Title: Bio-inspired Observability Tools for Active Sensing and Sensor Selection

Abstract: Flying insects have an unexpectedly remarkable sensing capacity. For instance, Drosophila, the fruit fly, can track chemical plumes by estimating the ambient direction without directly measuring it. In this talk, I will introduce the observability tools we developed to better understand the active sensing decisions made by insects and the importance of sensor selections. Specifically, I will address how to determine system observability levels (i.e., estimator performance limits) in the presence of process and/or measurement noise, and for particular state variables, e.g., state of charge or state of health of a battery. I will conclude the talk with potential engineering applications.

Bio: Dr. Burak Boyacıoğlu earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington's (UW) William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2022. He holds a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, a minor in Mechatronics, and a Master's in System Dynamics and Control, all from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ). His research interests include optimal sensor placement and active sensing strategies for highly sensed systems, with applications in biological flight and engineered flight, and space systems. Most recently, he was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and taught a grad-level course for professional students at UW and an undergrad course at İTÜ. He is currently teaching controls courses in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at METU as a visiting scholar.