Publications

Generative Modeling

1. Enhancing Physical Consistency in Lightweight World Models

   Under review

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   Wang D, Sun Z, Li Z, et al. Enhancing Physical Consistency in Lightweight World Models[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.12437, 2025.

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   @article{wang2025enhancing, title={Enhancing Physical Consistency in Lightweight World Models}, author={Wang, Dingrui and Sun, Zhexiao and Li, Zhouheng and Wang, Cheng and Peng, Youlun and Ye, Hongyuan and Zarrouki, Baha and Li, Wei and Piccinini, Mattia and Xie, Lei and others}, journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.12437}, year={2025} }

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   Dingrui Wang^*, Zhexiao Sun^*, Zhouheng Li, Cheng Wang, Youlun Peng, Hongyuan Ye, Baha Zarrouki, Wei Li, Mattia Piccinini, Lei Xie, Johannes Betz

2. Rapid and Safe Trajectory Planning over Diverse Scenes through Diffusion Composition

   IECON 2026

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   Mao W, Li Z, Luo Y, et al. Rapid and Safe Trajectory Planning over Diverse Scenes through Diffusion Composition[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.04384, 2025.

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   @article{mao2025rapid, title={Rapid and Safe Trajectory Planning over Diverse Scenes through Diffusion Composition}, author={Mao, Wule and Li, Zhouheng and Luo, Yunhao and Du, Yilun and Xie, Lei}, journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.04384}, year={2025} }

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   Wule Mao, Zhouheng Li, Yunhao Luo, Fangguo Zhao, Lei Xie

3. Toward the Cognitive–Physical Limits of Embodied Intelligence through a World-Model-Centric Autonomous Racing Agent

   Under review

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   @misc{shan2026cognitivephysicallimitsembodiedintelligence, title={Toward the Cognitive--Physical Limits of Embodied Intelligence through a World-Model-Centric Autonomous Racing Agent}, author={Zitong Shan and Baichuan Lou and Yanxin Zhou and Shuge Wu and Xianqi He and Bolin Zhao and Sheng Zhao and Zhouheng Li and Chee Kiong Ong and King Ho Holden Li and Chen Lv}, year={2026}, eprint={2608.10618}, archivePrefix={arXiv}, primaryClass={cs.RO}, url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.10618}, }

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   Zitong Shan^*, Baichuan Lou^*, Yanxin Zhou^*, Shuge Wu, Xianqi He, Bolin Zhao, Sheng Zhao, Zhouheng Li, Chee Kiong Ong, King Ho Holden Li, Chen Lv

4. Compositional Diffusion Models for Autonomous Drone Racing

   RSS2026 Workshop

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   Fangguo Zhao^*, Zhouheng Li^*, Yunhao Luo, Hanbing Zhang, Xin Guan, Lei Xie, and Shuo Li

Predictive Control

1. Learning to Race in Extreme Turning Scene with Active Exploration and Gaussian Process Regression-based MPC

   IV 2025

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   Wu G, Hu C, Weng W, et al. Learning to Race in Extreme Turning Scene with Active Exploration and Gaussian Process Regression-based MPC[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.05740, 2024.

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   @INPROCEEDINGS{11097693, author={Wu, Guoqiang and Hu, Cheng and Weng, Wangjia and Li, Zhouheng and Fu, Yonghao and Xie, Lei and Su, Hongye}, booktitle={2025 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV)}, title={Learning to Drift in Extreme Turning with Active Exploration and Gaussian Process Based MPC}, year={2025}, pages={1681-1688}, doi={10.1109/IV64158.2025.11097693} }

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   Guoqiang Wu^*, Cheng Hu^*, Wangjia Weng, Zhouheng Li, Yonghao Fu, Lei Xie, Hongye Su

2. A Learning-based Planning and Control Framework for Inertia Drift Vehicles

   ITSC 2025

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   Zhou B, Li Z, Xie L, et al. A Learning-based Planning and Control Framework for Inertia Drift Vehicles[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.05748, 2025.

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   @INPROCEEDINGS{11423578, author={Zhou, Bei and Li, Zhouheng and Xie, Lei and Su, Hongye and Betz, Johannes}, booktitle={2025 IEEE 28th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC)}, title={A Learning-Based Planning and Control Framework for Inertia Drift Vehicles}, year={2025}, pages={2289-2294}, doi={10.1109/ITSC60802.2025.11423578} }

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   Bei Zhou, Zhouheng Li, Lei Xie, Hongye Su, Johannes Betz

3. Adaptive Learning-based Model Predictive Control Strategy for Drift Vehicles

   RAS

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   Zhou B, Hu C, Zeng J, et al. Adaptive learning-based model predictive control strategy for drift vehicles[J]. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2025: 104941.

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   @article{zhou2025adaptive, title={Adaptive learning-based model predictive control strategy for drift vehicles}, author={Zhou, Bei and Hu, Cheng and Zeng, Jun and Li, Zhouheng and Betz, Johannes and Xie, Lei and Su, Hongye}, journal={Robotics and Autonomous Systems}, pages={104941}, year={2025}, publisher={Elsevier} }

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   Bei Zhou, Cheng Hu, Jun Zeng, Zhouheng Li, Johannes Betz, Lei Xie, Hongye Su

4. An aggressive cornering framework for autonomous vehicles combining trajectory planning and drift control

   IV 2024

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   Weng W, Hu C, Li Z, et al. An aggressive cornering framework for autonomous vehicles combining trajectory planning and drift control[C]//2024 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV). IEEE, 2024: 2749-2755.

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   @inproceedings{weng2024aggressive, title={An aggressive cornering framework for autonomous vehicles combining trajectory planning and drift control}, author={Weng, Wangjia and Hu, Cheng and Li, Zhouheng and Su, Hongye and Xie, Lei}, booktitle={2024 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV)}, pages={2749--2755}, year={2024}, organization={IEEE} }

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   Wangjia Weng, Cheng Hu, Zhouheng Li, Hongye Su, Lei Xie

5. An Overtaking Trajectory Planning Framework Based on Spatio-temporal Topology and Reachable Set Analysis Ensuring Time Efficiency

   IET Int. Transp. Syst.

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   Mao W, Li Z, Xie L, et al. An overtaking trajectory planning framework based on spatio-temporal topology and reachable set analysis ensuring time efficiency[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.22643, 2024.

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   @misc{mao2026overtakingtrajectoryplanningframework, title={An Overtaking Trajectory Planning Framework Based on Spatio-temporal Topology and Reachable Set Analysis Ensuring Time Efficiency}, author={Wule Mao and Zhouheng Li and Entao Sun and Lei Xie and Hongye Su}, year={2026}, primaryClass={cs.RO}, }

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   Wule Mao, Zhouheng Li, Entao Sun, Lei Xie, Hongye Su

6. A rapid iterative trajectory planning method for automated parking through differential flatness

   RAS

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   Li Z, Xie L, Hu C, et al. A rapid iterative trajectory planning method for automated parking through differential flatness[J]. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2024, 182: 104816.

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   @article{li2024rapid, title={A rapid iterative trajectory planning method for automated parking through differential flatness}, author={Li, Zhouheng and Xie, Lei and Hu, Cheng and Su, Hongye}, journal={Robotics and Autonomous Systems}, volume={182}, pages={104816}, year={2024}, publisher={Elsevier} }

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   Zhouheng Li, Lei Xie, Cheng Hu, Hongye Su

7. Reduce Lap Time for Autonomous Racing with Curvature-Integrated MPCC Local Trajectory Planning Method

   ITSC 2024

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   Li Z, Xie L, Hu C, et al. Reduce Lap Time for Autonomous Racing with Curvature-Integrated MPCC Local Trajectory Planning Method[C]//2024 IEEE 27th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC). IEEE, 2024: 1066-1073.

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   @inproceedings{li2024reduce, title={Reduce Lap Time for Autonomous Racing with Curvature-Integrated MPCC Local Trajectory Planning Method}, author={Li, Zhouheng and Xie, Lei and Hu, Cheng and Su, Hongye}, booktitle={2024 IEEE 27th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC)}, pages={1066--1073}, year={2024}, organization={IEEE} }

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   Zhouheng Li, Lei Xie, Cheng Hu, Hongye Su

8. A Data-Driven Aggressive Autonomous Racing Framework Utilizing Local Trajectory Planning with Velocity Prediction

   ICRA 2025

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   Li Z, Zhou B, Hu C, et al. A Data-Driven aggressive autonomous racing framework utilizing local trajectory planning with velocity prediction[C]//2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). IEEE, 2025: 16657-16663.

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   @INPROCEEDINGS{11128227, author={Li, Zhouheng and Zhou, Bei and Hu, Cheng and Xie, Lei and Su, Hongye}, booktitle={2025 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)}, title={A Data-Driven Aggressive Autonomous Racing Framework Utilizing Local Trajectory Planning with Velocity Prediction}, year={2025}, pages={16657-16663}, doi={10.1109/ICRA55743.2025.11128227} }

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   Zhouheng Li, Bei Zhou, Cheng Hu, Lei Xie, Hongye Su

9. Vision-Guided MPPI for Agile Drone Racing: Navigating Arbitrary Gate Poses via Neural Signed Distance Fields

   IROS 2026

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   Zhao F, Zhang H, Li Z, et al. Vision-Guided MPPI for Agile Drone Racing: Navigating Arbitrary Gate Poses via Neural Signed Distance Fields[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.07199, 2026.

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   @article{zhao2026vision, title={Vision-Guided MPPI for Agile Drone Racing: Navigating Arbitrary Gate Poses via Neural Signed Distance Fields}, author={Zhao, Fangguo and Zhang, Hanbing and Li, Zhouheng and Guan, Xin and Li, Shuo}, journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.07199}, year={2026} }

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   Fangguo Zhao, Hanbing Zhang, Zhouheng Li, Xin Guan, Shuo Li

10. EVO-MPCC: Enhanced Velocity Optimization with Learning-Based Auto-Tuning for Real-Time Vehicle Trajectory Planning

    Under review

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    Li Z, Zhou B, Piccinini M, et al. EVO-MPCC: Enhanced Velocity Optimization with Learning-Based Auto-Tuning for Real-Time Vehicle Trajectory Planning[J]. Available at SSRN 6127037.

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    @article{li6127037evo, title={EVO-MPCC: Enhanced Velocity Optimization with Learning-Based Auto-Tuning for Real-Time Vehicle Trajectory Planning}, author={Li, Zhouheng and Zhou, Bei and Piccinini, Mattia and Hu, Cheng and Zarrouki, Baha and Mangharam, Rahul and Xie, Lei}, journal={Available at SSRN 6127037} }

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    Zhouheng Li, Bei Zhou, Mattia Piccinini, Cheng Hu, Baha Zarrouki, Rahul Mangharam, Lei Xie

11. SGTP: Sampling-based Game-Theoretic Planning for Real-Time Multi-Vehicle Autonomous Racing

    Under review

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    Li Z, Zhao F, Piccinini M, et al. SGTP: Sampling-based Game-Theoretic Planning for Real-Time Multi-Vehicle Autonomous Racing[J]. arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.25388, 2026.

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    @misc{li2026sgtpsamplingbasedgametheoreticplanning, title={SGTP: Sampling-based Game-Theoretic Planning for Real-Time Multi-Vehicle Autonomous Racing}, author={Zhouheng Li and Fangguo Zhao and Mattia Piccinini and Baha Zarrouki and Yuan Gao and Zitong Shan and Johannes Betz and Chen Lv and Lei Xie}, year={2026}, eprint={2607.25388}, archivePrefix={arXiv}, primaryClass={cs.RO}, url={https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.25388}, }

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    Zhouheng Li, Fangguo Zhao, Mattia Piccinini, Baha Zarrouki, Yuan Gao, Zitong Shan, Johannes Betz, Chen Lv, Lei Xie