Profiles

Eric Feron is an Electrical and Computer Engineering Program professor,  an affiliate of the Mechanical Engineering Program, and the Principal Investigator of the Aerospace and Transportation Systems (ATS) Research Group at KAUST.

His research focuses on the development of advanced control and optimization techniques for autonomous systems with applications in aerospace, robotics and transportation. At KAUST, he leads efforts in exploring innovative solutions for complex challenges in these fields, emphasizing safety, reliability and efficiency in autonomous systems' design and operation.

His academic journey began in Paris, where he earned a B.S. from École Polytechnique in 1989 and an M.S. from École Normale Supérieure in 1990. He completed his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at Stanford University in 1994. Before joining KAUST in October 2021, he served as a faculty member at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Aeronautics and Astronautics Department.

Throughout his career, he has taught a wide range of courses, including cyber-physical systems, control systems, and flight mechanics, and is a strong advocate for quality online education resources.

Professor Feron has contributed significantly to both theoretical advancements and practical implementations in control systems, fostering collaborations across disciplines to drive progress in aerospace engineering.

With 31 years of experience in teaching and research, Professor Feron focuses on applying fundamental concepts of control systems, optimization, and computer science to modern aerospace engineering and robotics. His specific research interests include aerobatic control of uncrewed aerial vehicles, multi-agent operations, air traffic control systems and aerospace software system certification. He is also interested in geometric control systems and control theory in general.

Dr. Feron’s ATS research group has made significant technical contributions across a variety of fields, including aerospace engineering, automotive engineering, ocean engineering, biological engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and robotics, as well as human-machine interaction. These contributions are grounded in a strong foundation of mathematics, computer science and operations research.

Boon S. Ooi (FNAI, FIEEE, FAPS, FOSA, FSPIE, FInstP) is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at KAUST. He previously held faculty positions at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) from 1996 to 2000 and Lehigh University (Pennsylvania, USA) from 2003 to 2009. From 2012 to 2020, he served as the Director of the KACST-Technology Innovation Center at KAUST.

Professor Ooi has trained more than 40 Ph.D. students and 17 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have secured prestigious fellowships and awards from organizations like the UK Royal Academy, Marie Curie, Humboldt, IEEE, OSA, and SPIE. He holds 45 issued US patents and 21 international patents, many of which have been licensed to leading optics and photonics companies, driving commercialization success.

He has received numerous accolades, including the 2024 Sang Soo Lee Award (Optica/OSA and OSK), the 2023 Khalifa International Award (UAE), and multiple paper awards. Professor Ooi is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Photonics Technology Letters and has previously held editorial roles with Optics Express and IEEE Photonics Journal.

Beyond his academic achievements, Professor Ooi is actively engaged in professional service, having served on key committees such as the IEEE Fellow Committee and the SPIE Fellow Selection Committee. He chaired the IEEE Photonics Society Distinguished Lecture Selection Committee in 2024.

Professor Ooi’s research focuses on high-speed optoelectronics, optical wireless communications, and distributed fiber optic sensors.

Professor Park received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 2015 from the University of Maryland, U.S. Following his Ph.D., he held postdoctoral researcher positions at the National Geographic Society in 2016 and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), U.S., from 2016 to 2019.

He joined KAUST in January 2021 as the principal investigator of the Distributed Robotics and Autonomy (DGA) Group. Prior to joining KAUST, he served as an associate research scholar at Princeton University, U.S., where he contributed to cross-departmental robotics projects.

Professor Park’s past research includes developing animal-borne sensor networks to study wild animal groups in their natural environments. He also created a fleet of urban autonomous surface vessels designed for transporting people and providing delivery and trash removal services through urban canal networks. In 2019, his innovative work was highlighted by MIT News.

Professor Park’s research focuses on the design and control of multi-robot systems. He strives to advance robotics science and engineering and seeks innovative ways to solve societal challenges using robotics technology. He pursues new and creative approaches to synergizing the individual robots’ core capabilities and strengthening the autonomy of robotic groups to solve large-scale problems.

His DGA Group investigates innovative concepts to address fundamental research questions in multi-agent, robotics and control systems. Their central focus is conceiving novel models and computational methods for multi-agent coordination and developing and deploying robotic/control systems for monitoring real-world environments such as the Red Sea.