Seminar Series
Maryland Information and Network Dynamics Laboratory
Maryland Information and Network Dynamics Laboratory
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›› MIND Lab Seminar Series: 12 September 2007
Complex Systems Engineering and Large-Scale Real-Time Networked Applications
Dr. Glen Tian
Faculty of Information Technology, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
E-Mails: yctian@cs.umd.edu, y.tian@qut.edu.au
URL: http://www.fit.qut.edu.au/~tian
›› Logistics
Date: Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Time: 2:00p to 3:00p
Location: AVW 3258
›› Abstract
A large-scale and complex system consists of a large number of components. These components have complex relationships. Because of these relationships, the system exhibits complex dynamics and functionality. Making each of the system components work may be easy, but integrating all the system components into a single system is challenging. Optimising each of the components does not necessarily mean optimisation of the integrated system. Even worse, systems requirements are usually not clearly specified in complex systems. Over the years, we have been investigating real-time networked computing for large-scale and complex applications. Real-time systems are those in which timeliness is as important as logic correctness. Timing requirements become exceptionally important for safety-critical and mission-critical systems. Due to the timing requirements, many traditional software/hardware techniques become inapplicable to real-time systems.
Through a practical and large-scale industrial galvanising system, we show how to use the technique of systems engineering to deal with system complexity, and how to deal-with timing requirements in design and implementation of large-scale real-time systems. Then, we talk about another type of large-scale networked applications: industrial robotics with applications in manufacturing and food processing. We will discuss the state-of-the-art of industrial robotics with regard to real-time information processing, control over network, and scheduling and control of multiple robots and other devices.
We will also briefly discuss several other research topics related to complex systems engineering and large-scale real-time networked applications, including fundamental investigations into real-time networking technologies; UAV communications, command, and control over data networks; cross-layer design for wireless networked control; distributed processing for real-time GPS applications; high-speed motion tracking in networked environment; and emerging services through large-scale sensor networks.
›› Biography
Dr Yu-Chu Tian, Associate Professor, Faculty of Information Technology, Queensland University of Technology. He is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, The University of Maryland. Dr Tian is an ARC (Australia Research Council) recognised Expert of International Standing, and an Assessor for ARC research grant applications. He is a member of IEEE, IEAust, and IChemE. He is serving the Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering as an Associate Editor. He is a technology provider to several Australian companies for complex systems engineering, real-time/embedded systems, and intelligent systems and robotics. Dr Tian is supervising a few PhD students and postdoc research fellows.
Dr Tian was an Associate Professor at Zhejiang University in 1995, and a Research Fellow at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1996. Accepting an offer of Research Fellow from Curtin University of Technology, he moved from Hong Kong to Australia in 1998. In 1999, he was elected as one of first four Western Australia Strategic Research Fellows. He has been with Queensland University of Technology since 2002, where he is currently an Associate Professor.
Dr Tian has been making original and significant contributions in complex systems and dynamics, modelling and control, computer and systems engineering, real-time and embedded computing, intelligent systems and robotics, networked control over wired/wireless/mobile networks, and other interdisciplinary areas. He has developed leading edge techniques in fundamental investigations, and innovative technologies in large-scale industrial applications. He successfully designed, implemented, and deployed a large-scale real-time control system for China's largest and most advanced galvanising production line at BISC. He also developed practical systems for complex industrial processes such as reactive distillation, fermentation, thermoplastic injection molding, industrial crystallisation, simulated moving bed chromatography, etc. Recently, together with his industry partner, he has successfully developed the world-first fully automated large-scale sweet corn processing line with integration and networked operation of multiple robots.
Dr Tian received the prestigious Excellent Young Researcher Award from Zhejiang Province in 1995 while working at Zhejiang University. He also won the Western Australia State Government Strategic Research Fellowship in 1999.
As the Chief Investigator, Dr Tian has won/completed 18 research grants/projects, including 3 funded by ARC. He holds a patend on real-time control of large-scale and continuous galvanising line. He has credited over 110 refereed papers in his publication record, including 31 indexed by SCI, and over 60 indexed by EI. His publications have been cited over 130 times in SCI journals excluding self-citation. The h-index of his publications has reached 7.