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Ryan K. WilliamsPh.D. Candidate, Electrical Engineering

University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA 90089

rkwillia@usc.edu

asimov.usc.edu/~rkwillia

EducationMay 2014

(expected)Ph.D. Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, 3.80 GPA.Advisor: Dr. Gaurav S. SukhatmeThesis: Consensus and Cooperation in Multi-Agent Systems with Applications of Dis-tributed Intelligence

May 2005 B.Sc., in Honors, Summa Cum Laude, Computer Engineering,Virginia Poly-technic Institute and State University, 3.93 GPA.Advisor: Dr. Daniel J. StilwellThesis: On Inertial Navigation: Calibration Techniques and Dead-Reckoning

Graduate Coursework

Linear System Theory Multivariable Control

Nonlinear and Adaptive Control Random Processes in Engineering

Computational Optimization Optimization Theory

Advanced A.I. Machine Learning

Research Interests1. Control, cooperation, and intelligence in distributed multi-agent systems.

2. Consensus methods for modeling distributed cooperative phenomena.

3. Distributed algorithms for optimization, estimation, inference, and learning.

Research ExperienceSep 2007-

presentGraduate Student Researcher, University of Southern California.Working in theRobotic Embedded Systems Laboratory (RESL). Investigating methodsfor controlling and achieving cooperation in distributed multi-agent systems. Studyingconsensus-based approaches for modeling cooperative tasks and evaluating the impactvarying communication constraints, interaction topologies, and agent compositionshave on dynamical performance. Designing distributed algorithms for cooperative tasksincluding plume mapping, boundary tracking, sensor regression and classification, andconvex optimization.

May 2007-Dec 2007

Research Associate, HRL Laboratories, Malibu, CA.Worked in theInformation and Systems Sciences Lab (ISSL). Researched biologically

inspired algorithms for visual and auditory attention and region-of-interest foveationand tracking. Investigated real-time object recognition methods based on topologicalfeature representations and incremental quantization. Managed and extended a hier-archical and distributed sensor management system including algorithms for optimalresource allocation and realistic sensor and network modeling.

June 2005-July 2006

Research Engineer, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.Worked in theAutonomous Systems and Controls Laboratory (ASCL). Co-designeda prototype high-speed autonomous underwater vehicle (HS-AUV) including devel-opment of embedded hardware and software for processing, communication, power,control, and sensing. Designed and tuned adaptive controllers for vehicle stability andaided in the development of a counter-rotating propeller system and an active roll con-trol system for which a patent is pending. Planned and executed extensive laboratory

and field test missions and exercises.

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http://ee.usc.edu/http://www.usc.edu/mailto:rkwillia@usc.eduhttp://asimov.usc.edu/~rkwilliahttp://robotics.usc.edu/~gaurav/http://www.vt.edu/http://www.vt.edu/http://www.vt.edu/http://www.ascl.ece.vt.edu/stilwell2.htmlhttp://robotics.usc.edu/reslhttp://www.hrl.com/http://www.hrl.com/laboratories/labs_issl.htmlhttp://www.ascl.ece.vt.edu/http://www.ascl.ece.vt.edu/http://www.hrl.com/laboratories/labs_issl.htmlhttp://www.hrl.com/http://robotics.usc.edu/reslhttp://www.ascl.ece.vt.edu/stilwell2.htmlhttp://www.vt.edu/http://www.vt.edu/http://robotics.usc.edu/~gaurav/http://asimov.usc.edu/~rkwilliamailto:rkwillia@usc.eduhttp://www.usc.edu/http://ee.usc.edu/

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Aug 2004-June 2005

Undergraduate Researcher, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.Worked in the Autonomous Systems and Controls Laboratory. Designed hardware andsoftware for a tri-axial inertial measurement module and researched techniques for AUVdead-reckoning navigation. Developed a power distribution module for low-cost AUVimplementations including methods for real-time power monitoring. Co-developed anadaptive identification technique for on-the-fly inertial calibration. Planned and exe-

cuted cooperative interoperation missions with heterogeneous AUV platoons.June 2002-

Aug 2003Design Engineer, Areva,Lynchburg, VA.Designed embedded hardware and software for an environment monitoring modulein a nuclear inspection robot. Developed a laser-based localization and alignmentsystem and investigated Kalman filtering techniques for dynamic tracking. Researcheda vision-based recognition system for a nuclear inspection robot. Performed extensivelaboratory testing and debugging.

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

2000-2005 Private Tutor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.Tutored undergraduate students in the following areas:(1) Differential Equations(2) Calculus(3) Electric Circuits and Electronics

(4) Signals and Systems(5) Microprocessor System Design

Honors and Awards2006-2010 Viterbi Fellowship, University of Southern California

2006 Bradley Fellowship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Offered

2006 Graduate Fellowship, Purdue University, Offered

2006 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship,Honorable Mention

2004-2005 Eleanor Davenport Leadership Scholarship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity

2004-2005 M.R. & C.P. Staley Memorial Scholarship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity

2003-2004 School of Engineering Scholarship, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Academic Service

Conference ReviewerIEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)

IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC)

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http://www.areva.com/http://www.areva.com/

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Journal ReviewerIEEE 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 "A Beautiful Mind" by Marc Ballon, in USC Viterbi news: Story

2013 "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 Proximity-

Limited Multi-Agent Systems,IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 2013.

Conference (refereed)[2] R. K. Williams, A. Gasparri, and B. Krishnamachari, Route Swarm: Wireless Network Optimiza-

tion through Mobility, in IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications (submit-ted), 2014.

[3] R. K. Williams, A. Gasparri, A. Priolo, and G. S. Sukhatme, Decentralized Generic Rigidity Eval-uation in Interconnected Systems, in IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robotsand Systems (to appear), 2013.

[4] , Distributed Combinatorial Rigidity Control in Multi-Agent Networks, inIEEE Conferenceon Decision and Control (to appear), 2013.

[5] R. K. Williams and G. S. Sukhatme, Locally Constrained Connectivity Control in Mobile RobotNetworks, in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2013.

[6] , Topology-Constrained Flocking in Locally Interacting Mobile Networks, inIEEE Interna-tional Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2013.

[7] , Probabilistic Spatial Mapping and Curve Tracking in Distributed Multi-Agent Systems, inIEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, St. Paul, 2012.

[8] , Cooperative Multi-Agent Inference Over Grid-Structured Markov Random Fields, inIEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, San Francisco, 2011.

[9] J. Jacobson, W. L. Neu, J. B. Hennage, R. K. Williams, and C. Jones, Using Single PropellerPerformance Data to Predict the Performance of a Counterrotating Pair, in OCEANS, 2007.

Theses and Other Works[10] R. K. Williams, On Inertial Navigation: Calibration Techniques and Dead Reckoning, Blacksburg,

VA, 2005, undergraduate Honors thesis.

[11] A. Kapaldo, J. Petrich, R. K. Williams, and D. J. Stilwell, Techniques for the Identification ofCalibration Parameters for a Tri-Axis Gyroscope System for use in a Miniature Autonomous Un-derwater 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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http://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2013/a-beautiful-mind.htmhttp://news.usc.edu/#!/article/49980/lifes-ebb-and-flow/http://news.usc.edu/#!/article/49980/lifes-ebb-and-flow/http://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2013/a-beautiful-mind.htm