- Visiting_residents - Australian Centre for Robotics

[Everybody at ACFR] ECE - Research Seminar Series
by Bianca Brymer 19 May '26

19 May '26

Hello ECE Community, We warmly invite you to attend the next ECE Research Seminar. Light refreshments will be provided, so please RSVP to confirm your attendance. We kindly ask HDR attendees to bring their signed attendance form on the day; this form is also attached to the calendar invite. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Date and Time: Wednesday 27th May 12:00- 1:00pm Location: :J02, PNR Building, Lecture Theatre 304 Title: Optimizing for the Unknown: Toward Robots That Can Explore Anywhere, Handle Anything, and Learn from Little 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 deep oceans to manipulating delicate objects in our homes. Across these settings, robots face a common challenge: making 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 uncertain and partially observable environments. I will show how these methods 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 multimodal (visual) policy learning by extracting more capability from limited experience. Across these domains, a central theme emerges optimization provides a powerful framework for building robots that are not merely reactive, but purposeful—capable of planning over long timescales, adapting to changing conditions, and learning efficiently from limited data. Together, these advances point toward a future in which robots can travel farther, handle more diverse tasks, and learn more quickly in the real world—bringing robust autonomy to environments where human presence is limited, uncertainty is unavoidable, and intelligent decision-making is critical. Speaker Bio: [AI, rat whiskers, and robots in the wild: Talking with Ian Abraham | Yale News] Dr. Ian Abraham’s research sits at the intersection of robotics, optimization, control, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. His work focuses on developing computational methods that enable robotic systems to interact with, explore, and learn in extreme and remote environments. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including an NSF CAREER Award. Prior to joining the University of Sydney, Ian was an Assistant Professor at Yale University, with appointments in the Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science departments. He earned his PhD from Northwestern University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. _______________________________________________ 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. Graeme Best - Coordination Algorithms for Multi-Robot Systems in the Wild
by Sabrina Asri 18 May '26

18 May '26

Faculty of Engineering ACFR Seminar Series [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260517/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [cid:image002.png@01DCE6B4.2CAA1CC0] Coordination Algorithms for Multi-Robot Systems in the Wild Presented by Dr. Graeme Best Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026, at 1:00 pm AEDT Venue: ACFR seminar area, J04 level 2 (Rose St Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/upXTCxngwOf9O9BJJINcVUybI0C?domain=t…>) Zoom ID: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/s/87306457455<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/0k7lCyojxQT0n0JNNFlfvUx-Mmi?domain=t…> **RSVP by Tuesday 19 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: Multi-robot systems have the potential to operate at larger scales and with greater resilience than individual robots, but this requires coordination algorithms that remain useful beyond idealised laboratory settings. In this seminar, I will present several planning and coordination algorithms for robot teams operating in complex outdoor environments, with a particular focus on active perception: planning robot motion and observation viewpoints to improve high-level understanding of the world while accounting for motion, communication, and task constraints. The talk will connect several threads from my research, including decentralised Monte Carlo tree search (Dec-MCTS), communication-aware coordination, coalition formation, synthesising behaviour trees, communication of maps or intent, and sequential task allocation. I will discuss how these ideas have been applied across real-world field robotics contexts, including subterranean exploration, high-speed ground robot surveillance, and marine environmental monitoring. Bio: Dr Graeme Best is a Senior Lecturer in the Robotics Institute at the University of Technology Sydney. His research focuses on developing autonomy for multi-robot systems in challenging outdoor environments, with contributions ranging from new fundamental algorithms to full-scale system demonstrations. He completed postdoctoral studies at Oregon State University, where he participated in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge with Carnegie Mellon University. He earned his PhD from The University of Sydney (2019) and his BEng and BSc from Monash University, and has also worked at DSTG’s Maritime Division and the CSIRO Autonomous Systems Lab. Dr Best is a recipient of a Google Research Scholar Program Award and multiple best paper awards and nominations at international robotics conferences, including RSS, ICRA, and IROS. At UTS, he is the Mechatronics Major Coordinator and teaches Space Robotics and project-based robotics subjects. He is actively involved with the broader robotics research community as an editor and workshop organiser and is currently a Local Arrangements Chair for the upcoming Robotics: Science and Systems conference to be held in Sydney. [Register for Event >]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/pEwNCzvkyVCxLxnRRunhLU9iZV8?domain=t…> [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260517/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/bOVGCBNqjlCMoMAVVuKs5U2wcIJ?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/CwdhCD1vlpTnPnMBBf0trUjgwHX?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/529wCE8wmrtgPgnWWsXuxU70rSy?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/dTn8CGv0oyC0g0qJJFZC4UBBu6B?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/s5xMCJyBrGf1X1y88hEFoUyIBPI?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/aDbnCK1DvKTBJB9qqFlH4U5Ud5W?domain=t…> | Manage<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/LiszCq71mwfzWzROOfpIRUEpYET?domain=a…> your preferences | Opt Out<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/nPTECr81nyt1916AAh3S0U4pmVD?domain=t…> using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/okR0Cvl1rKi2X24WWFgToUQZ3aH?domain=a…> to receive our future emails. View this email online<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/cMJHCwV1vMfApAPLLIAUVUJ3yEY?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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[Everybody at ACFR] J18 residents only
by David Hickling 18 May '26

18 May '26

Hi You might have noticed the beeping in J18 coming from the lift on level 1. The owner and a technician were on site on Friday but had no luck finding the problem. They might have to find some new parts. We will keep you updated 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 18 May '26

18 May '26

Faculty of Engineering ACFR Seminar Series [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260517/44/a0/ac/85/83de99ae1318da0a…] [cid:image002.png@01DCE6B4.2CAA1CC0] Coordination Algorithms for Multi-Robot Systems in the Wild Presented by Dr. Graeme Best Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026, at 1:00 pm AEDT Venue: ACFR seminar area, J04 level 2 (Rose St Building<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/upXTCxngwOf9O9BJJINcVUybI0C?domain=t…>) Zoom ID: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/s/87306457455<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/0k7lCyojxQT0n0JNNFlfvUx-Mmi?domain=t…> **RSVP by Tuesday 19 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: Multi-robot systems have the potential to operate at larger scales and with greater resilience than individual robots, but this requires coordination algorithms that remain useful beyond idealised laboratory settings. In this seminar, I will present several planning and coordination algorithms for robot teams operating in complex outdoor environments, with a particular focus on active perception: planning robot motion and observation viewpoints to improve high-level understanding of the world while accounting for motion, communication, and task constraints. The talk will connect several threads from my research, including decentralised Monte Carlo tree search (Dec-MCTS), communication-aware coordination, coalition formation, synthesising behaviour trees, communication of maps or intent, and sequential task allocation. I will discuss how these ideas have been applied across real-world field robotics contexts, including subterranean exploration, high-speed ground robot surveillance, and marine environmental monitoring. Bio: Dr Graeme Best is a Senior Lecturer in the Robotics Institute at the University of Technology Sydney. His research focuses on developing autonomy for multi-robot systems in challenging outdoor environments, with contributions ranging from new fundamental algorithms to full-scale system demonstrations. He completed postdoctoral studies at Oregon State University, where he participated in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge with Carnegie Mellon University. He earned his PhD from The University of Sydney (2019) and his BEng and BSc from Monash University, and has also worked at DSTG’s Maritime Division and the CSIRO Autonomous Systems Lab. Dr Best is a recipient of a Google Research Scholar Program Award and multiple best paper awards and nominations at international robotics conferences, including RSS, ICRA, and IROS. At UTS, he is the Mechatronics Major Coordinator and teaches Space Robotics and project-based robotics subjects. He is actively involved with the broader robotics research community as an editor and workshop organiser and is currently a Local Arrangements Chair for the upcoming Robotics: Science and Systems conference to be held in Sydney. [Register for Event >]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/pEwNCzvkyVCxLxnRRunhLU9iZV8?domain=t…> [https://d31hzlhk6di2h5.cloudfront.net/20260517/2e/8d/c7/1c/1c70baef8b350e38…] [Web Site]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/bOVGCBNqjlCMoMAVVuKs5U2wcIJ?domain=t…> [LinkedIn]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/CwdhCD1vlpTnPnMBBf0trUjgwHX?domain=t…> [X]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/529wCE8wmrtgPgnWWsXuxU70rSy?domain=t…> [YouTube]<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/dTn8CGv0oyC0g0qJJFZC4UBBu6B?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/s5xMCJyBrGf1X1y88hEFoUyIBPI?domain=t…> | Privacy statement<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/aDbnCK1DvKTBJB9qqFlH4U5Ud5W?domain=t…> | Manage<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/LiszCq71mwfzWzROOfpIRUEpYET?domain=a…> your preferences | Opt Out<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/nPTECr81nyt1916AAh3S0U4pmVD?domain=t…> using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/okR0Cvl1rKi2X24WWFgToUQZ3aH?domain=a…> to receive our future emails. View this email online<https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/cMJHCwV1vMfApAPLLIAUVUJ3yEY?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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[Everybody at ACFR] To ACFR HPC users
by Jerome Justin 15 May '26

15 May '26

The storage for data on /home is nearing full. Please clean up your data sets to allow others to also run their code. REMEMBER, no data on this volume is backed up. Please do not leave code/data there long term and expect it to be safe! If the volume does fill up and affect people's ability to work, I will be finding the largest collection of data and deleting it to make space for others!. Thanks, Jerome. _______________________________________________ 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] J19 Tour
by William Jones 14 May '26

14 May '26

Hi All, Please note that I will be showing a visitor from Thales around the lab at 9 am tomorrow. Best, Will ________________________________ Dr. William Jones Research Fellow in Planning and Optimisation, Australian Robotic Inspection and Asset Management (ARIAM) Research Hub, Australian Centre for Robotics (ACFR), University of Sydney, 8 Little Queen Street, Chippendale, 2008 NSW www.acfr.usyd.edu.au<http://www.acfr.usyd.edu.au/> T: +61 (0) 410 675 402 _______________________________________________ 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] Congratulations Milan Tomy
by Andrew Hill 12 May '26

12 May '26

Hi all, Congratulations to Milan Tomy on the completion of the oral examination of her PhD dissertation "Integrating Non-Markovian Constraint Satisfaction in MCTS for Haul-Truck Dispatch Under Operational Constraints" this morning! This was both a fantastic summary of several years' work and marks an important milestone on the journey towards a PhD. cheers, Andrew Dr Andrew Hill | Program Lead RTSIH Rio Tinto Sydney Innovation Hub & Australian Centre for Field Robotics Faculty of Engineering | The University of Sydney Rm 309, Sydney Robotics Hub J18 8 Little Queen St, Chippendale NSW 2008 T +61 2 9351 4209 | M +61 421 043 764 sydney.edu.au/cma | sydney.edu.au/acfr 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. _______________________________________________ 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] 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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