VLDB 2026 Research / reviewers in the wild / expert
Wenzhong Yan
dblp:231/3929
· DBLP profile ↗
9ranked-venue papers
4as first author
8since 2021 · last 2026
—ORCID · conflict
Domains — the database's venue-derived domains; a paper can count in several
Artificial intelligence and machine learning · 4 · 2 first-author · 3 since 2021Systems, architecture and hardware · 3 · 2 first-author · 2 since 2021Human-computer interaction and ubiquitous computing · 3 · 3 since 2021Computer networks · 1 · 1 first-author · 1 since 2021Graphics, computer vision, multimedia, augmented reality and games · 1 · 1 first-author · 1 since 2021
| Year | Publication | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Attentional Graph Meta-Learning for Indoor Localization Using Extremely Sparse FingerprintsabstractFingerprint-based indoor localization is often labor-intensive due to the need for dense grids and repeated measurements across time and space. Maintaining high localization accuracy with extremely sparse fingerprints remains a persistent challenge. Existing benchmark methods primarily rely on the measured fingerprints, while neglecting valuable spatial and environmental characteristics. To address this issue, we propose a systematic integration of an Attentional Graph Neural Network (AGNN) model, capable of learning spatial adjacency relationships and aggregating information from neighboring fingerprints, and a meta-learning framework that utilizes datasets with similar environmental characteristics to enhance model training. To minimize the labor required for fingerprint collection, we introduce two novel data augmentation strategies: 1) unlabeled fingerprint augmentation using moving platforms, which enables the semi-supervised AGNN model to incorporate information from unlabeled fingerprints, and 2) synthetic labeled fingerprint augmentation through environmental digital twins, which enhances the meta-learning framework through a practical distribution alignment, which can minimize the feature discrepancy between synthetic and real-world fingerprints effectively. By integrating these novel modules, we propose the Attentional Graph Meta-Learning (AGML) model. This novel model combines the strengths of the AGNN model and the meta-learning framework to address the challenges posed by extremely sparse fingerprints. To validate our approach, we collected multiple datasets from both consumer-grade WiFi devices and professional equipment across diverse environments. These datasets can also serve as a valuable resource for benchmarking fingerprint-based indoor localization methods. Extensive experiments conducted on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate that the AGML model-based localization method consistently outperforms all baseline methods using sparse fingerprints across all evaluated metrics. Wenzhong Yan, Feng Yin 0001, Ruizhi Chen |
IEEE Trans. Mob. Comput. | 1 |
| 2024 | Graphical Multioutput Gaussian Process with AttentionabstractIntegrating information while recognizing dependence from multiple data sources and enhancing the predictive performance of the multi-output regression are challenging tasks. Multioutput Gaussian Process (MOGP) methods offer outstanding solutions with tractable predictions and uncertainty quantification. However, their practical applications are hindered by high computational complexity and storage demand. Additionally, there exist model mismatches in existing MOGP models when dealing with non-Gaussian data. To improve the model representation ability in terms of flexibility, optimality, and scalability, this paper introduces a novel multi-output regression framework, termed Graphical MOGP (GMOGP), which is empowered by: (i) Generating flexible Gaussian process priors consolidated from dentified parents, (ii) providing dependent processes with attention-based graphical representations, and (iii) achieving Pareto optimal solutions of kernel hyperparameters via a distributed learning framework. Numerical results confirm that the proposed GMOGP significantly outperforms state-of-the-art MOGP alternatives in predictive performance, as well as in time and memory efficiency, across various synthetic and real datasets. Yijue Dai, Wenzhong Yan, Feng Yin 0001 |
ICLR | 2 |
| 2024 | Majority voting of doctors improves appropriateness of AI reliance in pathologyabstractAs Artificial Intelligence (AI) making advancements in medical decision-making, there is a growing need to ensure doctors develop appropriate reliance on AI to avoid adverse outcomes. However, existing methods in enabling appropriate AI reliance might encounter challenges while being applied in the medical domain. With this regard, this work employs and provides the validation of an alternative approach – majority voting – to facilitate appropriate reliance on AI in medical decision-making. This is achieved by a multi-institutional user study involving 32 medical professionals with various backgrounds, focusing on the pathology task of visually detecting a pattern, mitoses, in tumor images. Here, the majority voting process was conducted by synthesizing decisions under AI assistance from a group of pathology doctors (pathologists). Two metrics were used to evaluate the appropriateness of AI reliance: Relative AI Reliance (RAIR) and Relative Self-Reliance (RSR). Results showed that even with groups of three pathologists, majority-voted decisions significantly increased both RAIR and RSR – by approximately 9% and 31%, respectively – compared to decisions made by one pathologist collaborating with AI. This increased appropriateness resulted in better precision and recall in the detection of mitoses. While our study is centered on pathology, we believe these insights can be extended to general high-stakes decision-making processes involving similar visual tasks. Hongyan Gu, Chunxu Yang, Shino Magaki, Neda Zarrin-Khameh, Nelli S. Lakis, Inma Cobos, Negar Khanlou, Xinhai R. Zhang, Jasmeet Assi, Joshua T. Byers, Karam Han, Anders Meyer, Hilda Mirbaha, Carrie A. Mohila, Todd M. Stevens, Sara L. Stone, Wenzhong Yan, Mohammad Haeri, Xiang 'Anthony' Chen |
Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud. | 18 |
| 2023 | Augmenting Pathologists with NaviPath: Design and Evaluation of a Human-AI Collaborative Navigation SystemabstractArtificial Intelligence (AI) brings advancements to support pathologists in navigating high-resolution tumor images to search for pathology patterns of interest. However, existing AI-assisted tools have not realized this promised potential due to a lack of insight into pathology and HCI considerations for pathologists’ navigation workflows in practice. We first conducted a formative study with six medical professionals in pathology to capture their navigation strategies. By incorporating our observations along with the pathologists’ domain knowledge, we designed NaviPath — a human-AI collaborative navigation system. An evaluation study with 15 medical professionals in pathology indicated that: (i) compared to the manual navigation, participants saw more than twice the number of pathological patterns in unit time with NaviPath, and (ii) participants achieved higher precision and recall against the AI and the manual navigation on average. Further qualitative analysis revealed that navigation was more consistent with NaviPath, which can improve the overall examination quality. Hongyan Gu, Chunxu Yang, Mohammad Haeri, Jing Wang 0184, Shirley Tang, Wenzhong Yan, Shujin He, Christopher Kazu Williams, Shino Magaki, Xiang 'Anthony' Chen |
CHI | 6 |
| 2023 | Improving Workflow Integration with xPath: Design and Evaluation of a Human-AI Diagnosis System in PathologyabstractRecent developments in AI have provided assisting tools to support pathologists’ diagnoses. However, it remains challenging to incorporate such tools into pathologists’ practice; one main concern is AI’s insufficient workflow integration with medical decisions. We observed pathologists’ examination and discovered that the main hindering factor to integrate AI is its incompatibility with pathologists’ workflow. To bridge the gap between pathologists and AI, we developed a human-AI collaborative diagnosis tool— xPath —that shares a similar examination process to that of pathologists, which can improve AI’s integration into their routine examination. The viability of xPath is confirmed by a technical evaluation and work sessions with 12 medical professionals in pathology. This work identifies and addresses the challenge of incorporating AI models into pathology, which can offer first-hand knowledge about how HCI researchers can work with medical professionals side-by-side to bring technological advances to medical tasks towards practical applications. Hongyan Gu, Yuan Liang 0001, Yifan Xu 0027, Christopher Kazu Williams, Shino Magaki, Negar Khanlou, Harry Vinters, Zesheng Chen 0002, Shuo Ni, Chunxu Yang, Wenzhong Yan, Xinhai R. Zhang, Yang Li 0058, Mohammad Haeri, Xiang 'Anthony' Chen |
ACM Trans. Comput. Hum. Interact. | 11 |
| 2021 | Graph Neural Network for Large-Scale Network LocalizationabstractGraph neural networks (GNNs) are popular to use for classifying structured data in the context of machine learning. But surprisingly, they are rarely applied to regression problems. In this work, we adopt GNN for a classic but challenging nonlinear regression problem, namely the network localization. Our main findings are in order. First, GNN is potentially the best solution to large-scale network localization in terms of accuracy, robustness and computational time. Second, proper thresholding of the communication range is essential to its superior performance. Simulation results corroborate that the proposed GNN based method outperforms all state-of-the-art benchmarks by far. Such inspiring results are theoretically justified in terms of data aggregation, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) noise removal and low-pass filtering effect, all affected by the threshold for neighbor selection. Code is available at https://github.com/Yanzongzi/GNN-For-localization. Wenzhong Yan, Di Jin 0002, Zhidi Lin, Feng Yin 0001 |
ICASSP | 1 |
| 2021 | Computational Design and Fabrication of Corrugated Mechanisms from Behavioral SpecificationsabstractOrthogonally assembled double-layered corrugated (OADLC) mechanisms are a class of foldable structures that harness origami-inspired methods to enhance the structural stiffness of resulting devices; these mechanisms have extensive applications due to their lightweight, compact nature as well as their high strength-to-weight ratio. However, the design of these mechanisms remains challenging. Here, we propose an efficient method to rapidly design OADLC mechanisms from desired behavioral specifications, i.e. in-plane stiffness and out-of-plane stiffness. Based on an equivalent plate model, we develop and validate analytical formulas for the behavioral specifications of OADLC mechanisms; the analytical formulas can be described as expressions of design parameters. On the basis of the analytical expressions, we formulate the design of OADLC mechanisms from behavioral specifications into an optimization problem that minimizes the weight with given design constraints. The 2D folding patterns of the optimized OADLC mechanisms can be generated automatically and directly delivered for fabrication. Our rapid design method is demonstrated by developing stiffness-enhanced mechanisms with a desired out-of-plane stiffness for a foldable gripper that enables a blimp to perch steadily under air disturbance and weight limit. Wenzhong Yan, Ankur Mehta |
ICRA | 2 |
| 2021 | Origami Logic Gates for Printable RobotsabstractOrigami robots–often called "printable" robots– created using folding processes have gained extensive attention due to their potential for rapid and accessible design and fabrication through simple structures with complex functionalities. However, almost all origami robots require conventional rigid electronics for control, which may hinder the integration and restrict the potential of these origami systems. Here we introduce origami logic gates that can be built through folding. The major enabling technology is a bistable switch that can switch between two different circuits to control the electrical flow. Based on the origami switch, we develop NOT, AND, and OR logic gates (showing functional completeness) and demonstrate these logic gates through sufficiently powering low-current LEDs. These logic gates are fabricated using cut-and-fold manufacturing and offer a potential way of integrating logic functions directly into origami machines without electronics. Wenzhong Yan, Ankur Mehta |
IROS | 1 |
| 2019 | Rapid Design of Mechanical Logic Based on Quasi-Static Electromechanical ModelingabstractMechanical logic is a class of dynamic electromechanical mechanisms which leverages carefully designed mechanical structures to generate programmed control actions from a constant electrical power supply; thus, it can be employed as a control method for fully printable autonomous robots. Composed of a bistable buckled beam driven by conductive super-coiled polymer (CSCP) actuators, this type of electromechanical system features non-trivial relationships between its design parameters and resulting behavioral characteristics. In this paper we present an efficient method to rapidly design mechanical logic structures from desired behavioral specifications. We describe this dynamic system with a simplified, quasi-static model, whose validity is verified by time constant comparison. An analytical formula of the mechanical logic's behavioral characteristics, i.e. its oscillation period, is then derived as a simplified expression of the design parameters. Based on this expression, we formulate the design of mechanical logic from behavioral specifications into an optimization problem that maximizes the robustness to manufacturing tolerances, as demonstrated by an example case study. Wenzhong Yan, Yun-Chen Yu, Ankur Mehta |
IROS | 1 |