May 2026 - Visiting_residents - Australian Centre for Robotics

[Everybody at ACFR] Tomorrow - PhD Oral Thesis Defence: Milan Tomy
by Australian Centre For Robotics Administration 11 May '26

11 May '26

Hi everyone, This is a kind reminder to Milan's PhD Thesis Defence which will take place tomorrow morning. Details are as follows: Faculty of Engineering PhD Thesis Public Presentation [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260505/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260505/42/ec/a6/5b/4d1562c49d2410a9…] Milan Tomy will present her thesis titled Integrating Non-Markovian Constraint Satisfaction in MCTS for Haul-Truck Dispatch Under Operational Constraints. Please join us in recognising this significant milestone in Milan's academic journey and celebrating her sustained commitment and extensive research in this field. Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026 Time: 08:00 AM (AEDT). *Light breakfast will be served Venue: ACFR Seminar Area J04, Level 2 Seminar Room (Rose Street Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/vzpLC2xMQziRx4N8wimUjU5fI1l?domain=t…>) Online: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/83901112732?from=addon<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/hGt0C3QNPBiG8P52QC8cyUQJYjR?domain=t…> Abstract: Operational constraint satisfaction in haul-truck dispatch planning is essential for ensuring safety, equipment longevity, and continuous production at mine sites. Many operational constraints are non-Markovian, as they depend on execution history and anticipated future system evolution to ensure feasibility. In practice, such constraints are often handled outside the dispatch optimisation process using heuristic controllers or human intervention. Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) has emerged as an adaptable approximate approach for large-scale haul-truck dispatch optimisation. However, satisfying non-Markovian constraints within MCTS is challenging due to incomplete tree exploration and uncertain future violation estimates. To address these challenges, this thesis investigates opportunity-cost-based and robustness-based violation measures, together with algorithms for balancing exploration, exploitation, and constraint satisfaction in MCTS. The proposed non-Markovian constrained MCTS planners are evaluated in simulated mining domains of increasing complexity and constraint interdependence. Results demonstrate the potential of constrained MCTS methods for adaptable non-Markovian constraint handling under dynamic operational conditions. Bio: Milan is a PhD researcher with the Rio Tinto Sydney Innovation Hub at the University of Sydney, undertaking her PhD in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering (AMME), working on constrained planning algorithms. She completed her MSc in Robotics at the University of Birmingham and her BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering at National Institute of Technology Calicut, India. Her research interests include task planning and decision-making under uncertainty. Her work spans applications in mining logistics, robotics, epidemiological modelling, and power signal analysis. [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260505/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/7r7nC4QOPEimjnpl1i8f7U4AwBK?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/HYaHC5QPXJixnzV6Gt3hNUkXc9G?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/qPy4C6XQ4Lf13gnyKt1irU5NZdP?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ndn-C71R2NTQP0OZki5sAUon35T?domain=t…> Copyright (c) 2026 The University of Sydney Please add acfr.admin(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:acfr.admin@sydney.edu.au> to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future. Cricos Code 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 Disclaimer<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Pz4BC81V0PTzJA7YRsxtvUyaVih?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/hKdIC91WPRTMZ652BCJunUq5KL_?domain=t…> | Best regards, Sabrina Sabrina Asri | Senior Admin Officer The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics Rose Street Building J04 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 9351 7126 | sabrina.asri(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:sabrina.asri@sydney.edu.au> | sydney.edu.au<http://sydney.edu.au/> [A black background with a black square AI-generated content may be incorrect.] CRICOS 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] For J18 people only - RCD testing Monday the 18th
by Matthew Geier 11 May '26

11 May '26

At 6 am on Monday, the 18th, the 'RCD' safety switches will be tested in J18. This involves a brief outage on each circuit to test the switch's operation. They are scheduled to be finished by 8am. Anyone who routinely leaves their computer on (and remote accesses to it) or project 'servers' - please shut the systems off before you leave on Friday so that there is no possibility of damage or data corruption. Thanks. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Re: attention J18 Level 2 residents
by Annette Karydis 08 May '26

08 May '26

Thanks Nick. We have escalated this and we are expecting Airmaster to be on site within the next 20 minutes. Levels 1 and 2 are not good. Until we investigate what this is, can I request for all occupants of level 2 to leave the building and anyone else that may not feel comfortable or have respiratory issues. We will provide updated information as soon as know. Many thanks Annette Annette Karydis | Operations Manager The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics +61 2 9351 8146 | +61 419 207 097 CRICOS 00026A This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. From: Nick McCouat <nick.mccouat(a)sydney.edu.au> Sent: Friday, 1 May 2026 12:53 PM To: David Hickling <david.hickling(a)sydney.edu.au>; everybody <everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au> Subject: [Everybody at ACFR] Re: attention J18 Level 2 residents Just an update, there is now thicker (visible) white smoke throughout level 2, especially down near the J19 end. I had to go in to retrieve my bag, but I wouldn't recommend doing so unless you really need to, as it is pretty dense and smells bad. And this is coming from someone who sits in the software office most days. If you do need to enter L2, it may be worth wearing one of the P100 masks from the workshop, and if in any doubt, perhaps get David Hickling to go in first. Nick ________________________________ From: David Hickling <david.hickling(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:david.hickling@sydney.edu.au>> Sent: Friday, 1 May 2026 12:10 PM To: everybody <everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au<mailto:everybody@acfr.usyd.edu.au>> Subject: [Everybody at ACFR] attention J18 Level 2 residents Hi J18 Level 2 people, As you know there a smoky odour wafting around your level. Level 3 and 4 are OK at the moment. We think that it is coming in from outside. We have asked the Air conditioning people to inspect urgently. If the smell bothers you maybe you should leave the building and take a break or go home? Cheers David David Hickling Administrative and Technical Assistant The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering Australian Centre for Robotics Level 2, Sydney Robotics Lab J19 74-80 Abercrombie St Chippendale 2008 NSW M 0404 349 074 | T 02 8627 8279 sydney.edu.au/acfr<http://sydney.edu.au/acfr> _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Placeholder ACFR Seminar Series: Dr. Graeme Best from UTS
by Sabrina Asri 07 May '26

07 May '26

Hi everyone, This is a placeholder for a seminar by Dr Grarme Best from UTS. Further details on his talk will be updated soon. Thank you. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] Tutor for Space Eng 2
by Salah Sukkarieh 07 May '26

07 May '26

Hi All, Anyone interested in being a tutor for Space Eng 2 (third year) AERO3760 - let me know. Salah _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] TODAY: ACFR Seminar Series -
by Australian Centre For Robotics Administration 06 May '26

06 May '26

Hi everyone, A kind reminder about today's seminar as detailed below. A light lunch will be served from 12.30pm: Faculty of Engineering ACFR Seminar Series [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260501/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260501/c6/93/17/4e/93651822f71449ac…] Optimizing for the Unknown: Toward Robots That Can Go Anywhere, Handle Anything, and Learn from Little Presented by Dr. Ian Abraham Date: Thursday, 7 May 2026, at 1:00 pm AEDT Venue: ACFR seminar area, J04 level 2 (Rose St Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OzZuCJyBrGf1L7EEniYcoUyzu3x?domain=t…>) Zoom ID: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/s/87306457455<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/A_lJCK1DvKTBxj551TNf4U5Ca3P?domain=t…> **RSVP by Tuesday 5 May for catering purposes. Accept this calendar invitation if you plan to attend the seminar in person and join us for a light lunch at approximately 12.30pm. Abstract: Robots have the potential to become extraordinary tools that extend humanity's reach, automating tasks that range from exploring the solar system and the vast oceans to manipulating delicate objects in our homes. Across these settings, robots face a common challenge: they must make good decisions when the world is only partially known, data are scarce, and mistakes are costly. In this talk, I will present recent work from my group on principled numerical optimization methods that enable robots to reason, act, and learn in these partially observable, remote, and uncertain worlds. I will show how these methods expand robotic capabilities to support long-horizon ocean exploration by balancing information gathering, safety, and resource constraints; improve precision manipulation by accounting for uncertainty in perception, contact, and dynamics; and accelerate multi-modal (visual) policy learning by extracting more capability from limited experience. Across these domains, the central theme is that optimization provides a powerful language for building robots that are not merely reactive, but purposeful robots that can plan over long timescales, adapt to changing conditions, and learn efficiently from the data available to them. Together, these methods point toward a future in which robots can go farther, handle more varied tasks, and learn faster in the real world-bringing robust autonomy to environments where human presence is limited, uncertainty is unavoidable, and intelligent decision-making matters most. Bio: Ian Abraham is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Sydney with an affiliation at the Australian Centre for Robotics. His research sits at the intersection of robotics, optimization, control, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. His work develops computational methods that enable robotic systems to intelligently interact with, explore, and learn in extreme and remote environments. He has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including an NSF CAREER award as a professor in the US. Prior to joining the University of Sydney, Ian was an Assistant Professor at Yale University in the Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science Departments. He received his PhD degree from Northwestern University and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. [Register for Event >] <https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1mkXCL7EwMfmMJnn3H4hkUyqGzZ?domain=t…> [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260501/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1RTYCNLJyQUE52mm6igszUyIpoe?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ZAjdCOMKzVT0r6mmOiBtrUG-FCk?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/tHjKCP7LAXfoA7EE6ikugUxRwh7?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/adihCQnMBZf345jjRi0COUG06Tr?domain=t…> Copyright (c) 2026 The University of Sydney Please add acfr.admin(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:acfr.admin@sydney.edu.au> to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future. Cricos Code 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 Disclaimer<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/DeIBCROND2uRPAqqOc2FGU1iv17?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OKN3CVARKgC5jDooZS1HBUEczsO?domain=t…> | Manage<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6LJ1CBNqjlCMJg55ntQI5U2S4iA?domain=a…> your preferences | Opt Out<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/iVkdCD1vlpTnrRllxcvSrUjYjgq?domain=t…> using TrueRemove(tm) Got this as a forward? Sign up<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/tfZrCE8wmrtgoQ55qUkTxU7Qf4G?domain=a…> to receive our future emails. View this email online<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/TNoSCGv0oyC0ZV558iPU4UB0lhc?domain=t…>. Rose Street Building J04 Level 2 | Darlington, 2008 AU Best regards, Sabrina Sabrina Asri | Senior Admin Officer The University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering, Australian Centre for Robotics Rose Street Building J04 | The University of Sydney | NSW | 2006 +61 2 9351 7126 | sabrina.asri(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:sabrina.asri@sydney.edu.au> | sydney.edu.au<http://sydney.edu.au/> [A black background with a black square AI-generated content may be incorrect.] CRICOS 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 This email plus any attachments to it are confidential. Any unauthorised use is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please delete it and any attachments. Please think of our environment and only print this email if necessary. _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] PhD Oral Thesis Defence: Milan Tomy
by Sabrina Asri 06 May '26

06 May '26

Faculty of Engineering PhD Thesis Public Presentation [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260505/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260505/42/ec/a6/5b/4d1562c49d2410a9…] Milan Tomy will present her thesis titled Integrating Non-Markovian Constraint Satisfaction in MCTS for Haul-Truck Dispatch Under Operational Constraints. Please join us in recognising this significant milestone in Milan’s academic journey and celebrating her sustained commitment and extensive research in this field. Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026 Time: 08:00 AM (AEDT). *Light breakfast will be served Venue: ACFR Seminar Area J04, Level 2 Seminar Room (Rose Street Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/vzpLC2xMQziRx4N8wimUjU5fI1l?domain=t…>) Online: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/83901112732?from=addon<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/hGt0C3QNPBiG8P52QC8cyUQJYjR?domain=t…> Abstract: Operational constraint satisfaction in haul-truck dispatch planning is essential for ensuring safety, equipment longevity, and continuous production at mine sites. Many operational constraints are non-Markovian, as they depend on execution history and anticipated future system evolution to ensure feasibility. In practice, such constraints are often handled outside the dispatch optimisation process using heuristic controllers or human intervention. Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) has emerged as an adaptable approximate approach for large-scale haul-truck dispatch optimisation. However, satisfying non-Markovian constraints within MCTS is challenging due to incomplete tree exploration and uncertain future violation estimates. To address these challenges, this thesis investigates opportunity-cost-based and robustness-based violation measures, together with algorithms for balancing exploration, exploitation, and constraint satisfaction in MCTS. The proposed non-Markovian constrained MCTS planners are evaluated in simulated mining domains of increasing complexity and constraint interdependence. Results demonstrate the potential of constrained MCTS methods for adaptable non-Markovian constraint handling under dynamic operational conditions. Bio: Milan is a PhD researcher with the Rio Tinto Sydney Innovation Hub at the University of Sydney, undertaking her PhD in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering (AMME), working on constrained planning algorithms. She completed her MSc in Robotics at the University of Birmingham and her BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering at National Institute of Technology Calicut, India. Her research interests include task planning and decision-making under uncertainty. Her work spans applications in mining logistics, robotics, epidemiological modelling, and power signal analysis. [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260505/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/7r7nC4QOPEimjnpl1i8f7U4AwBK?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/HYaHC5QPXJixnzV6Gt3hNUkXc9G?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/qPy4C6XQ4Lf13gnyKt1irU5NZdP?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ndn-C71R2NTQP0OZki5sAUon35T?domain=t…> Copyright © 2026 The University of Sydney Please add acfr.admin(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:acfr.admin@sydney.edu.au> to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future. Cricos Code 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 Disclaimer<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Pz4BC81V0PTzJA7YRsxtvUyaVih?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/hKdIC91WPRTMZ652BCJunUq5KL_?domain=t…> | _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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[Everybody at ACFR] ACFR Seminar Series: Dr Ian Abraham - Optimizing for the Unknown: Toward Robots That Can Go Anywhere, Handle Anything, and Learn from Little
by Sabrina Asri 01 May '26

01 May '26

Faculty of Engineering ACFR Seminar Series [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260501/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260501/c6/93/17/4e/93651822f71449ac…] Optimizing for the Unknown: Toward Robots That Can Go Anywhere, Handle Anything, and Learn from Little Presented by Dr. Ian Abraham Date: Thursday, 7 May 2026, at 1:00 pm AEDT Venue: ACFR seminar area, J04 level 2 (Rose St Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OzZuCJyBrGf1L7EEniYcoUyzu3x?domain=t…>) Zoom ID: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/s/87306457455<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/A_lJCK1DvKTBxj551TNf4U5Ca3P?domain=t…> **RSVP by Tuesday 5 May for catering purposes. Accept this calendar invitation if you plan to attend the seminar in person and join us for a light lunch at approximately 12.30pm. Abstract: Robots have the potential to become extraordinary tools that extend humanity’s reach, automating tasks that range from exploring the solar system and the vast oceans to manipulating delicate objects in our homes. Across these settings, robots face a common challenge: they must make good decisions when the world is only partially known, data are scarce, and mistakes are costly. In this talk, I will present recent work from my group on principled numerical optimization methods that enable robots to reason, act, and learn in these partially observable, remote, and uncertain worlds. I will show how these methods expand robotic capabilities to support long-horizon ocean exploration by balancing information gathering, safety, and resource constraints; improve precision manipulation by accounting for uncertainty in perception, contact, and dynamics; and accelerate multi-modal (visual) policy learning by extracting more capability from limited experience. Across these domains, the central theme is that optimization provides a powerful language for building robots that are not merely reactive, but purposeful robots that can plan over long timescales, adapt to changing conditions, and learn efficiently from the data available to them. Together, these methods point toward a future in which robots can go farther, handle more varied tasks, and learn faster in the real world—bringing robust autonomy to environments where human presence is limited, uncertainty is unavoidable, and intelligent decision-making matters most. Bio: Ian Abraham is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Sydney with an affiliation at the Australian Centre for Robotics. His research sits at the intersection of robotics, optimization, control, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. His work develops computational methods that enable robotic systems to intelligently interact with, explore, and learn in extreme and remote environments. He has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including an NSF CAREER award as a professor in the US. Prior to joining the University of Sydney, Ian was an Assistant Professor at Yale University in the Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science Departments. He received his PhD degree from Northwestern University and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. [Register for Event >]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1mkXCL7EwMfmMJnn3H4hkUyqGzZ?domain=t…> [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260501/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/1RTYCNLJyQUE52mm6igszUyIpoe?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/ZAjdCOMKzVT0r6mmOiBtrUG-FCk?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/tHjKCP7LAXfoA7EE6ikugUxRwh7?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/adihCQnMBZf345jjRi0COUG06Tr?domain=t…> Copyright © 2026 The University of Sydney Please add acfr.admin(a)sydney.edu.au<mailto:acfr.admin@sydney.edu.au> to your address book or senders safe list to make sure you continue to see our emails in the future. Cricos Code 00026A TEQSA PRV12057 Disclaimer<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/DeIBCROND2uRPAqqOc2FGU1iv17?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/OKN3CVARKgC5jDooZS1HBUEczsO?domain=t…> | Manage<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/6LJ1CBNqjlCMJg55ntQI5U2S4iA?domain=a…> your preferences | Opt Out<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/iVkdCD1vlpTnrRllxcvSrUjYjgq?domain=t…> using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/tfZrCE8wmrtgoQ55qUkTxU7Qf4G?domain=a…> to receive our future emails. View this email online<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/TNoSCGv0oyC0ZV558iPU4UB0lhc?domain=t…>. Rose Street Building J04 Level 2 | Darlington, 2008 AU _______________________________________________ Everybody mailing list -- everybody(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au To unsubscribe send an email to everybody-leave(a)acfr.usyd.edu.au

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