Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing ....Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing nonlinear control strategies. The expected outcomes will include new system and control theories, concepts, principles and technologies in controller design that can provide reliable flight control for bio-inspired, flapping-wing systems.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
When every second counts: Multi-drone navigation in GPS-denied environments. The aim of this research is to develop a framework for multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), that balances information sharing, exploration, localization, mapping, and other planning objectives thus allowing a team of UAVs to navigate in complex environments in time critical situations. This project expects to generate new knowledge in UAV navigation using an innovative approach by combining Simultaneous Localizatio ....When every second counts: Multi-drone navigation in GPS-denied environments. The aim of this research is to develop a framework for multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), that balances information sharing, exploration, localization, mapping, and other planning objectives thus allowing a team of UAVs to navigate in complex environments in time critical situations. This project expects to generate new knowledge in UAV navigation using an innovative approach by combining Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithms with Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDP) and Deep Reinforcement learning. This should provide significant benefits, such as more responsive search and rescue inside collapsed buildings or underground mines, as well as fast target detection and mapping under the tree canopy. Read moreRead less
Distributed Estimation, Control and Optimisation for Networked Systems. This project aims to study large scale networked systems in major infrastructures including power networks, transportation networks, internet of things, and other cyber-physical systems. This project is expected to develop new methodology and algorithms for distributed estimation, control and optimisation of these systems. Distributed solutions are essential because traditional techniques which were designed for small system ....Distributed Estimation, Control and Optimisation for Networked Systems. This project aims to study large scale networked systems in major infrastructures including power networks, transportation networks, internet of things, and other cyber-physical systems. This project is expected to develop new methodology and algorithms for distributed estimation, control and optimisation of these systems. Distributed solutions are essential because traditional techniques which were designed for small systems are not suitable for efficient operations of large scale systems. Application examples include distributed state estimation for power networks, control of multi-agent systems and optimal scheduling of transportation networks. The outcomes of this project are vital to the understanding and management of these systems. Read moreRead less
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
Control and state estimation in the next-generation interconnected systems. This project aims to develop a systematic and efficient approach to address fundamental challenges in control and secure state estimation in the next-generation interconnected systems. Control and state estimation in high-tech systems is an emerging area of control engineering. The importance of this area is quickly increasing due to the growing use of the next-generation interconnected systems, in which physical and hig ....Control and state estimation in the next-generation interconnected systems. This project aims to develop a systematic and efficient approach to address fundamental challenges in control and secure state estimation in the next-generation interconnected systems. Control and state estimation in high-tech systems is an emerging area of control engineering. The importance of this area is quickly increasing due to the growing use of the next-generation interconnected systems, in which physical and high-tech components are interacting in complex networks. The project is expected to have direct applications in the management of energy networks, and in industrial control and secure state estimation problems in the defence, communications, and automobile industries.Read moreRead less
Robust Data-Driven Control for Safety-Critical Systems. This project aims to develop new approaches to controlling robotic and cyber-physical systems in safety-critical applications. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how to harness the power of machine learning for robot control, while guaranteeing safety and stability at all times. The outcomes of this project will be new algorithms and a deeper understanding of the interplay of data, learning, and models, as well as experimenta ....Robust Data-Driven Control for Safety-Critical Systems. This project aims to develop new approaches to controlling robotic and cyber-physical systems in safety-critical applications. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how to harness the power of machine learning for robot control, while guaranteeing safety and stability at all times. The outcomes of this project will be new algorithms and a deeper understanding of the interplay of data, learning, and models, as well as experimental validation on a surgical robot and a bipedal walking robot. This project will provide significant benefits by dramatically increasing the range of applications in which the power of machine learning can be safely applied to advance the capabilities and uptake of robotics.Read moreRead less
Robustness, resilience and security of networked dynamic systems. This project will develop advanced digital control techniques to address security, resilience and robustness in complex networks and deliver fundamental advances in the technology for secure and reliable networks. The project will advance the theory on consensus of networked multi-agent systems to facilitate the fast adoption of the internet of things and the continuous growth of cyber-physical systems These systems in many cases ....Robustness, resilience and security of networked dynamic systems. This project will develop advanced digital control techniques to address security, resilience and robustness in complex networks and deliver fundamental advances in the technology for secure and reliable networks. The project will advance the theory on consensus of networked multi-agent systems to facilitate the fast adoption of the internet of things and the continuous growth of cyber-physical systems These systems in many cases work with high efficiency, stability, and low communication overheads. However, there are cases where disturbance amplification and cascading failures can arise from relatively small unforeseen events. The theoretical work will be complemented by detailed nonlinear networked simulations, using intelligent vehicle systems as a case study.Read moreRead less
Subsurface Atomic Force Microscopy using Dual Probes. The proposal aims to develop a new microscopy method for imaging nano-scale structures buried below the surface of a sample; for example, metal conductors in a computer processor chip. The expected outcome is a new method for creating subsurface images with an application focus on semiconductor device inspection and quality control. The proposed microscope is expected to create new economic opportunities including new commercial products, int ....Subsurface Atomic Force Microscopy using Dual Probes. The proposal aims to develop a new microscopy method for imaging nano-scale structures buried below the surface of a sample; for example, metal conductors in a computer processor chip. The expected outcome is a new method for creating subsurface images with an application focus on semiconductor device inspection and quality control. The proposed microscope is expected to create new economic opportunities including new commercial products, intellectual property, and the potential for a start-up venture. The benefits to Australia should include the creation of new job opportunities and the development of local expertise in a high-value market sector.Read moreRead less