Keynote speakers

Professor Paul Jennings

Pro Dean Research

WMG, University of Warwick, UK

Presentation Title: Mechatronics and Automated Driving – What next? 

Abstract

There are plentiful opportunities arising from automated driving technologies – societal benefits such as improved accessibility, inclusivity, safety and efficiency, as well as economic impact for the organisations developing the new products and services.

However, research is still required. This talk will discuss the current landscape for mechatronics, as well as the many other complementary disciplines required to fully deliver on all of the promise of this multidisciplinary topic. In particular, it will focus on some of WMG’s current collaborative research on safe autonomy. 

Speaker Bio

Paul is WMG’s Pro Dean for Research. A physicist who has been with WMG for over 30 years working on research with industrial and academic partners, he has built groups in Intelligent Vehicles, Energy Storage and Management, and Experiential Engineering. He has published over 200 academic papers and has been Principal Investigator on over 30 research grants, from sources including EPSRC, Innovate UK and the EU.

Paul and his team deliver research which has a tangible impact on industrial partners' competitiveness. His current research focus is on addressing the opportunities and challenges associated with the introduction of connected and automated mobility. 

Professor Yang Shi

Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 

Director, Mechanical Engineering Dept.

University of Victoria, Canada

Presentation Title: Advanced Model Predictive Control (MPC) Framework for Autonomous Intelligent Mechatronic Systems 

Abstract

Autonomous intelligent mechatronic systems, which lie at the intersection of unmanned systems, robotics, systems and control, multi-agent systems, networked and distributed systems, machine learning, etc. Autonomous intelligent systems are equipped with abilities such as sensing and perception, data processing and information fusion, intelligent decision making, autonomous control, learning and adaption, communications and computation, thus can achieve a high level of autonomy to perform missions without human intervention or can naturally interact and collaborate with humans and/or environment. The fundamental control theory and methods in autonomous intelligent systems are of central importance in orchestrating all related functions. Autonomous control and intelligence can be applied to various systems, e.g., aerial vehicles, marine vehicles, ground robots, space exploration, energy and power systems, transportation and smart city, intelligent agriculture, smart manufacturing, smart health care systems, Internet of Things, etc. Model predictive control (MPC) is a promising paradigm for high-performance and cost-effective control of autonomous intelligent systems. This talk will firstly summarize the major application requirements and challenges to innovate in designing, implementing, deploying and operating autonomous intelligent systems. Further, the robust resilient MPC and distributed MPC design framework will be presented. Finally, the application of MPC algorithms to various autonomous intelligent systems will be illustrated. 

Speaker Bio

Yang SHI is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. His research interests include networked and distributed systems, model predictive control (MPC), cyber-physical systems (CPS), robotics and mechatronics, navigation and control of autonomous systems (AUV and UAV), and energy system applications.

On teaching and mentorship, Dr. Shi received the University of Saskatchewan Student Union Teaching Excellence Award in 2007, the Faculty of Engineering Teaching Excellence Award in 2012 at the University of Victoria (UVic), and the 2023 REACH Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Supervision and Mentorship. On research, he is the recipient of the JSPS Invitation Fellowship (short-term) in 2013, the UVic Craigdarroch Silver Medal for Excellence in Research in 2015, the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers in 2018, the CSME Mechatronics Medal (2023), the IEEE Dr.-Ing. Eugene Mittelmann Achievement Award (2023), the 2024 IEEE Canada Outstanding Engineer Award, and the 2025 David H. Turpin Gold Medal for Career Achievement in Research (UVic).

He served as a Vice-President on Conference Activities of IEEE IES (2022-2025) and the Chair of IEEE IES Technical Committee on Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems. Currently, he is IFAC Council Member and Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. He also serves as Associate Editor for Automatica, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Annual Review in Controls, etc.

He is a Fellow of Royal Society of Canada (RSC), Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), IEEE, ASME, CSME, and a registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia, Canada.