advanced manufacturing technology direction for extreme environments focuses on in-depth research and technological innovation in underwater welding, aerospace welding, and nuclear power welding technologies. By overcoming key technological bottlenecks in welding material adaptation, process optimization, and equipment intelligence for extreme environments, we ensure that welded products meet the stringent quality requirements for such conditions. The laboratory is directed by Professor Xue Long, and Professor Song Tianhu, the former vice president of the China Machinery Industry Federation and the former vice chairman and secretary-general of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, serves as Chair of the Academic Committee.
? Research Team
The laboratory has 11 full-time members, including 1 Expert Receiving Special Government Allowances, 1 Beijing Advanced Worker, 1 Beijing "Great Wall Scholar", 2 Beijing Municipal Party Committee Organization Department "Outstanding Talent", 1 Beijing Young Talent Nurturing Project, 3 senior professional-title holders, 6 associate senior professional-title holders, and 2 intermediate professional-title holders. The team covers research areas including robotics and mechanism science, optical precision measurement, machining processes, and numerical control technologies.
? Research Directions
(1) Specialized Robot Technology and Applications: Focusing on the three core domains of mobile welding robots, medical rehabilitation robots, and industrial robots integration, key research will be conducted on the adaptability theories and technologies for extreme-environment specialized robots, intelligent perception and high-precision control systems for specialized robots, collaborative operation mechanisms for multi-agent specialized robotic systems, and brain-computer interface (BCI)-based precision and personalization technologies for medical rehabilitation robots.
(2) Advanced Manufacturing Technologies and Applications in Extreme Environments: Focusing on in-depth research and technological innovation in underwater welding, aerospace welding, and nuclear power welding technologies. By overcoming key technological bottlenecks in welding material adaptation, process optimization, and equipment intelligence for extreme environments, we ensure that welded products meet the stringent quality requirements for such conditions.
? Research Facilities
The laboratory occupies research space of 2,700 square meters and the original value of the supporting instruments and equipment is nearly RMB 30 million. It houses several divisions, including the Welding Robot Research Room, Robot R&D Workshop, Underwater Welding Technology Laboratory, Underwater Simulation Welding Lab for Robots, Special Welding Technology Laboratory, Welding Process Research Room, Welding Test Workshop, and Medical Robotics Research Room, etc.
? Research Achievements
The Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology-Opto-Mechatronic Equipment Technology Beiing Area Major Laboratory was established in 2004. Over the past 20 years, it has continuously focused on meeting the national major strategic demands and the application of major engineering projects, concentrating on special robot technology and its applications, as well as advanced manufacturing technologies in extreme environments and applications. It has achieved a series of significant scientific research achievements that fill the domestic gap.
Robots for Complex Steel Structures in Extreme Environments: To address the urgent demand for automated robotic welding of complex steel structures, such as high-rise buildings, large-scale port machinery, and shield tunneling boring machines, this research was conducted under the auspices of several National Key R&D Programs. These include “System Integration and Application Demonstration of Robotic Manufacturing Technology for Extra-Large Port Machinery Components”, “Key Technologies and Application Demonstration of Flexible Welding Robots for Large-Diameter Oil and Gas Pipelines”, "Integration and Application Demonstration of Robot Manufacturing Technology System for Ultra-Large Components of Port Machinery". It pioneered a spatially constrained wheeled configuration for mobile welding robots operating in complex environments. By breaking through the complex working condition profiling movement and flexible adaptation technology, we resolved the issue of weld inaccessibility in confined spaces, on intricate curved surfaces, and across irregular cross-sections. Consequently, we have developed three distinct series, totaling twelve variants, of mobile welding robots, encompassing rail-less, track-based, and flexible profiling models. These achievements have been deployed in numerous national key projects, including the Beijing Daxing International Airport, the National Stadium ("Bird's Nest"), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Shanghai Tower, the Beijing Subway, and the National Speed Skating Oval ("Ice Ribbon"). The achievements were appraised by a panel of experts from the China Machinery Industry Federation. The expert committee, led by Academicians Shan Zhongde and Tan Jianrong, concluded that the overall technology has reached an internationally advanced level, with the mobile welding robot configuration design technology specifically recognized as internationally leading. The related achievements were honored with the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of the China Machinery Industry Federation (2022), the Second Prize of the Ministry of Education's Science and Technology (2025), and the Second Prize of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology (2005).
Robots for Nuclear Extreme Environments: To address the demand for autonomous robotic operations in inaccessible high-radiation environments, this research was supported by National Key R&D Programs, including “Robotic System for Emergency Response to Accidents in Nuclear Facilities” and “Holistic Robotic Maintenance Solution for the Primary Loop of the Hualong One Nuclear Power Plant”. We have overcome the "bottleneck" challenge of radiation shielding for mobile robots in nuclear extreme environments. Furthermore, we invented novel protective materials and equipment enabling robotic operations in diverse extreme scenarios involving water immersion and radiation exposure, culminating in the development of specialized nuclear operational robots. These achievements have been deployed in major nuclear engineering projects worldwide, including Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, Changjiang, Yangjiang, Taishan, Daya Bay, Fangchenggang, and Hongyanhe nuclear power plants in China, as well as the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan. The achievements were appraised by a panel of experts from the China Machinery Industry Federation. The expert committee, led by Academician Wang Guoqing and Chief Expert Gu Zhijie (Nuclear Radiation Protection), concluded that the overall technology has reached an internationally advanced level, with the robotic operation technology for special environments under intense radiation fields specifically recognized as internationally leading. The related achievements were honored with the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of the China Machinery Industry Federation (2024) and the Second Prize of the Beijing Municipal Technology Invention Award (2025).
Deepwater high-pressure extreme environment robots: Addressing the urgent demands for robot operations in deepwater high-pressure, highly corrosive, and low-visibility extreme scenarios such as marine engineering and ship maintenance, and supported by national projects including the major project of the 10th Five-Year “863” Program “Underwater Dry Pipeline Maintenance System,” the national key R&D program project “400m Deepwater Ultra-high Frequency Pulsed Arc In-situ Welding Technology and Equipment,” and “Development of Underwater High-pressure Dry Welding Technology and Equipment,” the laboratory made breakthroughs in the complete machine development of underwater robots and protection technologies for pressure-resistant core components, and developed a 400m deepwater high-pressure welding robot. The related robotic technologies have been successfully applied multiple times in CNOOC’s Bohai Sea and South China Sea operations, on the BH108 engineering vessel, on the 3000m deepwater pipelay crane vessel “Hai Yang Shi You 201,” and in the subsea pipeline maintenance and capacity expansion operations of the Yacheng 13-1 natural gas field. The achievements were appraised by industry experts, and an expert panel including Academician Tan Jianrong and Chief Scientist of Marine Engineering Li Zhigang concluded that the overall technology has reached an internationally leading level. Related achievements have won the First Prize for Tianjin Municipal Scientific and Technological Progress (2025), the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of the China Machinery Industry Federation (2025), and the Second Prize for Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Progress (2015).
Medical rehabilitation robots: In response to the development orientation adjustment of Beijing as a national central city and the major demand for developing elderly care, disability assistance, and medical service industries in Beijing, and supported by national and provincial/ministerial projects such as the national key R&D program projects “Development and Application Demonstration of Intelligent Multifunctional Nursing Bed for Clinical and Elderly Care Needs” and “Research and Development of Intelligent Robot Technology for Critical Care,” as well as Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission key projects “Development of Rehabilitation Robot for Winter Olympic Sports Injury Recovery” and “Development and Application Verification of Brain-Computer Interface Adaptive Upper and Lower Limb Collaborative Rehabilitation Robot Therapy System,” the laboratory has made breakthroughs in rigid-flexible coupled multi-rotation-center upper and lower limb rehabilitation exoskeletons and multi-position transformable reconfigurable support mechanism technologies, as well as methods for multi-modal weak signal feature extraction and multi-modal fusion for accurate and efficient movement intention understanding. A multi-constraint trajectory generation method based on posture-training-body parameters guided by movement intention and a multi-mode adaptive control strategy were proposed, and a multi-modal full-body rehabilitation robot system based on brain-computer interface was invented. The technological achievements have been applied in neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation at Beijing Tiantan Hospital and Tsinghua Changgung Hospital. Experts including Academician Wang Yaonan believe that the achievements address the needs of people’s life and health, have made numerous innovations in key technologies and equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries, and the overall level has reached an internationally advanced level, among which the technology of polymorphic coupled physical factor sports injury rehabilitation robots has reached an internationally leading level. The related achievements have won the First Prize of the Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and the First Prize of Henan Province Scientific and Technological Progress, among others.
? Key research tasks undertaken and completed, awards received, and intellectual property rights
In recent years, the laboratory has led over 50 scientific research projects, including those under the National Key R&D Program, the National Natural Science Foundation, the MIIT Intelligent Manufacturing New Model Special Project, the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Plan, and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation Key Projects, with total research funding exceeding 100 million yuan. The laboratory has cumulatively received more than 30 national, ministerial, and Beijing municipal science and technology awards, including one Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, one Second Prize for Excellent Scientific and Technological Achievements of the Ministry of Education, the Second Prize of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Progress Award, one First Prize of the Tianjin Municipal Scientific and Technological Progress Award, one First Prize of Henan Province Scientific and Technological Progress Award, and more than 10 industry association awards such as the Scientific and Technological Progress Award of the China Machinery Industry Federation. The laboratory has published over 500 high-level papers in related research, with more than 400 indexed by SCI, and has been granted over 200 invention patents.
