Past Event: Babuška Forum

Autonomous Systems in the Intersection of Controls, Learning Theory and Formal Methods

Ufuk Topcu, Associate Professor, Oden Institute & Department of Aerospace Engineering, UT Austin

Abstract

Autonomous systems are emerging as a driving technology for countless applications. Numerous disciplines tackle the challenges toward making these systems agile, adaptable, reliable, user-friendly and economical. On the other hand, the existing disciplinary boundaries delay and possibly even obstruct progress. I argue that the non-conventional problems that arise in the design and verification of autonomous systems require hybrid solutions at the intersection of learning, formal methods, and controls. I will present examples of such hybrid solutions in several problems in autonomy at varying levels of detail. Bio Ufuk Topcu joined the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in Fall 2015. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 2008. He held research positions at the University of Pennsylvania and California Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the theoretical, algorithmic and computational aspects of design and verification of autonomous systems through novel connections between formal methods, learning theory, and controls. (The Babuška Forum series was started by Professor Ivo Babuška several years ago to expose students to interesting and curious topics relevant to computational engineering and science with technical content at the graduate student level (i.e. the focus of the lectures is on main ideas with some technical content). Seminar credit is given to those students who attend.) **Note: Please join this Zoom seminar online with the "Audio Only" function (no video)**