Tao MEI , director and professor of the Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), PhD supervisor of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Information Acquisition (IJIA).
    He received Bachelor degree from Zhejiang University of China on July 1982, and PhD degree from the University of Science and Technology of China on Dec. 2001. He has been working in the Institute of Intelligent Machines since Aug. 1982 as a research assistant, research associate, associate professor and professor. He was appointed as the acting director of the institute on June 1999 and as the director on March 2005. He was a member of specialist group on special robots of National High Technology (863) Programme of China. Now he is a standing committee member of Chinese Society of Micro/Nano Technology, a council member of Chinese Society of Automation, a co-chairman of Sensor Technology Committee in Chinese Society of Instrumentation, and a standing committee member of Robotics Committee in Chinese Society of Automation.
    He was a visiting scholar at Robotics and Automation Center of Middlesex University in UK in 1986 to 1987. His research projects were robotic sensors and robotic flexible manufactory systems. He was a visiting scientist in Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University of USA in 1996. His research projects were multi-sensory robotic grippers and human-machine interfaces. He was a visiting researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Automation of Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1998. His research activities involved with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and smart materials. Advanced micro system lab and smart material lab were established by his joint efforts.
    His research interests are included in sensor technology, information acquisition, special robots and MEMS. Many research projects have been accomplished by him and his group, such as “multi-functional skin like tactile sensor”,“intelligent gas sensors”, “information acquisition and explanation for active tactile sensor”, “hybrid integrated pressure sensors”, “semiconductor pressure sensors”, “micro three dimensional force sensors based on micromachining”, “driving and control methods of invasive micro robots by external fields”, “fundamental and experimental study on flexible tactile sensors”, “multifunctional changeable end effectors”, “key technology study on wireless inspection robot for gastroenterology diagnosis”, and “study on fundamental scientific problems and key technologies on information acquisition science and technology”. He had published 99 papers and 3 books, and obtained 7 patents.
    Now he is studying several national key research projects including 973 sub-project “biomimetic micro/nano sensing devices and intelligent systems”, NSFC project “SOC control mechanism and integration method of biomimetic micro/nano adhesive array”, CAS key project “fabrication principle and method of biomimetic micro/nano electromechanical system”, and “key technology of virtual manufacture on intelligent machines”.