FST MO-HQ Distinguished Talk Series – Intelligent Listening: Extending AI from Vision to Sound and Vibration SensingSpeaker: Prof. Jie ZHANG from University of Science and Technology of ChinaHosted by: Prof. Cheng-Zhong XU

The Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of Macau hosted a compelling installment of its FST MO-HQ Distinguished Seminar Series on 9 January 2026 featuring Prof. Jie Zhang, Chair Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China and esteemed Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. His talk, “Intelligent Listening: Extending AI from Vision to Sound and Vibration Sensing,” offered a visionary exploration into one of AI’s most underappreciated frontiers — auditory and vibrational perception.

Prof. Zhang challenged the dominant paradigm in AI that prioritizes vision, arguing that true environmental understanding requires integrating sound and vibration sensing. He introduced a groundbreaking joint visual-seismic framework capable of detecting minute vibrations — even those as subtle as a pencil breaking — using broadband seismic sensors. This “superhuman hearing” system, powered by physics-based models and deep learning, enables real-time monitoring of infrastructure, transportation systems, and environmental processes, with profound implications for robotics, autonomous driving, and societal resilience.

The seminar attracted around 100 students from diverse academic backgrounds—including computer science, engineering, physics, and environmental studies—as well as faculty and industry professionals. This interdisciplinary audience reflected the broad relevance of Prof. Zhang’s work. His ability to bridge geophysics, engineering, and machine learning underscored how cross-domain innovation can yield transformative solutions.

Hosted by Prof. Cheng-Zhong Xu, the seminar was both technically insightful and accessible. Prof. Zhang’s distinguished track record—founding five high-tech companies and receiving honors such as the EPA STAR Award and SEG Life Membership—lent authority to his forward-looking vision. The talk left attendees inspired by the potential of intelligent acoustic sensing to shape smarter, safer, and more sustainable futures.

澳門大學科技學院於2026年1月9日成功舉辦「科技學院傑出講座系列」，邀請到中國科學技術大學講席教授、美國國家工程院院士張捷教授擔綱主講。他以「智能聆聽：將人工智慧從視覺拓展至聲音與振動感知」(Intelligent Listening: Extending AI from Vision to Sound and Vibration Sensing) 為題，帶領聽眾深入探索人工智慧中長期被忽略卻極具潛力的領域——聽覺與振動感知。

張教授指出，當前AI過度側重視覺，但要真正理解環境，必須融合聲音與振動訊號。他介紹了一套開創性的「視覺—地震聯合感知框架」，利用寬頻地震感測器，能偵測極其微弱的振動——甚至細如鉛筆折斷所產生的信號。這套被稱為「超人類聽覺」的系統，結合物理模型與深度學習技術，可實現對基礎設施、交通網絡及自然環境的即時監測，在機器人、自動駕駛和城市韌性建設等領域展現廣闊應用前景。

講座吸引了約100位來自計算機科學、工程、物理及環境研究等不同背景的學生，同時也匯聚了多位教師與業界專家，充分體現其研究的高度跨學科價值。張教授巧妙融合地球物理、工程與人工智慧，生動詮釋了跨界創新如何催生突破性解決方案。

本次活動由科技學院院長須成忠教授主持，內容深入淺出、啟發思考。張教授不僅學術成就卓著，更曾創辦五家高科技企業，並榮獲美國環保署STAR獎、國際勘探地球物理學家學會（SEG）終身會員等殊榮，其遠見與實踐經驗令在場師生受益良多。