[O03] Hamiltonian-based data clustering and classification
We propose to develop a novel dynamic clustering algorithm which exploits the notions of evolving clustering function and level lines to address the problem of tracking extended objects in complex enviroments where available information are sparse and intermittent. Such situations involve key challenges in the areas of:
- target recognition, classification and localization;
- multi-path mitigation (in that the method is expected to be robust to drop-out and corruption);
- non-stationary processing.
Preliminary investigation has shown that the proposed approach is promising and has set its mathematical foundations. This research aims at further developing the mathematical basis of the approach, to assess its effectiveness on specific case studies and address implementation issues, and to explore its applicability in the context of the key challenges listed above.
Project Supervisor
Alessandro Astolfi was born in Rome, Italy, in 1967. He graduated in electrical engineering from the University of Rome in 1991. In 1992 he joined ETH-Zurich where he obtained a M.Sc. in Information Theory in 1995 and the Ph.D. degree with Medal of Honour in 1995 with a thesis on discontinuous stabilization of nonholonomic systems. In 1996 he was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” for his work on nonlinear robust control. Since 1996 he is with the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department of Imperial College, London (UK), where he is currently Professor in Non-linear Control Theory. From 1998 to 2003 he was also an Associate Professor at the Dept. of Electronics and Information of the Politecnico of Milano. Since 2005 he is also Professor at Dipartimento di Informatica, Sistemi e Produzione, University of Rome Tor Vergata. He has been visiting lecturer in "Nonlinear Control" in several universities, including ETH-Zurich (1995-1996); Terza University of Rome (1996); Rice University, Houston (1999); Kepler University, Linz (2000); SUPELEC, Paris (2001). His research interests are focused on mathematical control theory and control applications, with special emphasis for the problems of discontinuous stabilization, robust stabilization, robust control and adaptive control. He is author of more than 70 journal papers, of 20 book chapters and of over 160 papers in refereed conference proceedings. He is author (with D. Karagiannis and R. Ortega) of the monograph “Nonlinear and Adaptive Control with Applications” (Springer Verlag). He is Associate Editor of Systems and Control Letters, Automatica, IEEE Trans. Automatic Control, the International Journal of Control, the European Journal of Control, the Journal of the Franklin Institute, and the International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing. He has also served in the IPC of various international conferences.
