When
Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
Ehsan Dehghan-Niri
Associate Professor
School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks
Arizona State University
"Intelligent Sensing for Robotic Inspection: From Advanced Manufacturing and Infrastructure Monitoring to Bioinspired Nondestructive Evaluation"
AME Lecture Hall, Room S212 | Zoom link
Abstract: The growing demand for safer infrastructure, smarter manufacturing and autonomous inspection systems is driving the development of intelligent sensing technologies capable of operating in complex and challenging environments. This seminar begins with an overview of my research program at the School of Manufacturing, Systems and Networks (MSN) in Arizona State University, where we develop sensing and robotic technologies for nondestructive evaluation (NDE), advanced manufacturing monitoring, infrastructure inspection and autonomous robotic systems.
I will present several ongoing research efforts that integrate acoustics, ultrasonics, machine learning, robotics and digital sensing to enable reliable structural health monitoring and intelligent inspection. These projects span applications ranging from additive manufacturing and industrial process monitoring to robotic inspection of civil infrastructure and energy systems.
The second part of the seminar focuses on an emerging research direction in bioinspired nondestructive evaluation. While bioinspiration has transformed fields such as robotics and computer vision, its application to NDE and robotic inspection remains largely unexplored. I will discuss how biological systems—including aye-ayes, termites, red and arctic foxes and domestic cats—have evolved remarkable sensing strategies for locating hidden objects and assessing their environments without causing damage. These "nature's NDE specialists" provide inspiration for the design of next-generation robotic inspection systems. In particular, I will highlight recent work on active acoustic sensing inspired by feline auditory localization, where head-related transfer functions and biologically inspired head movements are incorporated into robotic control for gas leak localization.
The seminar concludes with a discussion of future opportunities at the intersection of robotics, intelligent sensing and bioinspired engineering, and how these approaches can enable more adaptive, resilient and autonomous inspection systems for manufacturing, infrastructure and energy applications.
Bio: Ehsan Dehghan-Niri is an associate professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks at Arizona State University, bringing years of experience from both academia and industry. His academic journey includes earning a PhD in structural engineering from the University at Buffalo in 2014. Previously an associate professor at New Mexico State University, his leadership in the DOE-funded consortium "enabling in- and ex-situ quality control of additive manufacturing (QCAM)" was notable. Prior to his academic career, he served as a nondestructive evaluation and testing (NDE/T) professional engineer at General Electric Company, where he developed expertise in industrial engineering with a focus on advancing NDT methods for power system components. Currently, Dehghan-Niri serves as the lead principal investigator and director of the Certification to Degree (C2D) in Manufacturing consortium — a multi-institutional initiative involving three universities and a nonprofit training institute—focused on modernizing NDT/E training.
Dehghan-Niri has authored over 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, delivered more than 40 conference presentations and holds 10 U.S. and European pending and published patents. He is recognized for his expertise in bio-inspired acoustic sensing, acoustic-based testing and monitoring, robotic inspection and in-situ quality control of advanced manufacturing. In 2021, Dehghan-Niri received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his pioneering research in acoustic near-field sensing inspired by unique animal behaviors—work with the potential to transform nondestructive testing technologies. He was also recognized with the "Young NDT Professional Award" by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing.