Invited Speakers

Kamran Iqbal, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA

 

Professor Kamran Iqbal obtained his BE in Aeronautical Engineering from NED University, and his MS, MBA and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Ohio State University. He has held academic appointments at College or Aeronautical Engineering, GIK Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Northwestern University, California State University at Fullerton, University of California, Riverside, University of California, Irvine, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he currently serves as Professor of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering. His research interests include neuromechanics and motor control of human movement, biomedical signal and image processing, renewable energy, mechatronics, and machine learning. He is a senior life member of IEEE (USA), and member of IET (UK). He has regularly served as program evaluator for ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. He is author of three monographs, 50 journal papers and over 100 conference publications

 

(Onsite Talk) Speech Title: LQR-PID Controller Design for a Biomechanical Model of Human Postural Control
Abstract: Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) design technique is well established in the optimal control theory and has been widely used in applications. In particular, LQR approach was proposed for optimal tuning of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for low-order plus time-delay industrial process models. The PID control strategy has been widely employed to simulate neural controllers in model-based studies of human balance control. In this talk, we will discuss the design of an LQR tuned PID controller for a physiologically motivated model of human postural control. The biomechanical model includes a rigid inverted pendulum representation of a standing human supported by dual muscle-like actuators. The model additionally employs proprioceptive feedback from muscle spindle (MS) and golgi tendon organ (GTO) sensors with physiological latencies in neural pathways. The activation commands to the muscle-like actuators are generated by the optimally tuned LQR-PID controller. Computer simulations involving model response to reference and disturbance inputs demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed controller. Finally, the LQR-PID tuning technique can be extended to more complex neuro-mechanical models of human movement.

Ismail Hakkı Altas, Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey

 
İsmail H. Altaş was born in Ispir, Erzurum, Türkiye. Received his B.Sc.E in Electrical Engineering from Kocaeli Engineering faculty of Yıldız University, and M.Sc.E from Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), Türkiye, in 1985 and 1988, respectively. He obtained his PhD degree from the University of New Brunswick, Canada, in 1993.
He is currently a full time Professor in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department at Karadeniz Technical University. He was awarded as the best outstanding faculty member in engineering for the year 1997 at KTU. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of the Chamber of Electrical Engineers in Türkiye.
His research areas are on modelling and control of power systems, renewable energy systems, microgrids, automatic control, fuzzy logic control and fuzzy decision-making.
He is the author of the book "Fuzzy Logic Control in Energy Systems with Applications in Matlab®/Simulink" published by IET in 2017.
He has published more than 200 journal and conference papers and managed various research projects.
He runs Sustainable Energy Utilization Laboratory (SEUL) with his Power, Energy and Control Research Group (POWENCON) at KTU.

 

(Online Talk) Speech Title: Microgrids: The Future of Electrical Distribution
Abstract: A microgrid consist of subsections as electrical power generatiom units, distribution system apparatus, power electronics converters, energy storage devices, consumtion devices, data transmission, filtering for power quality, management system, communication, controller and cyber security. Similar to the conventional power systems, the generation and consumption must be kept in balanced condition for the stability in microgrids. Both generation and consumption have to be managed and controlled. A good energy or power management system starts with correct and usable data before the actions are taken. Therefore, the forecasting of the energy to be generated from renewable sources at least one day ahead are very important in order to plan and determine the supply and consumption amounts and locations for energy efficiency and sustainabilkity. It has been clear that the cybersecurity issues gain importance since any misguided or altered data cause the system to collapse and become inoperable.
The distributed power sources located in a microgrid district have different operating characteristics. Some of them have DC voltage out, some of them have AC output. However, the common power grid has to be either DC or AC. This means that there might be two types of microgrids in terms of operating voltage as AC microgirids and DC microgrids. The power sources with different characteristics need a point of common coupling (PCC) to be connected to each other. This PCC would be either a common DC bus or an AC bus. Hence, power electronic interface devices are required to connect the distributed power sources to PCC.
With increasing integration of renewable energy sources and energy storage devices to the microgrid systems increases the use of power electronics components in power distribution. If control, energy management system and data transmission are included in microgrid network, the grid turns to an electronic system with data transmission and communication network besides the power distribution. The developments show that the future electrical power grids are being converted to a new structure with new problems to be solved.

 

 

Hakan Hocaoğlu, Istanbul Trade University, Turkey

Mehmet Hakan Hocaoğlu received the Ph.D. degree from the Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, U.K., in 1999. From 1999 to 2021, he worked with the Electronics Engineering Department, Gebze Technical University, Turkey. Since 2021, he has been with the Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering, Istanbul Ticaret University, Turkey, where he is currently a Full Professor. His research interests include power systems, power quality, earthing, and renewable energy.

(Onsite Talk) Speech Title: EMTP-ATP Draw Modelling for Partial Discharge
Abstract: Underground cables play a vital role in distribu-tion systems in order to provide uninterrupted power delivery. Therefore, underground cable monitoring is a critical task for distribution system pperators (DSOs). During the operation, the insulation of the underground cable has been deteriorated. Thus, partial discharges (PDs) may occur through the insulation layers. It is wise to detect and locate the PDs before severe insulation breakdowns. In this study, comprehensive EMPT-ATP Draw simulations have been carried out in a representative cable system using simulated sensors. Simulation results in EMPT-ATP Draw demonstrate highly accurate prediction (within 0.1%) of PDs’ positions using modeled sensors on cables exceeding 1200m. As a future work, the system will be implemented in a real distribution system for continuous live monitoring.

 

 

Muhammad Akmal Chaudhary, Ajman University, UAE

 

Muhammad Akmal Chaudhary received the master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and electronic engineering from Cardiff University, Cardiff, U.K., in 2007 and 2011, respectively, and the M.B.A. degree in leadership and corporate governance from the Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, U.K., in 2022. Before joining Ajman University, United Arab Emirates, in October 2012, he held a postdoctoral research position with the Centre for High-Frequency Engineering, Cardiff University. He is currently an Associate Professor of electrical engineering with Ajman University, United Arab Emirates. His research interests include nonlinear device characterization, spectrum-efficient power amplifiers, nonlinear measurement techniques, and microwave electronics have resulted in more than 120 academic articles.

Dr Chaudhary is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, U.K. and a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council, U.K.

(Online Talk) Speech Title: Modeling of Printed Radio Frequency Switch using Artificial Neural Networks

Abstract: A globally optimized behavioral modeling algorithm using cascaded feed-forward neural network in conjugation with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for fully printed VO2 based Radio Frequency (RF) switches is presented. The proposed model uses varied set of operating conditions including geometric dimensions and operating temperature over a frequency range of 0.01 to 33 GHz. The modeling algorithm enables flexibility in selecting the optimized hyperparameters such as number of neurons in each hidden layer, and activation function at each layer. The developed model is tested for both interpolation and frequency extrapolation cases up to 40 GHz to establish the validity and robustness of the modeling algorithm. An excellent agreement between the measured and the modeled performance over a broad frequency range demonstrates a good generalization capability and successful model development strategy. The proposed model is then evaluated within a commercial circuit simulator using Keysight’s Advanced Design System to demonstrate its usefulness in RF circuit design. 

Ala Khalifeh, German Jordanian University, Jordan

 

Dr. Khalifeh is currently the President Advisor for campus life at the German Jordanian University, where he also serves as an associate professor at the Electrical Eng. Department at the German Jordanian University (GJU). Dr. Khalifeh received his Bachelor and master’s degrees from the University of Jordan in 2001, 2004, respectively, after that; Dr. Khalifeh received the prestigious Fulbright scholarship in 2005, which enabled him to pursue his PhD degree from the University of California- Irvine in the US, Dr. Khalifeh was appointed as vice-dean for the Deanship of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship (DI-TECH) till Sep 2023. In 2021, Dr. Khalifeh became a fellow in the leader of innovation fellowship program (LIF), managed by the Royal academy of Engineering- UK. During his service at GJU, he was awarded three distinguished prizes, the first one is the GJU excellence award for research, which was awarded to him in 2023, due to his contributions in applied research. The second award entitled as GJU excellence award for industrial collaboration, which was granted to him due in 2016 to his efforts in establishing connections with the industry. The third award is the GJU excellence award for research, which was awarded to him in 2015, due to his contributions in applied research. Furthermore, In 2015, Dr. Khalifeh received the Arab-American frontiers of science, engineering, and medicine fellowship. In addition, Dr. Khalifeh is active in voluntary and service work, as he served as the IEEE Communication Society chapter chair- Jordan section from 2014-2017, the IEEE Secretary-General Activities, GJU IEEE student branch councilor from 2017-2019. Recently, he was elected as the IEEE Jordan section Chair for the period from 2020 to 2021 and re-elected for another round 2022-2023. Furthermore, Dr. Khalifeh has been recently awarded the Young AFCEA 40 under 40 international award from AFCEA-USA for his significant contributions in a technical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field by providing innovation, thought leadership, and support to the Jordanians clients and organizations using information technology (IT). In the past period, Dr. Khalifeh has been awarded several research grants, where he used it to verify the research results by having prepared a prototype of the developed research work, from which he started several entrepreneurial activities and work. Dr. Khalifeh’s research is in the field of Internet of Things (IoT), Wireless sensor networks, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud computing. He has published more than 130 Scopus indexed conference and Journal papers.

 

(Online Talk) Speech Title: The Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligent Integration and Applications

Abstract: The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents  invaluable opportunities for revolutionizing various aspects of our lives and shaping the future of technology. By combining these two cutting-edge technologies, we can unlock a myriad of potential applications in real-life scenarios that can enhance efficiency, optimize processes, and improve overall user experiences. From smart homes and autonomous vehicles to healthcare systems and industrial automation, the seamless integration of IoT and AI opens up a new world of possibilities for innovation and advancement in diverse fields. Through this integration, we can harness the power of connected devices, data analytics, and intelligent algorithms to create transformative solutions that address complex challenges and drive progress in our increasingly digital world. In this talk, we will shed the light on the myriad applications and scenarios that utilizes both IoT and AI technologies while discussing the challenges faced on these technologies and the potential solutions.

 

 

 

Tufan Kumbasar, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey

 

Tufan Kumbasar received the B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Control and Automation Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Türkiye. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Control and Automation Engineering Department and the Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems (AI2S) Laboratory, Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, ITU, Türkiye. His major research interests are in computational intelligence, notably type-2 fuzzy logic, fuzzy control, neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, and intelligent systems. He is also interested in robotics, machine learning, intelligent control, and their real-world applications. He has served as a Publication Co-Chair, Panel Session Co-Chair, Special Session Co-Chair, PC, IPC, and TPC in various international and national conferences. Dr. Kumbasar is an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems and an Area Editor for the International Journal of Approximate Reasoning.
Dr. Kumbasar received the Best Paper Awards from the IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems in 2015, and from the 6th International Conference on Control Engineering and Information Technology in 2018. He is the recipient of the ODTÜ Mustafa N. Parlar Research and Education Foundation Research Incentive Award in 2020, the Turkish Academy of Sciences Outstanding Young Scientists Award in 2021, the Istanbul Technical University Young Scientists Achievement Award in 2022, IEEE Turkey Research Incentive Award in 2022, and the Science Academy Young Scientist Award in 2023.

 

(Online Talk) Speech Title: Back to the Future: Synergizing Fuzzy and Conventional Control

Abstract: In this talk, we revisit the fuzzy control system design problem with the motto “Fuzzy versus with Conventional Control”, inspired by L.A. Zadeh's statement in the famous debate “Some Crisp Thoughts on the Fuzzy versus Conventional Control”. This talk will introduce the basic concepts of type-1 and type-2 fuzzy logic control and present simple yet effective design methods. I will explain how and why fuzzy logic control is an efficient way to enhance the performance of conventional control systems in real-world environments and applications that face high levels of uncertainties and nonlinearities. The talk will showcase various successful applications of fuzzy logic control with real-time settings such as in Computer Games, UAVs, PMSMs, and Pursuit-Evasion Games.