MIDAS is a large and complementary group of academic researchers and postgraduates collaborating across multiple Departments within the Melbourne School of Engineering in areas including automation, control, analytics, machine learning and optimization. This technical capability is complemented by work in the legal and social implications of autonomy from the Melbourne Law School and the Faculty of Science.
Our technical work includes both fundamental algorithmic development in these areas, as well as application to problems such as autonomous vehicles and UAVs, defence systems, robotics, aerodynamic systems, vehicle powertrains, power systems and large scale networks. We are supported by local and international industry partnerships and government agencies, and use these associations to help drive new fundamental research.
There are four main groupings within MIDAS:
NETWORKED DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
This group performs research associated with the development of technologies relevant to systems such as coordinated unmanned autonomous vehicles and future Infrastructure. This research includes investigation of both fundamental and practical challenges.
COMPUTATIONAL ENGINEERING FOR DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
This group deals with the development of computationally efficient methods for designing, operating, and certifying dynamical systems with application areas including aerodynamic, maritime, mechatronic, automotive systems, resource distribution, and environmental management.
HUMAN-CENTRIC AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
This group performs research associated with the interaction of robotics and humans in areas spanning biomedical and industrial settings.
LEGAL AND SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS OF AUTONOMY
This group performs research into the legal ramifications of autonomous defence systems as well as the trust that may be developed by humans working with and within environments containing autonomous systems.