Sensitivity Analysis of Networked Feedback Systems. This project is concerned with the analysis of networks of interacting dynamic feedback systems. This fundamental area of research underpins transportation networks, biomolecular signalling networks, economic systems, water supply, smart electricity grids, communications and a range of other applications. This work aims to address critical questions relating to robustness and sensitivity analysis questions in this context. This fundamental adva ....Sensitivity Analysis of Networked Feedback Systems. This project is concerned with the analysis of networks of interacting dynamic feedback systems. This fundamental area of research underpins transportation networks, biomolecular signalling networks, economic systems, water supply, smart electricity grids, communications and a range of other applications. This work aims to address critical questions relating to robustness and sensitivity analysis questions in this context. This fundamental advance in knowledge is expected to advance Australia's standing as an international authority in the area.Read moreRead less
Novel power system architecture and control for 'More Electric Aircraft'. This project aims to propose a new conceptual design of an internal aircraft electrical system and its control, which minimises the issues of traditional power systems and takes advantage of contemporary control and technology advances to minimise weight/volume and maximise reliability. The project will target a specific design, which includes consideration of novel power electronic topologies, to achieve these goals. The ....Novel power system architecture and control for 'More Electric Aircraft'. This project aims to propose a new conceptual design of an internal aircraft electrical system and its control, which minimises the issues of traditional power systems and takes advantage of contemporary control and technology advances to minimise weight/volume and maximise reliability. The project will target a specific design, which includes consideration of novel power electronic topologies, to achieve these goals. The results will be validated through simulation, experiments and field testing. It is anticipated that the ideas developed within this project will have a major impact on More Electric Aircraft technology, as well as on general interconnected energy resource systems, such as DC and AC microgrids.Read moreRead less
Observer design for singularly perturbed systems. This project aims to provide a framework for observer design for singularly perturbed systems, analyse performance/robustness of such designs and apply it to engineering problems. Estimating unmeasured physical variables from available measurements is essential in engineering and science, but is hard when the system exhibits multiple time scales. This is common as dynamics occurring on much faster time scales age engineered systems’ physical prop ....Observer design for singularly perturbed systems. This project aims to provide a framework for observer design for singularly perturbed systems, analyse performance/robustness of such designs and apply it to engineering problems. Estimating unmeasured physical variables from available measurements is essential in engineering and science, but is hard when the system exhibits multiple time scales. This is common as dynamics occurring on much faster time scales age engineered systems’ physical properties, but tools to deal with these systems do not exist. This project aims to provide the fundamental science to estimate systems exhibiting multiple time scales. These results are expected to improve condition monitoring in mechanical, electrical and power systems.Read moreRead less
Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. This project aims to develop a 6-degree-of-freedom seating system for commercial vehicles, including heavy duty trucks and mobile machinery, to reduce unwanted multiple directional vibrations to the driver’s body. Long-term exposure to vibrations from uneven road surfaces, vibrating tools, and vibrating machinery affects driver comfort, fatig ....Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. Comfort and ergonomics: Innovative seating solutions for commercial vehicles. This project aims to develop a 6-degree-of-freedom seating system for commercial vehicles, including heavy duty trucks and mobile machinery, to reduce unwanted multiple directional vibrations to the driver’s body. Long-term exposure to vibrations from uneven road surfaces, vibrating tools, and vibrating machinery affects driver comfort, fatigue and safety, and can also cause neck and shoulder pain, lower back injuries, and spinal injuries. The expected outcome of the project is a comfortable and ergonomic seating system that, agriculture, transportation, mining and construction vehicles, both in Australia and internationally, can widely use.Read moreRead less
When stabilization and optimization meet: a codesign approach. The next generation of engineered systems need to perform complex tasks with precision, and be robust, resilient and adaptive to their environment enabled by the confluence of control, optimization, learning and computation Understanding the interplay between robust stability and optimization is key to this endeavor. Many techniques, such as model predictive control and reinforcement learning, rely on an intricate interplay between ....When stabilization and optimization meet: a codesign approach. The next generation of engineered systems need to perform complex tasks with precision, and be robust, resilient and adaptive to their environment enabled by the confluence of control, optimization, learning and computation Understanding the interplay between robust stability and optimization is key to this endeavor. Many techniques, such as model predictive control and reinforcement learning, rely on an intricate interplay between an optimization-based control algorithm and an optimization routine used to calculate the control law. This project aims to develop a general design framework for stability, suboptimality and robustness of such algorithms, that can be used in range of novel applications, such as driverless cars and drones. Read moreRead less
Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equ ....Automated vision-based aircraft collision warning technologies. Australia is a sparsely populated country with a number of unique airspace features. This project will investigate novel vision-based collision warning systems that can improve safety for piloted aircraft and also help achieve integration of UASs (Uninhabited Aerial Systems) into national airspace. The benefits of UAS technologies are particularly relevant to Australia, as governments and industry struggle to cope with providing equivalent levels of service to remote communities over vast distances (or border protection of vast regions). The population base of Australia requires that cost-effective solutions are sought to meet this end. Read moreRead less
A Novel Inline High-Efficiency Motor/Pump System. Around 19% of the world’s and 30% of the Australia’s electric energy is consumed by pump technologies. Significant energy savings are possible if the major components of pump systems, including inverter, motor and pump, operate at their maximum possible efficiency under varying loads. A novel pump design in this project accommodates integrated electronics in a submersible housing. A seal-less design helps mitigate several aspects of pump failure ....A Novel Inline High-Efficiency Motor/Pump System. Around 19% of the world’s and 30% of the Australia’s electric energy is consumed by pump technologies. Significant energy savings are possible if the major components of pump systems, including inverter, motor and pump, operate at their maximum possible efficiency under varying loads. A novel pump design in this project accommodates integrated electronics in a submersible housing. A seal-less design helps mitigate several aspects of pump failure and its in-line structure reduces assembly cost. Accurately measured efficiency maps will be utilised to demonstrate the non-linear relationship between motor and pump quantities as well as developing models for indirectly estimating feedback quantities and achieving the highest system efficiency.Read moreRead less
Advanced multivariable nonlinear control methodology for matrix converters. The aim of this project is to explore a specific multivariable nonlinear control design problem. Motivation for the project arises from the control of Matrix Converters. Matrix Converters are considered one of the key enabling technologies for the electric transport of the future. However, their penetration into practice has fallen short of their promise. This is, in part, due to the associated control design problem whi ....Advanced multivariable nonlinear control methodology for matrix converters. The aim of this project is to explore a specific multivariable nonlinear control design problem. Motivation for the project arises from the control of Matrix Converters. Matrix Converters are considered one of the key enabling technologies for the electric transport of the future. However, their penetration into practice has fallen short of their promise. This is, in part, due to the associated control design problem which is extremely difficult involving coupled nonlinear dynamics and under-actuation. We plan to address these problems by using modern control system design methods. Our specific goal is to achieve a provably stable, closed loop control system whose performance is independent of unmeasured disturbances and model errors.Read moreRead less
Efficient strategies for visually guided flight: from insects to drones. Flying in real environments, that are densely cluttered with obstacles, is a major challenge limiting the proliferation of aerial robotic technology yet flying insects such as honeybees accomplish this task with ease. This project will seek to uncover the salient vision-based flight-control strategies implemented by insects to deal with clutter. These will be used to develop sensory and information processing frameworks for ....Efficient strategies for visually guided flight: from insects to drones. Flying in real environments, that are densely cluttered with obstacles, is a major challenge limiting the proliferation of aerial robotic technology yet flying insects such as honeybees accomplish this task with ease. This project will seek to uncover the salient vision-based flight-control strategies implemented by insects to deal with clutter. These will be used to develop sensory and information processing frameworks for implementation in miniature robotic systems which will allow them to navigate autonomously in complex environments even when GPS positioning is denied. Such capabilities will expand the operational domain and potential applications for small autonomous vehicles while improving our knowledge of insect locomotion.Read moreRead less
What learning is there in learning control? This project seeks to establish a meaningful definition and quantifiable measure of learning in the context of adaptive or learning control. The project is designed within the context of human motor skill learning, and assesses the speed of learning and the quality of learning (reflected by the accuracy of the motor task execution). The project plans to use measures to provide a mathematically precise meaning for the notion of learning. The outcome has ....What learning is there in learning control? This project seeks to establish a meaningful definition and quantifiable measure of learning in the context of adaptive or learning control. The project is designed within the context of human motor skill learning, and assesses the speed of learning and the quality of learning (reflected by the accuracy of the motor task execution). The project plans to use measures to provide a mathematically precise meaning for the notion of learning. The outcome has the potential to be applied to the design of technology-assisted training of motor skills, from the recovery of lost motor skills after trauma to the development of elite athletes.Read moreRead less