A New Approach to Sampled-Data Control Design for Nonlinear Systems. This project aims to exploit new sampling and sampled-data modelling insights to bridge the continuous/sampled-data gap in the control of nonlinear systems. The goal is to investigate the impact of these insights on the control design problem and provide a new class of digital control laws for continuous time non-linear systems.
Biologically-inspired detection, pursuit and interception of moving objects by unmanned aircraft systems. Although it is well known that aggressive honeybees are very effective at detecting, pursuing and intercepting moving targets, this behaviour has never been studied quantitatively. This project will use high-speed video cinematography to investigate this behaviour, to develop visual algorithms for the detection of moving targets, and to create dynamical models of the mechanisms that control ....Biologically-inspired detection, pursuit and interception of moving objects by unmanned aircraft systems. Although it is well known that aggressive honeybees are very effective at detecting, pursuing and intercepting moving targets, this behaviour has never been studied quantitatively. This project will use high-speed video cinematography to investigate this behaviour, to develop visual algorithms for the detection of moving targets, and to create dynamical models of the mechanisms that control pursuit. The resulting algorithms will be incorporated into unmanned aerial vehicles for detecting, monitoring and tracking other objects in the sky, and their performance will be evaluated. The results will provide a better understanding of the biological basis of pursuit behaviour, as well as lead to novel technologies for aerial surveillance and safety.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
Navigating under the forest canopy and in the urban jungle. This project aims to develop a framework for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which optimally balances localisation, mapping and other objectives in order to solve sequential decision tasks under map and pose uncertainty. This project expects to generate new knowledge in UAV navigation using an innovative approach by combining simultaneous localisation and mapping algorithms with partially observable markov decision processes. The proje ....Navigating under the forest canopy and in the urban jungle. This project aims to develop a framework for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which optimally balances localisation, mapping and other objectives in order to solve sequential decision tasks under map and pose uncertainty. This project expects to generate new knowledge in UAV navigation using an innovative approach by combining simultaneous localisation and mapping algorithms with partially observable markov decision processes. The project’s expected outcomes will enable UAVs to solve multiple objectives under map and pose uncertainty in GPS-denied environments. This will provide significant benefits, such as more responsive disaster management, bushfire monitoring and biosecurity, and improved environmental monitoring.Read moreRead less
Improved design and operational efficiency of small wind turbines in unsteady flows. The purpose of this research is to improve the design and performance of small wind turbines for energy generation. The expected outcomes are novel control strategies and mechanical designs that account for unsteady aerodynamics and its effects on structural loads and power quality. Recommendations to improve current design standards will be made.
Safe, Plug and Play, Multi Agent Dynamic Systems. From driverless cars, to networks of nano satellites, and complex biological networks, the modern world has many examples of multi agent dynamic systems that need careful coordination and control to perform correctly. In many cases, these systems are built up using designs based on intuition, computer simulations and empirical testing. However, there is a clear need to advance the fundamental understandings of such systems: (i) Verifiable overall ....Safe, Plug and Play, Multi Agent Dynamic Systems. From driverless cars, to networks of nano satellites, and complex biological networks, the modern world has many examples of multi agent dynamic systems that need careful coordination and control to perform correctly. In many cases, these systems are built up using designs based on intuition, computer simulations and empirical testing. However, there is a clear need to advance the fundamental understandings of such systems: (i) Verifiable overall dynamic system properties need to be derived to give assurance of performance in situations not previously envisaged; (ii) It is also critical to understand stable system behaviours not just with fixed configurations, but with agile configurations such as splitting, merging, and morphingRead moreRead less
Optimisation of piezoelectric metamaterials: Towards robotic stress sensors. This project aims to design new piezoelectric material microstructures that can enhance the measurement of complex local stress states within robotic limbs. The project expects to generate new knowledge of the achievable properties of multi-poled piezoelectric materials and develop computational tools for the analysis and structural optimisation of such materials. The designed microstructures may revolutionise piezoelec ....Optimisation of piezoelectric metamaterials: Towards robotic stress sensors. This project aims to design new piezoelectric material microstructures that can enhance the measurement of complex local stress states within robotic limbs. The project expects to generate new knowledge of the achievable properties of multi-poled piezoelectric materials and develop computational tools for the analysis and structural optimisation of such materials. The designed microstructures may revolutionise piezoelectric sensor technology. Expected outcomes include manufactured proof-of-concept sensors that enable measurement of local stress fields. This should provide significant benefits, such as improved future robot capability and reliability, and research training for next-generation Australian computational mathematicians. Read moreRead less
Control of network systems with signed dynamical interconnections. New technologies such as online recommendations, smart grids, and cyber-physical systems are becoming backbone infrastructure. Such systems are operated as network systems with interconnected functioning units (agents) where cooperative and adversarial agent relations often coexist. This project aims to develop the theories and tools for designing and building dynamic networks with signed interactions that arise from a variety of ....Control of network systems with signed dynamical interconnections. New technologies such as online recommendations, smart grids, and cyber-physical systems are becoming backbone infrastructure. Such systems are operated as network systems with interconnected functioning units (agents) where cooperative and adversarial agent relations often coexist. This project aims to develop the theories and tools for designing and building dynamic networks with signed interactions that arise from a variety of applications where both cooperative and adversarial agent interactions coexist. By developing theories and algorithms for control and identification over such systems, this project will contribute directly to their safe and robust operation. The resulting theories will provide deeper understanding of network control systems and the resulting algorithms will enable the elimination of attackers and malicious users for online review systems and smart grids. This project will contribute to increased cybersecurity for all Australians.Read moreRead less
Optimal control with decentralised information. This project will deliver optimisation-based tools to underpin systematic engineering approaches to the management of complex and networked systems arising in diverse areas. Optimal control for achieving guaranteed behaviour finds application in transport, resource management and distribution, telecommunications, and robotics and automation.
Advanced coverage control techniques for mobile networked systems. This project aims to efficiently control individual mobile sensors and actuators to achieve network-wide coverage quality for monitoring and control of industrial and environmental processes. Coverage control of mobile networked systems is important in control engineering due to the growing use of mobile robots and mobile wireless networks for sensing coverage and monitoring. The project will develop techniques for coverage contr ....Advanced coverage control techniques for mobile networked systems. This project aims to efficiently control individual mobile sensors and actuators to achieve network-wide coverage quality for monitoring and control of industrial and environmental processes. Coverage control of mobile networked systems is important in control engineering due to the growing use of mobile robots and mobile wireless networks for sensing coverage and monitoring. The project will develop techniques for coverage control of mobile networks which are expected to solve industrial control problems in the defence, communications and robotics industries and manage the environment.Read moreRead less