Dr Umberto Montanaro
Senior Lecturer in Autonomous Systems and Control Engineering
About
Biography
Dr Umberto Montanaro received the Laurea (M.Sc.) degree (cum laude) in computer science engineering from the University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy, in 2005, and the PhD degrees in Control Engineering and in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Naples Federico II, in 2009 and 2016, respectively. From 2010 to 2013, he was a Research Fellow with the Italian National Research Council (Istituto Motori). In this timeframe, He also served as a temporary Lecturer with the University of Naples Federico II in “Automation and Process Control” and as temporary Lecturer in Control for the Postgraduate Master in Automotive Engineering. He joined the University of Surrey in 2016 as a research fellow. He is currently a Lecturer in control systems for automotive engineering within the Centre for Automotive Engineering. The scientific results he has obtained until now have been the subject of more than 60 scientific articles published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals and conferences. Moreover, Dr Montanaro is also associate editor of "International Journal of Powertrains".
Supervision
Postdoctoral Research Fellows:
- Kaushik Halder, design of vehicle platoon control algorithm, February 2018 - present (Co-supervising)
- Ash Rajendra Badu, path planning (Co-supervising)
PhD Students:
- Shilp Dixit, Autonomous Overtaking, October 2016 - present (Co-Supervisor)
MEng Students:
- Jake Fleetwood, Design of adaptive controllers for the Electronic Throttle Body for Automotive Applications, 2018-2019
- Shaun Rance, Design of control algorithms for the Direct Yaw Moment Control, 2018-2019
- Samuel Creighton, Linearising Vehicle Dynamics by using Enhanced Model Reference Adaptive Controllers, 2018-2019
Internships:
- Michal Wroblewshi, Numerical comparison of adaptive algorithms for longitudinal vehicle control when used for vehicle platooning, August-September 2019
My qualifications
2016
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
2009
Ph.D. in Control Engineering
2005
Degree in Computer Science Engineering
ResearchResearch interests
The research of Dr Umberto Montanaro focuses on topics ranging from the system and nonlinear control theory to control applications with special care to adaptive control algorithms and their application to engineering problems, especially in the mechatronic and automotive domain. Adaptive control algorithms are control strategies where the control gains change over the time based on the current plant response such that it is possible to impose required control objectives despite the presence of plant parameter mismatches, unmodeled plant dynamics and external disturbances that often affect the dynamics of mechanical/automotive systems. Some of his research activities are listed below.
- Adaptive Control of discontinuous systems
- Control of multiagent systems
- Optimal control
- Enhanced Model Reference Adaptive Control algorithm and its application to automotive and mechatronics control problems
- Integral and Switching Model Reference Adaptive Control
- Autonomous Vehicles and Connected Autonomous Vehicles
- Vehicle platooning
Research projects
- GPR for Localisation of Autonomous Vehicles, Funding Source, Innovate UK, 2018-2019, (Role: Researcher)
- Cloud-Assisted Real-time Methods for Autonomy (CARMA), Funding Source: EPSRC - JLR, 2016-2021, (Role: Researcher)
Research interests
The research of Dr Umberto Montanaro focuses on topics ranging from the system and nonlinear control theory to control applications with special care to adaptive control algorithms and their application to engineering problems, especially in the mechatronic and automotive domain. Adaptive control algorithms are control strategies where the control gains change over the time based on the current plant response such that it is possible to impose required control objectives despite the presence of plant parameter mismatches, unmodeled plant dynamics and external disturbances that often affect the dynamics of mechanical/automotive systems. Some of his research activities are listed below.
- Adaptive Control of discontinuous systems
- Control of multiagent systems
- Optimal control
- Enhanced Model Reference Adaptive Control algorithm and its application to automotive and mechatronics control problems
- Integral and Switching Model Reference Adaptive Control
- Autonomous Vehicles and Connected Autonomous Vehicles
- Vehicle platooning
Research projects
- GPR for Localisation of Autonomous Vehicles, Funding Source, Innovate UK, 2018-2019, (Role: Researcher)
- Cloud-Assisted Real-time Methods for Autonomy (CARMA), Funding Source: EPSRC - JLR, 2016-2021, (Role: Researcher)
Supervision
Postgraduate research supervision
- Shilp Dixit, Autonomous Overtaking, October 2016 - present (Co-Supervisor)
Teaching
- Control and Dynamics (ENG3611)
- Demonstrator for the Engine Speed Control lab (ENG2093 - Numerical and Experimental Methods)
- BEng/MEng Individual Project supervision
Publications
Highlights
Journals
- U. Montanaro, S. Dixit, S. Fallah, M. Dianati, A. Stevens, D. Oxtoby and A. Mouzakitis, Towards Connected Autonomous Driving: Review of Use-Cases, Vehicle System Dynamics, July 2018.
- S. Dixit, S. Fallah, U. Montanaro, M. Dianati, A. Stevens, F. Mccullough, A. Mouzakitis, Trajectory Planning and Tracking for Autonomous Overtaking: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects, vol. 45, pages 76-86, June 2018.
- Z. Wang, U. Montanaro, S. Fallah, A. Sorniotti, B. Lenzo, A gain scheduled robust linear quadratic regulator for vehicle direct yaw moment Control, Mechatronics, vol. 51, pages 31-45, May 2018.
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and S. Santini, Temperature and humidity adaptive control in multi-enclosed thermal zones under unexpected external disturbances, Energy and Buildings, vol. 135, pages 263-285, January 2017.
- U. Montanaro and J. M. Olm, Integral MRAC with minimal controller synthesis and bounded adaptive gains: the continuous-time case, Journal of The Franklin Institute, vol. 353, issue 18, pages 5040–5067, December 2016.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro, R. Ortega and S. Santini, Extended Hybrid Model Reference Adaptive Control of Piecewise Affine Systems, Nonlinear Analysis: Hybrid Systems, vol. 21, pages 11-21, August 2016.
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and S. Santini, Dynamic building energy performance analysis: a new adaptive control strategy for stringent thermohygrometric indoor air requirements, Applied Energy vol. 163, pages 361-386, February 2016.
- U. Montanaro and J. M. Olm, Discrete-time integral MRAC with minimal controller synthesis and parameter projection: a Lyapunov approach, Journal of The Franklin Institute, vol. 352, issue 12, pages 5415-5436, December 2015.
- A. Buonomano, G. De Luca, U. Montanaro and Adolfo Palombo, Innovative technologies for NZEBs: an energy and economic analysis tool and a case study of a non-residential building in Mediterranean climate, Energy and Building, vol. 121, pages 318-343, June 2016.
- A. di Gaeta, C. I. Hoyos Velasco, and U. Montanaro, Cycle-by-Cycle force compensation for the soft-landing control of electro-mechanical Engine Valve Actuator, Asian Journal of Control, vol. 17, no. 5, pages 1707-1724, September 2015.
- A. di Gaeta and U. Montanaro, Application of a robust model reference adaptive control algorithm to a nonlinear automotive actuator, International Journal of Automation and Computing, vol. 11, issue 4, pages 377-391, August 2014.
- U. Montanaro, A. di Gaeta and V. Giglio. Robust Discrete-Time MRAC with Minimal Controller Synthesis of an Electronic Throttle Body, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol.19, issue 2, pages 524 – 537, April 2014.
- R. Brancati, U. Montanaro, E. Rocca and S. Santini and F. Timpone, Analysis of Bifurcations, Rattle and Chaos in a Gear Transmission System, International Review of Mechanical Engineering, vol.7, no.4, pages 583-591, May 2013.
- M. di Bernardo, A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro, J. M. Olm, S. Santini, Experimental Validation of the Discrete-Time MCS Adaptive Strategy, Control Engineering Practice, vol. 21, issue 6, June 2013, pages 847–859.
- U. Montanaro, A. di Gaeta and V. Giglio, Adaptive Tracking Control of a Common Rail Injection System for Gasoline Engines: A Discrete Time Integral Minimal Control Synthesis Approach, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, vol. 21, issue 5, pages 1940-1948, September 2013.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Hybrid Model Reference Adaptive Control of Piecewise Affine Systems, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, vol. 58, issue 2, pages 304-316, February 2013.
- A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro and V. Giglio, Experimental Validation of a Hybrid Analytical-FEM Model of an Electromagnetic Engine Valve Actuator and Its Control Application, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol. 18, issue 2, pages 807 - 812, April 2013.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro, J. M. Olm and S. Santini, Model reference adaptive control of discrete-time piecewise linear systems, International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, vol. 23, issue 7, pages 709 – 730, May 2013.
- A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro, G. Fiengo, A. Palladino and V. Giglio, A Model-Based Gain Scheduling Approach for Controlling the Common-Rail System for GDI Engines, International Journal of Control, vol. 85, issue 4, pages 419-436, April 2012.
- M. di Bernardo, C. I. Hoyos Velasco, U. Montanaro, and S. Santini, Experimental Implementation and Validation of a Novel Minimal Control Synthesis Adaptive Controller for Continuous Bimodal Piecewise Affine Systems, Control Engineering Practice, Vol. 20, issue 3, pages 269-281, March 2012.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Canonical Forms of Generic Piecewise Linear Continuous Systems, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, vol. 56, isse 8, pages 1911 - 1915, August 2011.
- A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro and V. Giglio, Model-Based Control of the Air Fuel Ratio for Gasoline Direct Injection Engines via Advanced Co-Simulation: An Approach to Reduce the Development Cycle of Engine Control Systems, Transactions of the ASME, Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, vol. 133, issue 6, November 2011.
- A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro, S. Massimino, C. I. Hoyos Velasco, Experimental Investigation of a Double Magnet EMVA at Key-On Engine: a Mechanical Resonance Based Control Strategy, SAE International Journal of Engines, vol. 3, issue 2, pages 352-372, December 2010. (This article have been selected from the SAE conference “Fuels and Lubricants Meeting, San Diego, CA, (USA), 25-27 October 2010” from SAE International for its scientific relevance and republished as journal paper.)
- M. di Bernardo, A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Synthesis and experimental validation of the novel LQ-NEMCSI adaptive strategy on an electronic throttle valve, IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, vol. 18, issue 6, pages 1325 - 1337, November 2010.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Minimal Control Synthesis Adaptive Control of Continuous Bimodal Piecewise Affine Systems, SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization, vol. 48, issue 7, pages 4242-4261, June 2010.
- M. di Bernardo, A. di Gaeta, V. Giglio, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Design and Validation of a Novel Model Reference Adaptive Algorithm to Control ETB for Drive-by-wire Applications, SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars-Mechanical Systems, vol. 2, no. 1, pages 1268-1284, October 2009. (This article have been selected from the SAE conference “Fuels and Lubricants Meeting, Florence (Italy), 15-17 June 2009” from SAE International for its scientific relevance and republished as journal paper.)
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Novel hybrid MRAC-LQ control schemes: synthesis, analysis and applications, International Journal of Control, vol. 81, no. 6, pages 940-961, June 2008.
- R. Alzate, M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Experimental and numerical verification of bifurcations and chaos in cam-follower impacting systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, vol. 50 pages 409-429, November 2007.
Conferences
- U. Montanaro, S. Fallah, M. Dianati, D. Oxtoby, A. Mouzakitis, Cloud-Assisted Distributed Control System Architecture for Platooning, 21st IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Maui-Hawaii (USA), 4-7 November 2018.
- S. Dixit, S. Fallah, U. Montanaro, M. Dianati, D. Oxtoby, A. Mouzakitis, Collision-Free Trajectory Planning for Autonomous High-Speed Overtaking, 21st IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Maui-Hawaii (USA), 4-7 November 2018.
- U. Montanaro, S. Fallah, M. Dianati, D. Oxtoby, T. Mizutani, A. Mouzakitis, On a fully self-organising vehicle platooning supported by cloud computing, 5th International Conference on Internet of Things: Systems, Management and Security (IoTSMS), Valencia (Spain), 15-18 October 2018
- U. Montanaro, G. Fiengo, A. Tufano and S. Santini, On the effectiveness of the Extended Cooperative Adaptive Control for Vehicles Platooning, accepted for publication, 15th European Control Conference, pages 2453- 2458 Aalborg (Denmark), June 29 - July 1, 2016.
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and M. Vicidomini, NZEBs in Mediterranean climates: energy design and optimization for a non-residential building, 70th Conference of the ATI Engineering Association, Rome (Italy), 9-11 September 2015 (this paper has been published also in Energy Procedia, which is and Elsevier open access journal focusing entirely on publishing high-quality conference proceedings across the energy field. Precisely it has been published in Energy Procedia, volume 82, pages 458–464, December 2015).
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and M. Vicidomini, Energy saving technologies for non-residential NZEB in Mediterranean climate, Latin American and European Conference on Sustainable Buildings and Communities, pages 649-658, Guimaraes (Portugal), 21-23 July 2015.
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and S. Santini, Building temperature control using an enhanced MRAC approach, 14th European Control Conference, pages 3634-3639, Linz (Austria), 15-17 July 2015.
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and S. Santini, Adaptive control for building thermo-hygrometric analysis: a novel dynamic simulation code for indoor spaces with multi-enclosed thermal zones, 6th International Building Physics Conference (IBPC 2015), Turin (Italy), 14-17 June 2015 (this paper has been published also in Energy Procedia, which is an Elsevier open access journal focusing entirely on publishing high-quality conference proceedings across the energy field. Precisely it has been published in Energy Procedia, volume 78, pages 2190–2195, November 2015).
- A. Buonomano, U. Montanaro, A. Palombo and S. Santini, Multi-zone buildings thermo-hygrometric analysis: a novel dynamic simulation code based on adaptive control, Building Simulation Applications 2015 - 2nd IBPSA-Italy Conference, pages 109-118, Bolzano (Italy), 4-6 February 2015.
- U. Montanaro, M. Tufo, G. Fiengo, M. di Bernardo and S. Santini, On convergence and robustness of the Extended Cooperative Cruise Control, 53rd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, pages 4083-4088, Los Angeles (California-Usa), 14-17 December 2014.
- M. Tufo, G. Fiengo and U. Montanaro, An Integrated Embedded Solution for Driving Support, European Conference on Smart Objects, Systems and Technologies, Dortmund (Germany), 1-2 July 2014.
- U. Montanaro, M. Tufo, Fiengo and S. Santini, A Novel Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Approach: Theory and Hardware in the Loop Experimental Validation, 22nd Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, pages 37-42, Palermo (Italy), 16-19 June 2014.
- U. Montanaro, M. Tufo, G. Fiengo, M. di Bernardo, A. Salvi and S. Santini, Extended Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control, IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium 2014, pages 605 - 610, Dearborn (Michigan, USA) 8-11 June 2014.
- A. S. Valente, U. Montanaro, M. Tufo, A. Salvi, S. Santini, Design of a Platoon Management Strategy and its Hardware-In-the Loop validation, The Second International Workshop on Vehicular Traffic Management for Smart Cities, Seoul (Korea), 8-21 May 2014.
- F. Angulo, M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro, A. Rincon and S. Santini, Adaptive control for state dependent switched systems in Brunovsky form, 12th European Control Conference, pages 3712-3717, Zurich (Switzerland), 17-19 July 2013.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Minimal Control Synthesis Adaptive Control of Continuous Bimodal Piecewise Affine Systems, 51th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC 2012), pages 2637-2642, Maui (Hawaii), 10-13 December 2012.
- M. di Bernardo, S. Santini, A. di Gaeta, C. I. Hoyos Velasco and U. Montanaro, Model-Based Soft Landing Control of an Electromechanical Valve actuator, 5th Annual Dynamic Systems and Control Conference and 11th Motion and Vibration Conference, pages 87-94, Ft. Lauderdale (Florida), 17-19 October 2012
- U. Montanaro, A. di Gaeta and V. Giglio, An MRAC Approach for Tracking and Ripple Attenuation of the Common Rail Pressure for GDI Engines, 18th IFAC World Congress, pages 4173-4180, Milan (Italy) 28 August 2011 – 2 September 2011.
- M. di Bernardo, A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro, J. M. Olm and S. Santini, Discrete-Time MRAC with Minimal Controller Synthesis of an Electronic Throttle Body, 18th IFAC World Congress, pages 5064-5069, Milan (Italy) 28 August 2011 – 2 September 2011.
- A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro and V. Giglio, Idle Speed Control of GDI-SI Engines via ECU-1D Engine Co-Simulation, SAE 2010 Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Meeting, SAE number 2010-01-2220, San Diego, CA, (USA) , 25-27 October 2010.
- A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro, S. Massimino, C. I. Hoyos Velasco, Experimental Investigation of a Double Magnet EMVA at Key-On Engine: a Mechanical Resonance Based Control Strategy, SAE 2010 Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Meeting, SAE number 2010-01-2223, San Diego, CA, (USA) , 25-27 October 2010.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Identification of Hybrid Bimodal Piecewise Affine Systems Via Minimal Control Synthesis Adaptive Control, 8th IFAC Symposium on Nonlinear Control Systems (NOLCOS 2010), pages 356-361, Bologna (Italy), 1-3 September 2010
- M. di Bernardo, C.I Hoyos Velasco, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Experimental Validation of a Novel Adaptive Controller for Piecewise Affine Systems, IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems 2010 (ISCAS 2010), pages 1543-1546, Paris (France), 30 May - 2 June 2010.
- L. Rossi, A. Irace, U. Montanaro, M. Di Bernardo and G. Breglio, Structural Vibration Control of a Cantilever Beam by MRAC method, 2nd International Symposium on Reliability of Optoelectronics For Space (ISROS 2010), Cagliari (Italy), 28-30 April 2010.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Hybrid Minimal Control Synthesis Identification of continuous piecewise linear systems, 48th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC 2009), pages 3188 – 3193, Shanghai (P.R. China), 16-18 December 2009.
- M. di Bernardo, A. di Gaeta, V. Giglio, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Design and Validation of a Novel Model Reference Adaptive Algorithm to Control ETB for Drive-by-wire Applications, SAE 2009 Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Meeting, SAE number 2009-01-1780, Florence (Italy), 15-17 June 2009.
- F. Garofalo, G. Mancini, S. Manfredi, U. Montanaro, M. Pugliese, and S. Santini, A Low-Cost Marine Integrated Navigation System, ENC-GNSS European Navigation Conference, Naples (Italy), 3-6 May 2009.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Novel switched Model Reference Adaptive Control for continuous Piecewise Affine systems, 47th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC 2008), pages 1925-1930, Cancun (Mexico), 9-11 December 2008.
- M. di Bernardo, R. Brancati, U. Montanaro, E. Rocca, R. Russo, S. Santini and F. Timpone, Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Bifurcations, Rattle and Chaos in a Gear Transmission System, The 10th Experimental Chaos Conference, Catania (Italy), 3-6 June 2008.
- R. Alzate, M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, Experimental analysis of chattering, Bifurcation and chaos in an hybrid impacting dynamical system, The 10th Experimental Chaos Conference, Catania (Italy), 3-6 June 2008.
- M. di Bernardo, A. di Gaeta, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, A comparative study of the new LQ-MCS control on an automotive electro-mechanical system, IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems 2008 (ISCAS 2008), pages 552-555, Washington (USA), 18-21 May 2008.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, On a novel hybrid LQ-MCS control scheme. 46th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC 2007), pages 3291-3296, New Orleans (USA), 12-14 December 2007.
- M. di Bernardo, U. Montanaro and S. Santini, On a Novel Hybrid LQ-MCS Control Strategy and its Application to a DC Motor, IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems 2007 (ISCAS 2007), pages 2459-2462, New Orleans (USA), 27-30 May 2007.