Thanh-Son Dao Ph.D., MASc.

Post-Doctoral Fellow
Motion Research Group
Systems Design Engineering

Office: DC-2631
Phone: (519) 888-4567 x 38786
Email: tsdao [at] engmail [dot] uwaterloo [dot] ca

Bio:

I grew up in Vietnam where I received my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hanoi University of Technology in 2001. In 2003, I moved to Taiwan to pursue my Master's in Mechatronics at Da-Yeh University.

I studied toward my Ph.D. in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. My supervisors were Dr. Chris Clark and Dr. Jan Huissoon. My Ph.D. research involved developing a new technology that allows the exchange of information and collaboration between vehicles to improve road safety and increase traffic throughput.

I now work as a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

In my spare time, I like hanging around with my family - my wife Jen, my son Andrew, and my daughter Ivy.

Research:

The main objective of my current research, funded by NSERC/Toyota/Maplesoft, is to develop new methods for modeling physical systems, which will speed up the design and prototyping of new automotive products. More specifically, the goal is to develop algorithms that will automatically generate models for multi-domain systems, such as powertrains and hybrid electric vehicles, in a mathematical form that can easily be shared between automotive engineers. This will be accomplished using linear graph theory and symbolic computing.

The second goal is to reduce the size and complexity of these models, again using graph theory and symbolic computing, so that they can be directly used to drive real-time applications such as hardware-in-the-loop simulations.

The third main goal of this research is to symbolically compute design sensitivities from the math-based models, and to use these sensitivities in new algorithms for the optimization of system parameters, controllers, and structures. These algorithms will be a combination of gradient-based methods and genetic algorithms, with linear graph theory used to guide the exploration for new and better designs.

Education:

  • BASc, Mechanical Engineering
    Hanoi University of Technology, Vietnam, 2001

  • MASc, Mechanical Engineering
    Da-Yeh University, Taiwan ROC, 2005

  • PhD, Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering
    University of Waterloo, Canada, 2008

Courses Taught:

Publications:

  • Journal articles:

    1. Design and Implementation of Markov-Based Lane Localization System. Dao, T.-S., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE Trans. on Automation Science and Engineering, 2009. [Conditionally accepted]

    2. Markov-Based Lane Positioning Using Intervehicle Communication. Dao, T.-S., Leung, K.Y.K., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE Trans. on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 641-650, Dec 2007. ISSN: 1524-9050. (The research in this publication is also highlighted at PhysOrg.com)

    3. Genetic Fuzzy Control for Path-Tracking of an Autonomous Robotic Bicycle. Chen, C.-K., and Dao, T.-S., J. of System Design and Dynamics, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 536-547, 2007. ISSN: 1881-3046.

    4. Fuzzy Control for Equilibrium and Roll-angle Tracking of an Unmanned Bicycle. Chen, C.-K., and Dao, T.-S., J. of Multibody System Dynamics, Springer, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 321-346, May 2006. ISSN: 1384-5640.

    5. Turning Dynamics and Equilibrium of Two-wheeled Vehicles. Chen, C.-K., Dao, T.-S., and Yang, C.-K., Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 377-387, 2005. ISSN: 1738-494X.

  • Articles under review:

    1. A Decentralized Approach to Lane Routing Using Collaborative Driving Coordination. Dao, T.-S., Huissoon, J.P., and Clark, C.M.,  IEEE Trans. on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2008. [Under review]

    2. A Strategy for Optimization of Cooperative Platoon Formation. Dao, T.-S., Huissoon, J.P., and Clark, C.M.,  Int. J. Vehicle Information and Communication Systems, 2008. [Under review]

  • Conference articles:

    1. Face Detection and Tracking Using Skin Color Segmentation. Le, H.-X., and Dao, T.-S., KICSS2008, Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec 22-23, 2008.

    2. Realtime Experiments in Markov-Based Lane Position Estimation Using Wireless Ad-Hoc Network. Dao, T.-S., Ng, L., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE IV'08, Eindhoven, Netherlands, June 4-6, 2008.

    3. Distributed Platoon Assignment and Lane Selection for Traffic Flow Optimization. Dao, T.-S., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE IV'08, Eindhoven, Netherlands, June 4-6, 2008.

    4. Optimized Lane Assignment Using Inter-Vehicle Communication. Dao, T.-S., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE IV'07, Istanbul, Turkey, June 13-15, 2007, pp. 1217-1222.

    5. Cooperative Lane Assignment Optimization on an Automated Highway. Dao, T.-S., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., ACGM2007, Niagara Falls, Canada, Apr 29-May 1, 2007.

    6. Co-operative Lane-Level Positioning Using Markov Localization. Dao, T.-S., Leung, K.Y.K., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE ITSC 2006, Toronto, Canada, September 17-20, 2006, pp. 1006-1011.

    7. Development of a Microscopic Traffic Simulator for Inter-Vehicle Communication Application Research. Leung, K.Y.K., Dao, T.-S., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., IEEE ITSC 2006, Toronto, Canada, September 17-20, 2006, pp. 1286-1291.

    8. Geographic Information System Estimation Using Inter-Vehicle Communication. Leung, K.Y.K., Dao, T.-S., Clark, C.M., and Huissoon, J.P., MX2006, Penn State, USA, June 19-21, 2006.

    9. Genetic Fuzzy Control for Path-Tracking for an Autonomous Robotic Bicycle. Chen, C.-K., and Dao, T.-S., ACMD06, Tokyo, Japan, August 1-4, 2006.

    10. Dynamics and Path-tracking Control of an Unmanned Bicycle. Chen, C.-K., and Dao, T.-S., The 5th ASME International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics and Control, MSNDC-2005, California, September 24-28, 2005.

    11. A Fuzzy Control Approach to Path-tracking of Autonomous Bicycles. Chen, C.-K., and Dao, T.-S., Automation 2005, May 4-6, 2005, Taichung, Taiwan.

    12. A General Approach to the Dynamics of Mobile Manipulators. Dao, V.-H., and Dao, T.-S., ICMT 2004, November 8-12, 2004, Hanoi, Vietnam, pp. 155-160.

    13. Turning Dynamics of Two-wheeled Vehicles. Chen, C.-K., Yang, C.-K., and Dao, T.-S., ACMD 2004, Seoul, Korea, August 1-4, 2004, pp. 390-398.

Other Stuff:

 

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