Alejandro I. Maass

Analysis and design of networked control systems, whereby the plant and controller exchange information over a communication network. The goal is to exploit the structure of the network (e.g. multiple channels or protocols), plant (e.g. distributed or singularly-perturbed) and controller (e.g. distributed controller implementation) to achieve robust stability, estimation and tracking. Examples from intelligent traffic applications will be used to test the obtained control/estimation algorithms.

Used optimisation tools to automate the calibration of model predictive controllers over engine drive cycles to achieve appropriate levels of performance. Linkage project between Toyota Motor Company and University of Melbourne. Developed theoretical results for online optimisation algorithms using zeroth-order oracles over Riemannian manifolds.

- Taught one problem solving session per week to 24 undergraduate students in the department of electronic engineering - Graded exams and assignments

- Led the tutor team consisting of three Ph.D. students. Held weekly meetings to discuss lesson plans, teaching strategies, and study material - Taught weekly laboratory and problem-solving sessions for groups of 25 graduate students in the department of electronic and electrical engineering - Maintained the laboratory hardware (LEGO EV3 robots) so that each experience ran smoothly - Graded exams and assisted the course coordinator with administrative matters

Modelling, analysis and design of networked controlled systems implemented over industrial wireless networks. My dissertation was awarded with the 2019 Best Thesis Prize by the department of electrical and electronic engineering in recognition of the quality, impact and novelty of the PhD thesis.

- Led the tutor team consisting of three Ph.D. students. Held weekly meetings to discuss lesson plans, teaching strategies, and study material - Designed and taught weekly laboratory and problem-solving sessions for groups of 25 graduate students in the department of electronic and electrical engineering - Conducted two exam solving sessions per semester to a group of 100 students - Prepared course materials including study problems, assignments, and exams - Supervised students in final projects, provided consultation for students, and graded exams, lab reports, and assignments - Assisted the lecturer with subject-related administrative tasks

- Gave a seminar about my Ph.D. project to CRAN faculty - Developed a mathematical model to study control systems that are implemented over multi-hop wireless networks - Collaborated with expert researchers at CRAN to further enrich my research project - The work done at CRAN led to a proceedings publication at an international conference

- Initiated, designed, and executed an independent research project, studying control systems that communicate through networks subject to packet losses - Conducted extensive data analysis and simulations via MATLAB - Presented work at local and international conferences - Published results in peer-reviewed journals in control engineering

- Taught three lectures per week to 50 undergraduate students in the department of electrical engineering - Developed new course material including study problems, assignments, and exams - Supervised students during their final project, graded assignments and exams, and held weekly consultation hours - Achieved excellent overall student evaluation of 4.49/5 from 50 students

- Led the tutor team consisting of ten graduate students. Held weekly meetings to discuss lesson plans, teaching strategies, and study material - Taught weekly problem-solving sessions for groups of 70 undergraduate students in the physics department - Assisted the course coordinator with exam preparation - Graded exams, held weekly consultation hours, and assisted the course coordinator with marking databases for 240 students

- Assisted a multi-disciplinary team of researchers with extensive data-analysis and simulations, which were later included in a book published in Springer - Developed a graphical user interface in MATLAB for the control of wave equations - Presented the results in a local seminar to BCAM researchers - Assisted the IT manager in the installation of the optimisation program IPOPT in BCAM computers via Linux