I am a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at Northeastern University, advised by Prof. Robert Platt and Prof. Robin Walters. My research interests include machine learning and robotics, with a focus on using geometric deep learning to improve the efficiency and generalization of robot learning. During my Ph.D., I was fortunate to be supported by the J.P.Morgan Chase Ph.D. Fellowship in 2023.
I am currently on the job market, primarily seeking opportunities in academia. Please see my CV and Research Statement. If you believe I would be a good fit for your department, feel free to contact me at wang dot dian at northeastern dot edu.
News
- 04/2025: I am honored to receive the Northeastern Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award in Research!
- 03/2025: Invited talk at Boston Symmetry Day.
- 11/2024: Equivariant Diffusion Policy is nominated as an Outstanding Paper Award Finalist at CoRL 2024!
- 10/2024: Robin and I presented Pushing the Limits of Equivariant Neural Networks at the NeurReps Speaker Series at MIT.
- 09/2024: Three papers are accepted at CoRL 2024, Equivariant Diffusion Policy is accepted as an oral presentation.
- 09/2024: I had a great time visiting the UPenn GRASP lab and presenting at the GRASP SFI seminar. Recording of my talk: link.
- 07/2024: We are organizing the Workshop on Geometric and Algebraic Structure in Robot Learning at RSS 2024.
- 07/2024: Blogpost in GRAM Workshop @ ICML 2024: Correct, Incorrect and Extrinsic Equivariance.
- 06/2024: I am proud to be part of the Khoury Story!
- 04/2024: I will be returning to the Boston Dynamic AI Institute as a summer intern.
- 09/2023: Our paper A General Theory of Correct, Incorrect, and Extrinsic Equivariance is accepted at NeurIPS 2023.
- 07/2023: Recording of our Workshop on Symmetries in Robot Learning is available here.
- 06/2023: I am honored to receive the 2023 JP Morgan Chase PhD Fellowship!
- 04/2023: I give a guest lecture, Equivariant Learning for Robotic Manipulation. The lecture summarizes our latest research, so be sure to check it out!
- 03/2023: We are organizing the Workshop on Symmetries in Robot Learning at RSS 2023.
- 02/2023: I will be joining the Boston Dynamic AI Institute as a summer intern.
- 01/2023: Our paper The Surprising Effectiveness of Equivariant Models in Domains with Latent Symmetry is accepted at ICLR 2023 as a spotlight presentation.
- 01/2023: Two papers are accepted at ICRA 2023.
Publication
Push-Grasp Policy Learning Using Equivariant Models and Grasp Score Optimization
Boce Hu*, Heng Tian*, Dian Wang, Haojie Huang, Xupeng Zhu, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
Preprint
Hierarchical Equivariant Policy via Frame Transfer
Haibo Zhao*, Dian Wang*, Yizhe Zhu, Xupeng Zhu, Owen Howell, Linfeng Zhao, Yaoyao Qian, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
Preprint
Coarse-to-Fine 3D Keyframe Transporter
Xupeng Zhu, David Klee*, Dian Wang*, Boce Hu, Haojie Huang, Arsh Tangri, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
Preprint
MATCH POLICY: A Simple Pipeline from Point Cloud Registration to Manipulation Policies
Haojie Huang, Haotian Liu, Dian Wang, Robin Walter†, Robert Platt†
ICRA 2025
Equivariant Diffusion Policy
Dian Wang, Stephen Hart, David Surovik, Tarik Kelestemur, Haojie Huang, Haibo Zhao, Mark Yeatman, Jiuguang Wang, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
CoRL 2024, Outstanding Paper Award Finalist 🏆
OrbitGrasp: SE(3)-Equivariant Grasp Learning
Boce Hu, Xupeng Zhu*, Dian Wang*, Zihao Dong*, Haojie Huang*, Chenghao Wang*, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
CoRL 2024
IMAGINATION POLICY: Using Generative Point Cloud Models for Learning Manipulation Policies
Haojie Huang, Karl Schmeckpeper*, Dian Wang*, Ondrej Biza*, Yaoyao Qian, Haotian Liu, Mingxi Jia, Robert Platt, Robin Walters
CoRL 2024
Open-vocabulary Pick and Place via Patch-level Semantic Maps
Mingxi Jia, Haojie Huang, Zhewen Zhang, Chenghao Wang, Linfeng Zhao, Dian Wang, Jason Xinyu Liu, Robin Walters, Robert Platt, Stefanie Tellex
Preprint
Equivariant Offline Reinforcement Learning
Arsh Tangri, Ondrej Biza, Dian Wang, David Klee, Owen Howell, Robert Platt
Preprint
Fourier Transporter: Bi-Equivariant Robotic Manipulation in 3D
Haojie Huang, Owen Lewis Howell*, Dian Wang*, Xupeng Zhu*, Robert Platt†, Robin Walters†
ICLR 2024
Leveraging Symmetries in Pick and Place
Haojie Huang, Dian Wang, Arsh Tangri, Robin Walters†, Robert Platt†
The International Journal of Robotics Research. 2024
A General Theory of Correct, Incorrect, and Extrinsic Equivariance
Dian Wang, Xupeng Zhu, Jung Yeon Park, Mingxi Jia, Guanang Su, Robert Platt, Robin Walters
NeurIPS 2023
Equivariant Reinforcement Learning under Partial Observability
Hai Huu Nguyen, Andrea Baisero, David Klee, Dian Wang, Robert Platt, Christopher Amato
CoRL 2023
On Robot Grasp Learning Using Equivariant Models
Xupeng Zhu, Dian Wang, Guanang Su, Ondrej Biza, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
Autonomous Robots. 2023
The Surprising Effectiveness of Equivariant Models in Domains with Latent Symmetry
Dian Wang, Jung Yeon Park, Neel Sortur, Lawson L.S. Wong, Robin Walters†, Robert Platt†
ICLR 2023, Spotlight
SEIL: Simulation-augmented Equivariant Imitation Learning
Mingxi Jia*, Dian Wang*, Guanang Su, David Klee, Xupeng Zhu, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
ICRA 2023
Edge Grasp Network: Graph-Based SE(3)-invariant Approach to Grasp Detection
Haojie Huang, Dian Wang, Xupeng Zhu, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
ICRA 2023
On-Robot Learning With Equivariant Models
Dian Wang, Mingxi Jia, Xupeng Zhu, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
CoRL 2022
Leveraging Fully Observable Policies for Learning under Partial Observability
Hai Huu Nguyen, Andrea Baisero, Dian Wang, Christopher Amato, Robert Platt
CoRL 2022
BulletArm: An Open-Source Robotic Manipulation Benchmark and Learning Framework
Dian Wang*, Colin Kohler*, Xupeng Zhu, Mingxi Jia, Robert Platt
ISRR 2022
Equivariant Transporter Network
Haojie Huang, Dian Wang, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
RSS 2022
ICRA 2022 Workshop on Scaling Robot Learning, Best Paper Award Finalist
Sample Efficient Grasp Learning Using Equivariant Models
Xupeng Zhu, Dian Wang, Ondrej Biza, Guanang Su, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
RSS 2022
SO(2)-Equivariant Reinforcement Learning
Dian Wang, Robin Walters, Robert Platt
ICLR 2022, Spotlight
Equivariant Q Learning in Spatial Action Spaces
Dian Wang, Robin Walters, Xupeng Zhu, Robert Platt
CoRL 2021
Design Guidelines for Human-Robot Interaction with Assistive Robot Manipulation Systems
Alexander Wilkinson, Michael Gonzales, Patrick Hoey, David Kontak, Dian Wang, Noah Torname, Amelia Sinclaire, Zhao Han, Jordan Allspaw, Robert Platt, Holly Yanco
Paladyn, Journal of Behavioral Robotics. 2021
Action Priors for Large Action Spaces in Robotics
Ondrej Biza, Dian Wang, Robert Platt, Jan-Willem van de Meent, Lawson LS Wong
AAMAS 2021
Policy learning in SE (3) action spaces
Dian Wang, Colin Kohler, Robert Platt
CoRL 2020
Towards Assistive Robotic Pick and Place in Open World Environments
Dian Wang, Colin Kohler, Andreas ten Pas, Alexander Wilkinson, Maozhi Liu, Holly Yanco, Robert Platt
ISRR 2019
* indicates equal contribution; indicates corresponding author; † indicates equal advising.
Service
Organizer: RSS2023 Workshop on Symmetries in Robot Learning; RSS 2024 Workshop on Geometric and Algebraic Structure in Robot Learning
Reviewer: RSS 2025. IJRR 2024. ICML 2024. ICLR 2023-2025. NeurIPS 2023. ICRA 2019, 2022-2024. CoRL 2022-2024. IROS 2021, 2023. RAL 2022-2024. T-RO 2022.
Education
- (2020-Present) Ph.D., Computer Science, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
- (2017-2019) M.S, Computer Science, Northeastern University, Boston, USA
- (2013-2017) B.Eng, Computer Science & Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China