Announcements

Following from our two previous successful editions, we invite you to submit your abstracts and participate in the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers, taking place from 2 to 7 August 2026 in Jeju, South Korea.

Organized by MDPI and the open access journals Sensors, Micromachines, AI Sensors, Micro and Remote Sensing, this in-person conference will once again bring together experts and participating researchers who will share insights and innovations in sensors, sensing technology, transducers and artificial intelligence.

Start preparing your abstracts:
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work to peers and leading experts in AI-enhanced sensing systems and transducers. We will be announcing the session topics at AIS 2026 soon.

Find out more about the instructions for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#instructions.

Find out more about the publication opportunities available for authors: https://sciforum.net/event/AIS2026?section=#Publicationopportunities.
Please feel free to share the information about this conference to your colleagues and students.

We look forward to welcoming you in Jeju!

The organizing committee of the 3rd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers (AIS 2026).

MDPI will be attending the AIM2026 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM2026), which will be held from 7 to 10 July 2026, in Genova, Italy.

The AIM2026 International Conference aims to provide an international and global forum for presenting and discussing the latest advances in Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics.

As the flagship conference focusing on mechatronics and intelligent systems, the IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM) brings together an international community of experts to discuss the state of the art, new research results, perspectives of future developments, and innovative applications relevant to mechatronics, robotics, automation, industrial electronics, and related areas.

The following open access journals will be represented:

• Robotics;
• Applied Sciences;
• Machines;
• Automation;
• Electronics;
• Hardware;
• JETA.

If you plan to attend this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth and have a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://aim2026.com/.

In this issue of our interview series, Electronics is honored to invite Prof. Dr. Donghai Wu, a researcher at the Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the newly appointed Section Editor-in-Chief for the “Semiconductor Devices” Section. Dr. Wu has long been dedicated to antimonide semiconductors and infrared optoelectronic devices, and possesses a diverse academic background spanning university research, industrial experience, and overseas training. He has achieved several key technological breakthroughs in material epitaxial growth and novel device design. In this interview, Dr. Wu shares the latest progress of his research group, offers insights into future trends in the semiconductor field, discusses his views on open access publishing, and outlines his vision for the development of the journal section. 

Prof. Dr. Donghai Wu, is a researcher and PhD Supervisor at the State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He obtained his PhD in engineering from the Institute of Semiconductors, CAS, in 2008. From 2008 to 2014, he worked at Tsinghua Tongfang Co., Ltd. Between 2014 and 2020, he served as a Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Quantum Devices at Northwestern University (USA). In November 2020, he returned to China and joined the Institute of Semiconductors. In recent years, Prof. Dr. Wu has focused on semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices, particularly the molecular beam epitaxy growth of III–V compound semiconductors, infrared detectors, and infrared laser technologies.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Donghai Wu, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. Could you introduce the main research directions of your group and your latest progress?
Our research group focuses on optoelectronic materials and devices based on III–V compound semiconductors. Our work includes molecular beam epitaxy growth of semiconductor materials, high-performance photodetectors, lasers, and single-photon devices.
Regarding recent progress, we have made breakthroughs in interface engineering of antimonide superlattices. By optimizing growth conditions and band structure design, we have effectively suppressed dark current, increasing the operating temperature of infrared detectors to nearly 200 K while maintaining high detectivity.
Our group is committed to full-chain innovation—from material epitaxy and device fabrication to system integration—promoting infrared and quantum optoelectronic devices toward higher performance and practical applications. 

2. In your opinion, what research topics will attract the most attention in this field over the next 3–5 years?
Given my background, my focus is mainly on semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices. Over the next 3–5 years, key research directions will include novel low-dimensional semiconductor materials, deep integration with micro- and nano-photonic structures, new light sources and detectors from the mid-infrared to terahertz range, and intelligent and bio-inspired optoelectronic devices.
These frontier explorations aim to overcome bottlenecks in efficiency, size, power consumption, and heterogeneous integration, driving optoelectronic technologies toward higher integration, greater intelligence, and broader spectral coverage. 

3. What has been the biggest challenge in your academic career, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge in the early stage of my academic career was identifying the right research direction and building confidence. My approach can be summarized as: progressing in small steps, actively seeking help, embracing imperfection, and maintaining balance.
Through in-depth investigation, I identified feasible entry points and used short-cycle experiments for rapid validation and iteration, avoiding anxiety about finding the “perfect” direction. Regular communication with peers helped break fixed thinking patterns. I learned to treat failure as a process of acquiring data rather than a denial of my abilities.
Maintaining a regular schedule and moderate exercise is also important. When facing repeated setbacks, I step away from experiments temporarily and reorganize my thoughts through reading or writing. Research directions are not found out of thin air—they emerge through action. 

4. What kind of impact do you hope your research will have, and what are its core innovations?
I hope my research can generate tangible societal impact, not just high-level publications. The core innovation of our work lies in being application-driven, aiming to bridge the gap between laboratory prototypes and real-world systems in semiconductor optoelectronics.
By jointly optimizing efficiency, power consumption, integration, and manufacturability, we promote the practical implementation of low-dimensional materials, micro-/nano-photonic structures, and mid-infrared devices, ensuring that research outcomes truly serve societal needs. 

5. Why did you accept the invitation to serve as Section Editor-in-Chief for Electronics, and what are your expectations for the “Semiconductor” Section?
My decision was based on two main reasons. First, the open access model ensures efficient dissemination and enhances global visibility of research outcomes. Second, the Section covers the full chain from semiconductor materials to devices and applications, which aligns closely with my long-term focus in optoelectronics. Serving as an editor is both a responsibility and an opportunity to promote academic exchange.
For the future development of the Section, my plans include organizing Special Issues on hot topics such as low-dimensional materials, micro-/nano-photonic structures, and mid-infrared to terahertz devices to enhance academic leadership. Additionally, I aim to increase the section’s influence through webinars, scholar interviews, and other outreach activities, gradually strengthening its reputation. 

For young scholars:

1. Focus on one direction and build your own research identity step by step;
2. Connect proactively with application needs to avoid working in isolation;
3. Be patient, maintain a regular schedule and exercise—research is a marathon, and confidence builds from solving small problems.

For graduate students:
Build a strong foundation in fundamental knowledge, engage actively in hands-on practice, and develop rigorous scientific logic. Fundamental knowledge determines how deep you can go, practical skills determine how fast you can progress, and logical thinking helps extract patterns from experimental phenomena and avoid detours. These three aspects are equally indispensable. 

Conference: The 17th IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits (EDSSC 2026)
Date: 9–12 June 2026
Place: Guangzhou, China 

We are excited to announce that MDPI will participate as an exhibitor at the 17th IEEE International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits (EDSSC 2026), from 9 to 12 June 2026.

EDSSC 2026 is the 17th in a series of highly successful conferences initiated by the IEEE ED/SSC Beijing Section Hong Kong Chapter and is hosted by South China University of Technology. The conference continues the EDSSC tradition as a multidisciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas, research results, and industry experience in the broad areas of electron devices and solid-state circuits and systems. The technical program includes invited talks by leading scientists and contributed papers. All accepted papers will be submitted to the IEEE Xplore database and indexed by EI Compendex.

We invite contributions describing the latest scientific and technological results in subjects including, but not limited to, the following:

• Nanoelectronics;
• Memory devices and technology;
• Photonic Devices;
• RF and Microwave Devices;
• Power Devices;
• Organic Devices;
• Energy Devices;
• Display and Imager;
• MEMS and Sensor;
• EDA and AI;
• Emerging Devices;
• Device Reliability;
• Analog Circuits;
• Biomedical Circuits;
• Data Conversion Circuits;
• Digital and Memory Circuits;
• Power Management Circuits;
• RF and Microwave Circuits;
• Communication Circuits;
• Emerging Circuit Designs.

The following MDPI journals will be presenting at the conference:

• JLPEA;
• Inventions;
• Electronic Materials;
• Electronics;
• JETA.

If you wish to attend the conference, please feel free to contact us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the booth and to answering any questions that you may have.
For more information about the conference, please visit the following website:
https://www.edssc.com/. 

1. “Testing and Verification of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: A Review”
by Hayleyesus Alemayehu and Arman Sargolzaei
Electronics 2025, 14(3), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14030600
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/3/600

2. “AI on Wheels: Bibliometric Approach to Mapping of Research on Machine Learning and Deep Learning in Electric Vehicles”
by Adrian Domenteanu, Liviu-Adrian Cotfas, Paul Diaconu, George-Aurelian Tudor and Camelia Delcea
Electronics 2025, 14(2), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14020378
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/2/378

3. “Autonomous Forklifts: State of the Art—Exploring Perception, Scanning Technologies and Functional Systems—A Comprehensive Review”
by Muftah A Fraifer, Joseph Coleman, James Maguire, Petar Trslić, Gerard Dooly and Daniel Toal
Electronics 2025, 14(1), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14010153
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/1/153

4. “KAN–CNN: A Novel Framework for Electric Vehicle Load Forecasting with Enhanced Engineering Applicability and Simplified Neural Network Tuning”
by Zhigang Pei, Zhiyuan Zhang, Jiaming Chen, Weikang Liu, Bailian Chen, Yanping Huang, Haofan Yang and Yijun Lu
Electronics 2025, 14(3), 414; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14030414
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/3/414

5. “Reality Head-Up Display Navigation Design in Extreme Weather Conditions: Enhancing Driving Experience in Rain and Fog”
by Qi Zhu and Ziqi Liu
Electronics 2025, 14(9), 1745; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14091745
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/9/1745

6. “Learning-Based MPC Leveraging SINDy for Vehicle Dynamics Estimation”
by Francesco Paparazzo, Andrea Castoldi, Mohammed Irshadh Ismaaeel Sathyamangalam Imran, Stefano Arrigoni and Francesco Braghin
Electronics 2025, 14(10), 1935; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14101935
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/10/1935

7. “Deep Reinforcement Learning for a Self-Driving Vehicle Operating Solely on Visual Information”
by Robertas Audinys, Žygimantas Šlikas, Justas Radkevičius, Mantas Šutas and Armantas Ostreika
Electronics 2025, 14(5), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14050825
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/5/825

8. “A VANET, Multi-Hop-Enabled, Dynamic Traffic Assignment for Road Networks”
by Wilmer Arellano and Imad Mahgoub
Electronics 2025, 14(3), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14030559
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/14/3/559

The following is an interview with Dr. Rubén Juárez Cádiz:

1. Can you briefly introduce your article published in Electronics?
The research presents a blockchain-enabled framework for vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), focusing on a centralized governance engine. The main goal of my work is to balance key factors such as latency, efficiency, energy consumption, and data coherence in high-mobility environments, particularly those involving emerging 5G and 6G technologies. The core of my work is the design of a modular architecture for vehicular networks, which is challenging to integrate due to the complexity and dynamic nature of these systems. I propose a real-time processing engine that supports telemetry and continuous monitoring, enabling efficient data flow, system discovery, and validation.

2. What are the most exciting findings or innovations in your study?
My approach uses concepts from information theory, particularly entropy, to model and optimize system behavior. Vehicles and control systems operate under similar entropy conditions, allowing for dynamic adaptation across the network. Additionally, I introduce adaptive consensus mechanisms that can switch modes depending on latency requirements and network conditions. These mechanisms rely on calibrated parameters and trigger policies to ensure proper validation and system performance. Overall, my work aims to improve real-time monitoring, validation, and communication efficiency in vehicular environments through a well-structured and adaptive design.

3. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I propose an entropy-driven adaptive consensus model for blockchain-based vehicular networks, with a strong focus on security and efficiency. By replacing fixed parameters with entropy-based monitoring, the system dynamically adapts to network conditions, reducing energy consumption by up to 90%. A “consensus-first” approach lowers latency and increases throughput, while data filtering improves information quality. The system is designed for high-mobility environments, maintaining low latency even at high speeds, and uses spatial entropy to optimize performance across distributed vehicular networks.

4. Have you encountered any challenges in your research? How did you overcome them?
The research activity is very challenging from multiple perspectives. One of the main challenges is implementing entropic governance in highly dynamic environments. Vehicular networks are characterized by constant mobility and rapidly changing topology, which leads to unstable connectivity, network fragmentation, short communication windows, and signal loss. Another major issue is balancing latency and safety. Safety-critical vehicle applications require extremely fast responses, but traditional blockchain validation mechanisms often introduce significant delays, which creates a conflict between performance and reliability. Energy constraints are also a key limitation. On-board units (OBUs) in vehicles have limited processing power and energy capacity. To support advanced blockchain and consensus mechanisms, more powerful hardware—potentially including GPU-based processing—may be required, but this introduces additional energy and scalability challenges. Scalability itself is difficult to achieve in dense vehicular environments. High communication demand can lead to broadcast storms and overload higher network layers, making it harder to maintain performance and reliability. Security and governance present further complications. The network must defend against various attacks. At the same time, it must balance user privacy with the need for authentication, auditing, and accountability, which is inherently complex. There are also gaps in technical and architectural infrastructure. Many existing models assume stable roadside infrastructure, which is not always available in real-world scenarios. This makes deployment and consistent performance difficult, especially in areas with limited connectivity. Finally, interoperability is a significant challenge. Different vehicle manufacturers, such as Tesla or BYD, use different standards and systems, making it hard to achieve seamless communication across platforms. Moving forward, a unified global communication standard will be essential to ensure compatibility and scalability across diverse vehicular ecosystems.

5. How do you manage your time and balance your responsibilities as a researcher?
My work–life balance is quite difficult at the moment. I mostly work on my research during the weekends, while the rest of the week is dedicated to my job. In addition, I have responsibilities toward my family, which further limits my available time. Another challenge is the lack of qualified personnel in both the university and other sectors, especially in STEAM fields. This makes collaboration and progress more difficult. Because of these constraints, it is very hard to maintain and develop the necessary level of knowledge and continue advancing my research. Working only from weekend to weekend makes the process slow and challenging, although not entirely impossible.

6. What qualities do you think young scientists need?
I value perseverance and steady progress, believing that consistent effort over time—combined with a calm, step-by-step approach—is key to achieving success.

7. What is your opinion on the open access model of publishing?
I value fast publication and detailed peer review, as it helps improve my work efficiently. Long publication delays of one to two years are impractical and hinder progress.

MDPI will be attending the 2026 International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, ICUAS 2026, from 15 to 18 June 2026 in Corfu, Greece. We welcome researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit our booth and share their latest ideas with us.

Organized by the ICUAS Association, Inc., ICUAS 2026 will offer unique opportunities to meet, interact, and shape the future of unmanned aviation worldwide, bringing together technical, regulatory, and legal communities.

ICUAS 2026 centers around a wide spectrum of topics, with emphasis given to:

• Soft aerial robots;
• Cooperative aerial manipulation;
• Bio-inspired aerial robots;
• Aerial robot aerodynamics;
• Multi-mode unmanned platforms;
• Reconfigurable UAVs;
• Multi-mode unmanned platforms;
• Learning-based perception;
• Navigation and control;
• Online autonomy;
• Real-time applications;
• Human factors and ethical AI for aerial robots;
• Regulations, policies, and safety.

In addition to the technical sessions, a twofold objective is:

• Industry and company participation for attendees to find out about the current state of technology and of commercially available products for civil and public domain applications;
• Understanding technical requirements and standards that are prerequisites to UAS full utilization and integration into the national airspace.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Drones;
• Aerospace;
• Standards;
• Telecom;
• Robotics;
• Safety;
• Electronics;
• Biomimetics;
• Applied Mechanics;
• Journal of Imaging;
• Actuators;
• Signals;
• Sensors;
• Inventions;
• Automation;
• Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks;
• Technologies;
• IoT.

We welcome you to visit the MDPI booth in Corfu at the Divani Corfu Palace. Our representatives are excited to meet you in person and will address any questions you may have. For further details about the conference, please visit the following website: https://uasconferences.com/2026_icuas/.

1. “AMUSE++: A Mamba-Enhanced Speech Enhancement Framework with Bi-Directional and Advanced Front-End Modeling”
by Tsung-Jung Li, Berlin Chen and Jeih-Weih Hung
Electronics 2026, 15(2), 282; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15020282
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/2/282

2. “Joint Learning for Metaphor Detection and Interpretation Based on Gloss Interpretation”
by Yanan Liu, Hai Wan and Jinxia Lin
Electronics 2026, 15(2), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15020456
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/2/456

3. “Physics-Informed Neural Network for Denoising Images Using Nonlinear PDE”
by Carlos Osorio Quero and Maria Liz Crespo
Electronics 2026, 15(3), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15030560
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/3/560

4. “Dual-Axis Transformer-GNN Framework for Touchless Finger Location Sensing by Using Wi-Fi Channel State Information”
by Minseok Koo and Jaesung Park
Electronics 2026, 15(3), 565; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15030565
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/3/565

5. “Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Droop Control for Renewable Energy-Based Microgrids: A Comprehensive Review”
by Michael Addai and Petr Musilek
Electronics 2026, 15(3), 707; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15030707
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/3/707

6. “Harmonizing Supervised Fine-Tuning and Reinforcement Learning with Reward-Based Sampling for Continual Machine Unlearning”
by Jiaqi Lang, Jiahao Zhao, Linjing Li and Daniel Dajun Zeng
Electronics 2026, 15(4), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040771
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/4/771

7. “The Agency-First Framework: Operationalizing Human-Centric Interaction and Evaluation Heuristics for Generative AI”
by Christos Troussas, Christos Papakostas, Akrivi Krouska and Cleo Sgouropoulou
Electronics 2026, 15(4), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040877
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/4/877

8. “Leveraging MCP and Corrective RAG for Scalable and Interoperable Multi-Agent Healthcare Systems”
by Dimitrios Kalathas, Andreas Menychtas, Panayiotis Tsanakas and Ilias Maglogiannis
Electronics 2026, 15(4), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15040888
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/4/888

9. “Adaptive Deep Learning Framework for Emotion Recognition in Social Robots: Toward Inclusive Human–Robot Interaction for Users with Special Needs”
by Eryka Probierz and Adam Gałuszka
Electronics 2026, 15(5), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15050924
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/5/924

10. “CMCLTrack: Reliability-Modulated Cross-Modal Adapter and Cross-Layer Mamba Fusion for RGB-T Tracking”
by Pengfei Li, Xiaohe Li and Zide Fan
Electronics 2026, 15(5), 989; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15050989
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/5/989

11. “Maturity-Aware Cyber Insurance Optimization in IoT Networks”
by Bishwa Bhusal, Delong Li, Xu Wang and Guangsheng Yu
Electronics 2026, 15(5), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15051038
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/5/1038

12. “Neural Encoding Strategies for Neuromorphic Computing”
by Michael Liu, Honghao Zheng and Yang Yi
Electronics 2026, 15(6), 1221; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15061221
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/6/1221

13. “Acoustic Violence Detection Using Cascade Strategy for Computationally Constrained Scenarios”
by Fangfang Zhu-Zhou, Diana Tejera-Berengué, Roberto Gil-Pita, Manuel Utrilla-Manso and Manuel Rosa-Zurera
Electronics 2026, 15(6), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15061227
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/6/1227

14. “Scale, Structure, and Stability: When Does LLM-Based Data Augmentation Improve Temporal Robustness in Web Intrusion Detection?”
by Jun yeop Lee and Hee Cheol Kim
Electronics 2026, 15(7), 1344; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15071344
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/7/1344

15. “Conformal Prediction for Counterfactual Detection in Concept Learning from Synthetic Visual Patterns”
by Ulf Norinder, Stephanie Lowry, Heimo Müller and Andreas Holzinger
Electronics 2026, 15(7), 1346; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15071346
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/7/1346

16. “Multi-Slot Attention with State Guidance for Egocentric Robotic Manipulation”
by Sofanit Wubeshet Beyene and Ji-Hyeong Han
Electronics 2026, 15(7), 1365; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15071365
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/7/1365

17. “Energy-Aware Multilingual Evaluation of Large Language Models”
by I. de Zarzà, Mauro Liz, J. de Curtò and Carlos T. Calafate
Electronics 2026, 15(7), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15071395
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/15/7/1395

We invite you to view and submit relevant papers to Electronics.

Electronics Editorial Office

Conference: 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems
Date: 24–27 May 2026
Location: Shanghai, China

The IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) is the flagship conference of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and the world’s premier forum for researchers in the active fields of theory, design and implementation of circuits and systems.

ISCAS 2026 is driven by the theme “Circuits and Systems for Intelligent Society”, catalyzing transformative innovation at the intersection of circuits, systems, and artificial intelligence to faster the development of a smart and sustainable society.

The symposium highlights a wide range of innovation themes, including artificial intelligence and deep learning, smart systems for automotive, brain innovation neurotechnologies, intelligent cyber security systems, food security and climate change, ultra-low-power circuits and systems.

MDPI will be attending this event as an exhibitor, welcoming researchers from diverse backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas.

The following open access journals will be represented at this conference:

• Electronics;
• JLPEA;
• ASI;
• Micromachines;
• Analog;
• Biomimetics;
• Chips;
• Hardware;
• JETA;
• Microelectronics;
• Semiconductors and Heterogeneous Integration;
• Signals.