Curriculum Vitae

Ian Postlethwaite was born in Wigan, England. He received a First Class BSc (Eng) degree in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London University in 1975, and the PhD degree in Control Engineering from St Catharine's College, Cambridge University in 1978.

From 1978 to 1981 he was a Research Fellow at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University and spent six months at General Electric Company, Schenectady, USA. Also, from 1978-1980, he simultaneously held an EPSRC (then SRC) Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.  In 1981, he was appointed to a Lectureship in Engineering Science at Oxford University and to a Tutorial Fellowship at Oriel College. In 1988, he moved to a Chair of Engineering at the University of Leicester where he was Head of Department from 1995-2004 and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for External Affairs then Research, 2005-2009. In 2010, he joined Northumbria University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor. He has held visiting research positions at the Australian National University (1987-88) and the University of California at Berkeley (1994) and made many shorter research visits to major groups around the world.

His research involves theoretical contributions to the field of robust multivariable control and the application of advanced control system design to engineering systems. He is interested in the underlying principles of control and how they can be used to develop, from a strong theoretical foundation, practical design methods for practising control engineers.  For this reason, he has been keen to take his research through to industrial trials. In 1997, his team designed and successfully flight-tested an H  controller on a fly-by-wire helicopter - a world first! Subsequent work has led to level-1 flying qualities in all test manoeuvres, achieved in June 2004. This represents a major technical achievement in the development of fly-by-wire helicopter control systems that can significantly reduce pilot workload. He and co-researchers have pioneered the development of a new framework for compensating controllers when actuators saturate or hit rate limits. This work is important for a wide range of applications, including the reduction of pilot-induced oscillations (PIOs) in aircraft and the improved performance of high-density hard-disk drives. The PIO work was demonstrated in flight in Braunschweig in 2006 and 2007 on the German Aerospace Centre's  Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft (ATTAS), and the hard-disk drive work was tested in Singapore in 2002 and 2005 in collaboration with the A*STAR Data Storage Institute. His group at Leicester was selected by BAE Systems to be their Academic Capability Partner in Control Systems (along with Imperial College). He was a member of the Rotorcraft DARP (Defence and Aerospace Partnership) and has regularly participated in GARTEUR (Group for Aeronautical Research and Technology in EURope) action groups.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (2006), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (2001), the Institution of Engineering and Technology (1993) and the Institute of Measurement and Control (1997).

He has published more than 400 refereed papers and co-authored 3 graduate textbooks, including the highly regarded Multivariable Feedback Control (Wiley, 1996 and 2005), which has received more than 2600 citations (Google Scholar).

He has supervised 22 successful PhDs and co-supervised 10. He has received more than £7 million for his research from EPSRC, BBSRC, ESA, the EU, Government and Industry. This includes two EPSRC Platform grants, which are special awards for world-class groups.

During his period as Head of Department, Engineering at Leicester enjoyed considerable success and became one of the best General Engineering Departments in the UK. As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for External Affairs (2005-2007) he had special responsibility for External Affairs, including international recruitment, regional development and widening participation. As Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research (2007-2009) he had responsibility for research, business development and regional activities. Under his leadership the University of Leicester achieved record levels of research awards, research income and research grant applications. As Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Northumbria he has a major role to play in delivering the University's Corporate Strategy. In 2010, he led a fundamental review into Northumbria's academic provision. This resulted in several key recommendations in the areas of academic quality, research capacity and postgraduate activities. In 2011, he led a Programme Charges Group to determine Northumbria's fees to be charged under the new funding system in HE. Outside of university life he has held a number of important professional positions, e.g. council member of European Union Control Association (1994-2003); member of IEE Council (1999-2002); member of the National Advisory Committee on Avionics and Flight Systems (1999-2005); deputy-chair of the General Engineering and Mineral & Mining Engineering Panel in RAE 2001 and RAE 2008; chair of the international programme committee of the European Control Conference 2003; member of the UKIERI (UK-India Education and Research Initiative) evaluation panels in 2006 and 2007; Board member of the Leicester Regeneration Company, 2006-2009; Board member of  Leicester Games 2009 Ltd (Special Olympics), 2008-2009. He is currently chair of the Research Advisory Board of the MOD-funded Defence Technology Centre in Systems Engineering for Autonomous Systems, a post he has held since 2005; a member of EPSRC's Engineering Strategic Advisory Team; a Board member of RTC North; a steering group member of the Royal Academy of Engineering's programme on Research Exchanges with China and India; and chair of the steering group for the EPSRC Programme Grant on Control for Energy and Sustainability.

Taiwan (1990) at invitation of National Science Council of Taiwan.

China (1991) at invitation of Tsinghua University, Beijing.

France (1991) at INRIA, the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique.

India (1998): Workshop on Learning Control and Hybrid Systems, Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics, Bangalore.

Macedonia (1998): EU Workshop on Control of Complex Systems.

Belgium (1999): Keynote speaker at Workshop on Identification and Control of Complex Systems.

London (1999): IEE Master Class on Advances in Control Technology.

USA (2000): Series of talks and meetings at NASA Glenn Research Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, NASA Langley Research Center, Case Western Reserve University - supported by USA European Office of Aerospace Research and Development under Windows on Science Scheme.

Ireland (2003): Plenary speaker at Irish Signals and Systems Conference, Limerick.

France (2006): Plenary speaker at 5th IFAC Symposium on Robust Control Design, Toulouse, July, 2006.

Pakistan (2007): Keynote speaker on Robust Control Applications at 5th International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences & Technology, Islamabad, 8-11 January, 2007.

London (2010): Annual UK Automatic Control Council and IMechE lecture, March 2010.

London (2010): Keynote speaker at British Council Workshop on UK-USA Higher Education Partnerships, May 2010.

International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, 1991-1999.

Journal of Mathematical Systems and Control, 1991-93.

Proc. of Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part I: J of Systems and Control Engineering, 1992-1996.

European Journal of Control, 1994-1999.

Archives of Control Sciences, 2011-present.

Imperial College Scholarship, 1973 and 1974.

Willis Jackson Memorial Medal and Prize, for excellence in final year studies, Imperial College, 1975.

O Hugo Shuck Award (Honourable Mention) from the American Control Council, 1980.

IEE (now IET) FC Williams Premium, 1991: for paper published in IEE Proceedings.

Runner up, 1999 IFAC Triennial Control Engineering Textbook Prize.

Fellow of IEEE, 2001, by election with citation "For contributions to multivariable control design and to control engineering education".

The Sir Harold Hartley Medal, 2001, of the Institute of Measurement and Control for contributions to the technology of measurement and control of outstanding merit.

IFAC Control Engineering Practice Prize Paper Award, 2002: for outstanding applications paper published in the IFAC Journal of Control Engineering Practice over the period 1999-2002.

Japanese Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (SICE) Annual Conference "Best International Author Award" for 2005.

Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, 2006.

The Heaviside Medal of the IET for achievement in control, 2007.

IFAC Automatica Prize Paper Award, 2008: best paper published in Automatica over the period 2005-2008 in the applications category.

Principal Investigator (PI) unless stated otherwise

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) (formerly Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC))

• £42,000 "The development and assessment of multivariable techniques for designing robust feedback control systems", (1-1-84 to 28-2-87).
• £45,629 "An H  approach to control system design", (1-1-86 to 30-9-89).
• £50,810 "Industrial Application of H  Control Systems Design and Computational Improvements", (1-7-87 to 31-12-90).
• £46,000 "Computer Aided Control System Design" (1-10-88 to 30-5-90) - Equipment.
• £74,400 "Intelligent Robot Control Using an integrated H / Adaptive Two Degree-of-Freedom Controller", (9-10-89 to 8-10-92).
• £79,993 SERC, £15,000 GEC Electrical Projects Ltd "Multivariable Control of a Modern High Performance Tandem Cold Rolling Mill", (1-10-90 to 30-9-93).
• £78,599 "A mixed optimization approach to robust control system design" (1-11-91 to 28-2-95) with Dr D-W Gu.
• £58,401 SERC, £20,000 Lucas  Aerospace "High performance aero engine control and monitoring systems" with Dr D-W Gu and Dr S K Spurgeon.  In collaboration with Universities of Southampton and Strathclyde; Total grant value: £339,204 (1-2-92 to 20-7-95)
• £149,179 "Robust nonlinear H /Adaptive control & robot manipulator motion" (1-12-92 to 31-5-96).
• £138,283 "An Expert System for Robust Control System  Design" with Dr D.-W.  Gu, (1-11-93 to 28-2-97).
• £149,038 ROPA: "Nonlinear Performance Evaluation  and the Design of Multivariable Anti-Windup and  Bumpless-Transfer Controllers" (1-1-95 to 31-3-98)
• £252,007 "Nonlinear controller design through the enhancement of linear based controllers" with Dr D J Walker (1996-1999).  Collaborators: DERA Bedford, GKN Westland Helicopters, Canadian Fight Research Labs Ottawa.
• £343,973 "The Development of an Intelligent Knowledge-Based System for Supervisory Control of Rolling Mills" (1/9/98 to 31/8/2001).  Collaborators: VAI Industries (formerly Kvaerner Metals), Alcoa (formerly British Aluminum Plate). Extended by one year with grant below. 
• £52,062  "Aerospace Control Network"  (1998-2001)
• £15,420 "Helicopter flight control tests" with Dr D J Walker (27/7/98 to 26/4/99).  Collaborators: DERA Bedford, GKN Westland Helicopters, Canadian Flight Research Labs Ottawa.
• £207,276 "Controller conditioning for systems with nonlinear actuators" (30/8/99 to 29/8/2002)
• £22,324 EPSRC-JREI, £13,407 Perkins Technology, £12,000 University of Leicester "Diesel system control and diagnosis to improve reliability, fuel economy, emissions, partial load and transient response" with Prof N B Jones (PI) and Dr J A M Bleijs (1/1/99 to 31/12/2001)
• £446,826 EPSRC - Platform Grant, "Integrated Control Systems, High Performance Control & Implementation Issues for Aerospace Applications" (1/1/99 to 31/12/2003) Collaborators: DERA Bedford, GKN Westland Helicopters, Canadian Flight Research Labs Ottawa.
• £88,900 EPSRC - JREI, £88,125 DERA - Bedford, £4,000 University of Leicester. "Integrated flight control systems for improved performance, reduced pilot workload and higher fuel efficiency" with Dr D J Walker and Dr D G Bates (1/4/00 to 31/8/01).
• £29,861 "Further Development of an Expert System for the Supervisory Control of rolling Mills" (1/9/2001 to 31/8/2002).
• £174,964 EPSRC/MOD/DTI  DARP 2002 Initiative "Towards robust and cost effective approaches to rotorcraft design" with Dr M C Turner (2003-2008). Collaborators: Rotorcraft DARP led by GKN Westland Helicopters.
• £17,227 supplement to above DARP project.
• £232,037 "Stabilisation and Performance Enhancement in the Presence of Nonlinearly Constrained Signals" with Dr M C Turner (23/09/03 to 22/04/07).
• £344,665 "New analysis techniques for non-linear systems with application to the clearance of flight control laws for highly augmented aircraft" with Dr DG Bates (PI), (01/01/04 to 31/01/07). 
• £417,611 "BAE Systems Integrated Programme of Research in Aeronautical Engineering" with Dr Da-Wei Gu (2004 - 2009). Leicester's share of multi-university project.
• £63,000 supplement to previous grant for project student and support costs.
• £56,386 "Summer School: Mathematics for Robust and Nonlinear Control Systems" with Professor Sarah Spurgeon (2005-2006).
• £692,353 "BAE Systems Integrated Programme of Research in Systems Engineering - Are you prepared for NEC" (2005-2010). Leicester's share of multi-university project.
• £36,677 Supplement to previous grant "Novel experiments of real-time reconfiguration of networked systems on collaborative missions in uncertain environments" with Dr Da-Wei Gu (2007-2008).
• £4,914,920 "The Systems Engineering Doctorate Centre". Consortium of 5 universities: Bath, Leicester, Loughborough (lead partner), Queens Belfast, Strathclyde (2005-2009).
• £434,577 EPSRC - Platform Grant, "Control of Complex Systems" with Leicester Control Group (2005-2010).
• £95,364 Industrial Case: £60,864 (EPSRC), £22,500 (BAE Systems), £12,000 (TRWconekt) with Dr Da-Wei Gu (PI) (2006-2009).
• £232,772 "Delivering sustainable water systems … Project NEPTUNE" with Dr Emmanuel Prempain. Integrated EPSRC programme with Yorkshire Water, ABB and United Utilities. Leicester's share of multi-university project (2007-2010). 
• £16,085 EngD support "New techniques for unmanned air vehicles in complex low level environments" (2007-2011).
• £70,000 Phase 2 supplement to "BAE Systems Integrated Programme of Research in Aeronautical Engineering" with Dr Da-Wei Gu (2008 - 2009). 

BBSRC

• £341,407 "Analysis of biochemical network models using robust control theory" with Dr DG Bates (PI) Dr J Kim and Professor P Heslop-Harrison, (2006-2009).

DTI/BAE Systems

• £110,157 DTI/BAE Systems "ASTRAEA - Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation Assessment" with Dr DW Gu (2006-2008).

Technology Strategy Board

• £217,325 TSB "Rotor Embedded Actuator Control Technology- REACT", with Dr Matthew Turner (PI) in collaboration with Augusta Westland and the Universities of Bristol and Liverpool (2007-2010).

EPSRC/DTI TCS (now KTP)

• £95,776 "Soaking pit optimisation in rolling mills" in collaboration with Alcoa UK
        (60% support), (6/10/03-5/10/05).
• £23,174 "Supervisory control of rolling mills using knowledge-based systems" in collaboration with Alcoa UK (60% support) and jointly with Reading University (total grant £92,696), (2003 - 2005).

British Council - UKIERI

• £549,345 "Towards reliable smart adaptable air vehicles", with Indian partners: IISc, Bangalore; National Aerospace Labs, Bangalore; IIT Mumbai; NIT, Tiruchirappalli; with Dr DW Gu and Control Group (2007-2011).

MOD, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (formerly DRA formerly RAE), Bedford

• £16,000 "Control system design for helicopters in manoeuvring flight", CASE award, (1983-86).
• £11,000 "Helicopter performance criteria and optimal control", CASE award, (1985-88).
• £60,000 "H  design and the Improvement of Helicopter Handling Qualities", (1987-1989).
• £77,498 "High Performance Full Authority Active Control System Design for a Lynx Helicopter" (1989-92).
• £5,000 + contribution to student "Advanced multivariable control law design for future ACT rotorcraft", CASE award, 1993-95.
• £62,549 "Design of robust integrated flight and propulsion control systems" (1995-1997)
• £18,968 "Engine control laws and airframe integration (IFPCS design)" (1/9/97 - 31/3/98)
• £20,003 "Development of IFPCS Control Laws for the Spey/WEM Model" with Dr D Bates (1/6/98 -30/11/98)

MBDA

• £178,093 "Scheduling of dynamic controllers" with Dr E Prempain (PI) and Dr M Turner (2008-2011).

European Space Agency (ESA)

• £36,956 (55,000 Euros) "Robust LPV gain scheduling techniques for space applications" with DG Bates (PI), E Prempain and P Menon in collaboration with DEIMOS Space, Madrid and the Technical University of Delft (2007-2008).
• £29,330 (33,000 Euros) "Worst case analysis for autonomous satellite rendezvous" with DG Bates (PI) and P Menon (2008-2009).

John Hobley Trust

• £250,000 "The John Hobley Solar Array" with Dr H Bleijs (PI)  (1/11/2003 - 30/4/2005)

University of Oxford, University Grants Committee

• £53,000 Equipment (1987)

Royal Society

• £22,000 "Robust Control System Design using µ- Synthesis" (1993-96).  Joint project with Harbin Institute of Technology, China.  Co-investigator: Dr Da-Wei Gu.

Taiwan Government

• £3,000 Equipment, 1986.

The Commission of the European Communities

• 15,800 ECU (£10,650 approx)  "Computational Methods, Algorithms and Programs for Multivariable Systems Analysis and Design (1993).
• 46,000 ECU (£31,000 approx) "Simultaneous H  feedback stabilization", TMR Fellowship, 1/10/97 to 30/9/98.

Philips Licht GmbH

• 320,000 DM (£121,378) "Robust Control System Design"; Grant-in-aid of research 1990-94.

British Gas

• £39,962 + approved travelling "Nonlinear control system  design and analysis for heating plant", PhD Studentship, (1-10-91 to 30-9-94)  with Dr D-W Gu and Dr S K Spurgeon.

European Gas Turbines/DTI

• £85,000 "Development of an Advanced Traction and Braking Controller" (07-02-94 to 24-04-96)

NATO (Linkage grant with Professor Petkov,  Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria)

• 826,000 Belgium Francs  "Development of Numerical Methods and Software for H  Controller Design" (01-07-94 to 30-06-96).  Supplement 105,000 Belgium Francs Total: £19,189.

Davy International

• £6,000 + contribution to student "Intelligent and adaptive set-up algorithms for metal forming processes", CASE award, 1993-1996.

Kvaerner Metals

• £6000 + contribution to student "An expert system for real-time fault diagnosis of metal processing", CASE Award, 1996-99

Matra British Aerospace Dynamics (UK) Ltd

• £5,000 "Robust guidance loop control", Sept-Dec 1996, with Dr C Edwards.
• £13,000 "Integrated autopilot design software", (1/8/97 to 31/12/97).
• £10,000 "Further development of autopilot design software" (1/7/98 - 31/12/98).
• £10,000 "Study of autopilot design for an asymmetric airframe using LMI/LPV methods", August - December 1999.

Telescopic Technologies Ltd

• £13,200 "Robust control and modelling for high performance telescopes", Industrial CASE, with Dr M.C. Turner, 2002 - 2005.

Donations Received 

• 1990: Tetrabot (tetrahedral robot) from GEC Alsthom, Engineering Research Centre.  Design and build cost approx.  £120,000.
• 1992: Automotive Engine and Control Unit from Rover Cars Ltd.

Applications

1. United Kingdom Patent Application No. 0914516.0
University of Leicester & BAE Systems plc
IP Title: Fuzzy Inference Apparatus and Methods, Systems and Apparatuses Using Such Inference Methods
Short Title: NEURO-FUZZY SYSTEM WITH ONLINE OPTIMISATION

2. European Patent Application No. 09168221.1
University of Leicester & BAE Systems plc
IP Title: Fuzzy Inference Apparatus and Methods, Systems and Apparatuses using such Inference Apparatus
Short Title: NEURO-FUZZY SYSTEM WITH ONLINE OPTIMISATION

3. European Patent Application No. 09168220.3
University of Leicester & BAE Systems
IP Title: Fuzzy Inference Apparatus and Methods, Systems and Apparatuses using such Inference Apparatus
Short Title: FUZZY INFERENCE BY VECTOR ADDITION