Ryan K.

Williams
Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical Engineering

University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 90089 rkwillia@usc.edu asimov.usc.edu/~rkwillia

Education
May 2014 (expected)

Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, 3.80 GPA. Advisor: Dr. Gaurav S. Sukhatme Thesis: Consensus and Cooperation in Multi-Agent Systems with Applications of Distributed Intelligence B.Sc., in Honors, Summa Cum Laude, Computer Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 3.93 GPA. Advisor: Dr. Daniel J. Stilwell Thesis: On Inertial Navigation: Calibration Techniques and Dead-Reckoning Graduate Coursework Linear System Theory Nonlinear and Adaptive Control Computational Optimization Advanced A.I. Multivariable Control Random Processes in Engineering Optimization Theory Machine Learning

May 2005

Research Interests
1. 2. 3.

Control, cooperation, and intelligence in distributed multi-agent systems. Consensus methods for modeling distributed cooperative phenomena. Distributed algorithms for optimization, estimation, inference, and learning.

Research Experience
Sep 2007present

Graduate Student Researcher, University of Southern California. Working in the Robotic Embedded Systems Laboratory (RESL). Investigating methods for controlling and achieving cooperation in distributed multi-agent systems. Studying consensus-based approaches for modeling cooperative tasks and evaluating the impact varying communication constraints, interaction topologies, and agent compositions have on dynamical performance. Designing distributed algorithms for cooperative tasks including plume mapping, boundary tracking, sensor regression and classication, and convex optimization. Research Associate, HRL Laboratories, Malibu, CA. Worked in the Information and Systems Sciences Lab (ISSL). Researched biologically inspired algorithms for visual and auditory attention and region-of-interest foveation and tracking. Investigated real-time object recognition methods based on topological feature representations and incremental quantization. Managed and extended a hierarchical and distributed sensor management system including algorithms for optimal resource allocation and realistic sensor and network modeling. Research Engineer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Worked in the Autonomous Systems and Controls Laboratory (ASCL). Co-designed a prototype high-speed autonomous underwater vehicle (HS-AUV) including development of embedded hardware and software for processing, communication, power, control, and sensing. Designed and tuned adaptive controllers for vehicle stability and aided in the development of a counter-rotating propeller system and an active roll control system for which a patent is pending. Planned and executed extensive laboratory and eld test missions and exercises.

May 2007Dec 2007

June 2005July 2006

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Aug 2004June 2005

Undergraduate Researcher, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Worked in the Autonomous Systems and Controls Laboratory. Designed hardware and software for a tri-axial inertial measurement module and researched techniques for AUV dead-reckoning navigation. Developed a power distribution module for low-cost AUV implementations including methods for real-time power monitoring. Co-developed an adaptive identication technique for on-the-y inertial calibration. Planned and executed cooperative interoperation missions with heterogeneous AUV platoons. Design Engineer, Areva, Lynchburg, VA. Designed embedded hardware and software for an environment monitoring module in a nuclear inspection robot. Developed a laser-based localization and alignment system and investigated Kalman ltering techniques for dynamic tracking. Researched a vision-based recognition system for a nuclear inspection robot. Performed extensive laboratory testing and debugging.

June 2002Aug 2003

Teaching Experience
2006-2007

Private Tutor, University of Southern California. Tutored graduate students in the following areas: (1) Probability and Statistics (2) Linear Algebra (3) Linear System Theory (4) Multivariable Control (5) Nonlinear and Adaptive Control (6) Random Processes in Engineering (7) Computational Optimization Private Tutor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Tutored undergraduate students in the following areas: (1) Dierential Equations (2) Calculus (3) Electric Circuits and Electronics (4) Signals and Systems (5) Microprocessor System Design

2000-2005

Honors and Awards

2006-2010 2006 2006 2006 2004-2005 2004-2005 2003-2004

Viterbi Fellowship, University of Southern California Bradley Fellowship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Oered Graduate Fellowship, Purdue University, Oered National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Honorable Mention Eleanor Davenport Leadership Scholarship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University M.R. & C.P. Staley Memorial Scholarship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University School of Engineering Scholarship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Academic Service
Conference Reviewer
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC)

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Journal Reviewer
IEEE Transactions on Robotics (T-RO)

Professional Memberships
Student Member

Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) IEEE Control Systems Society (IEEE CSS) IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS)

Select Media Coverage

2013 2013

"A Beautiful Mind" by Marc Ballon, in USC Viterbi news: Story "Lifes Ebb and Flow" by Marc Ballon, in USC news: Story

Publications
Journal (refereed)
[1] R. K. Williams and G. S. Sukhatme, Constrained Interaction and Coordination in ProximityLimited Multi-Agent Systems, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2013.

Conference (refereed)
[2] R. K. Williams, A. Gasparri, and B. Krishnamachari, Route Swarm: Wireless Network Optimization through Mobility, in IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications (submitted), 2014. R. K. Williams, A. Gasparri, A. Priolo, and G. S. Sukhatme, Decentralized Generic Rigidity Evaluation in Interconnected Systems, in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (to appear), 2013. , Distributed Combinatorial Rigidity Control in Multi-Agent Networks, in IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (to appear), 2013. R. K. Williams and G. S. Sukhatme, Locally Constrained Connectivity Control in Mobile Robot Networks, in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2013. , Topology-Constrained Flocking in Locally Interacting Mobile Networks, in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2013. , Probabilistic Spatial Mapping and Curve Tracking in Distributed Multi-Agent Systems, in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, St. Paul, 2012. , Cooperative Multi-Agent Inference Over Grid-Structured Markov Random Fields, in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, San Francisco, 2011. J. Jacobson, W. L. Neu, J. B. Hennage, R. K. Williams, and C. Jones, Using Single Propeller Performance Data to Predict the Performance of a Counterrotating Pair, in OCEANS, 2007.

[3]

[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Theses and Other Works

[10] [11] R. K. Williams, On Inertial Navigation: Calibration Techniques and Dead Reckoning, Blacksburg, VA, 2005, undergraduate Honors thesis. A. Kapaldo, J. Petrich, R. K. Williams, and D. J. Stilwell, Techniques for the Identication of Calibration Parameters for a Tri-Axis Gyroscope System for use in a Miniature Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, 2005.

Patents
[12] W. L. Neu, J. B. Hennage, D. J. Stilwell, R. K. Williams, and J. Petrich, Method and Apparatus for Torque Control for Machinery Using Counter-rotating Drives, Patent, 2007.

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