YILDIRAY YILDIZ

Associate Professor

Yıldıray Yıldız

BIOGRAPHY

Yildiray Yildiz is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering Department at Bilkent University. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with Mathematics minor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009. He worked at NASA Ames Research Center, employed by UC Santa Cruz, one year as a postdoctoral scholar and four years as an Associate Scientist, until he joined Bilkent University in 2014.

Professor Yildiz is the recipient of an ASME best student paper award for his work on “Automotive Powertrain Control Problems Involving Time Delay: An Adaptive Control Approach” and a NASA Group Achievement Award “for outstanding technology development of the CAPIO system at the Vertical Motion Simulator supporting NASA's Green Aviation Initiative.” He has served in program committees for several conferences and is a reviewer for several journals. He was a member of the AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Technical Committee from 2010 through 2013. He has been an IEEE Conference Editorial Board Associate Editor since 2015 and an Associate Editor for IEEE Control Systems Magazine since 2016.

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: If you are interested, please send me a short email (yyildiz@bilkent.edu.tr) describing your research interests together with your CV. Undergraduates are also welcome. If you are a good programmer, please indicate that in your email (this is not a requirement).

OPEN POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS: I seek candidates with strong programming skills together with an interest in reinforcement learning and game theory. I am particularly interested in candidates who can apply his/her computer skills on solving problems in prediction of the behavior of complex dynamical systems. Please contact me (yyildiz@bilkent.edu.tr) if you are interested.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering (Minor: Mathematics), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009
M.S., Mechatronics, Sabanci University, 2004
B.S. (First Rank), Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 2002

RESEARCH

Yildiray's research focus is on prediction and control of complex systems, whose dynamics are hard to describe, predict or control. In particular, Yildiray is interested in control theory, game theory and reinforcement learning, on the theory side, and their applications to aerospace, automotive and robotics fields, on the engineering side. He has conducted research in these areas in close collaboration with colleagues at MIT, University of Michigan and NASA.

Group website

Google scholar

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RELATED PUBLICATIONS

    Journal Paper
  • Yaldız, C., Yildiz, Y. (2023). "Driver Modeling Using a Continuous Policy Space: Theory and Traffic Data Validation", IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles (in press)
  • Uzun, Y. M., Inanc, E., Yildiz, Y. (2023). "Enhancing Human Operator Performance with Long Short-Term Memory Networks in Adaptively Controlled Systems", IEEE Control Systems Letters (in press)
  • Temiz, O., Cakmakci, M., Yildiz, Y (2023). "Integrated Vehicle Control Using Adaptive Control Allocation", International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing, v.37 p.1803-1826
  • Habboush, A., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "Attention-Enabled Memory for Concurrent Learning Adaptive Control", IEEE Control Systems Letters, v.7 p.967-972
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2022). "Time-Varying Sliding Mode Controller for Over-Actuated Systems with Constrained and Uncertain Actuators in Flight Control Applications", International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, v.33 p.1720–1737
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "A Control Theoretical Adaptive Human Pilot Model: Theory and Experimental Validation", IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, v.30(6) p.2585-2597
  • Habboush, A., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "An Adaptive Human Pilot Model for Adaptively Controlled Systems", IEEE Control Systems Letters, v.6 p.1964-1969
  • Albaba, B. M., Musavi, N., Yildiz Y., (2021). "A 3D Game Theoretical Framework for the Evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airspace Integration Concepts,", Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, v.133
  • Albaba, B. M., Yildiz Y. (2021). "Driver Modeling through Deep Reinforcement Learning and Behavioral Game Theory.", IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, v.30(2) p.885-892
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y. (2020). "Handling actuator magnitude and rate saturation in uncertain over-actuated systems: A modified projection algorithm approach,", International Journal of Control,, v.95(3) p.790-803
  • Tian, R., Li, N., Kolmanovsky, I., Yildiz, Y., Girard, A.R. (2020). "Game-theoretic modeling of traffic in unsignalized intersection network for autonomous vehicle control verification and validation", IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, v.23(3) p.2211-2226
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y. Kolmanovsky, I. (2020). "Adaptive Control Allocation for Constrained Systems", Automatica, v.121
  • Eraslan, E., Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A. M. (2020). "Shared Control Between Pilots and Autopilots: Illustration of a Cyber-Physical Human System", IEEE Control Systems magazine, v.40(6) p.77-97
  • Yildiz, Y. (2020). "Controlling a Launch Vehicle at Exoatmospheric Flight Conditions Via Adaptive Control Allocation,", Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, v.28 p.2278-2287
  • Albaba, B. M., Yildiz, Y. (2019). "Modeling Cyber-Physical Human Systems via an Interplay Between Reinforcement Learning and Game Theory", Annual Reviews in Control, v.48 p.1-21
  • Yildiz, Y. (2018). "Air Fuel Ratio Control Using Delay Resistant Closed Loop Reference Model Adaptive Control", Journal of Aeronautics and Space Technologies, v.11(2) p.1-8
  • (COVER ARTICLE) Alan, A., Yildiz, Y., Poyraz, U. (2018). "High-Performance Adaptive Pressure Control in the Presence of Time Delays: Pressure Control for Use in Variable-Thrust Rocket Development", IEEE Control Systems Magazine, v.38(5) p.26-52
  • Li, N., Oyler, D., Zhang, M., Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I., Girard, A. (2018). "Game-Theoretic Modeling of Driver and Vehicle Interactions for Verification and Validation of Autonomous Vehicle Control Systems", IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, v.26(5) p.1782-1797
  • Yücelen, T., Yildiz, Y., Sipahi, R., Yousefi, E., Nguyen, N. (2018). "Stability Limit of Human-in-the-Loop Model Reference Adaptive Control Architectures", International Journal of Control, v.91(10) p.2314-2331
  • Hussain, H., Yildiz, Y., Matsutani, M., Annaswamy, A.M., Lavretsky, E. (2017). "Computable Delay Margins for Adaptive Systems with State Variables Accessible", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, v.IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control(10) p.5039-5054
  • Yildiz, Y., Unel, M. D. A.E. (2017). "Nonlinear Hierarchical Control of a Quad-Tilt-Wing UAV: An Adaptive Control Approach", International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing, v.31(9) p.1245–1264
  • Musavi, N., Onural, D., Gunes, K., Yildiz, Y. (2016). "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airspace Integration: A Game Theoretical Framework for Concept Evaluations", AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, v.40(1) p.96-109
  • Abidi, K., Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A.M. (2017). "Control of Uncertain Sampled-Data Systems: An Adaptive Posicast Control Approach", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, v.62(5) p.2597-2602
  • Abidi, K., Yildiz, Y., Korpe, B.E. (2016). "Explicit Time Delay Compensation in Teleoperation: An Adaptive Control Approach", International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, v.26(15) p.3388–3403
  • Acosta, D.M., Yildiz, Y., Craun, R.W., Beard, S.D., Leonard, M.W., Hardy, G.H., Weinstein, M. (2015). "Motion-Based Piloted Simulation Evaluation of a Control Allocation Technique to Recover from Pilot Induced Oscillations", AIAA Journal of Aircraft, v.52(1) p.130-140, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/1.C032576
  • Yildiz, Y., Brat, G., Agogino, A. (2014). "Predicting Pilot Behavior in Medium Scale Scenarios Using Game Theory and Reinforcement Learning", AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, v.37(4) p.1335-1343
  • Backhaus, S., Bent, R., Bono, J., Lee, R., Tracey, B., Wolpert, D., Xie, D., Yildiz, Y. (2013). "Cyber-Physical Security: A Game Theory Model of Humans Interacting over Control Systems", IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, v.4(4) p.2320-2327
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Yanakiev, D., Kolmanovsky, I. (2011). "Spark Ignition Engine Idle Speed Control: An Adaptive Control Approach", IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, v.19(5) p.990-1002
  • Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2011). "Stability properties and cross coupling performance of the control allocation scheme CAPIO", Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, v.34(12) p.1190-1196
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Kolmanovsky, I., Yanakiev, D. (2010). "Adaptive Posicast Controller for Time-delay Systems with Relative Degree n*<=2", Automatica, v.46(2) p.279-289
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Yanakiev, D., Kolmanovsky, I. (2010). "Spark Ignition Engine Fuel-to-Air Ratio Control: An Adaptive Control Approach", Control Engineering Practice, v.18(12) p.1369-1378
  • Yildiz, Y., Sabanovic, A., Abidi, K. (2007). "Sliding-Mode Neuro-Controller for Uncertain Systems", IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, v.54(3) p.1676-1685
  • Conference Paper
  • Inanc, E., Gurses, Y., Habboush, A., and Yildiz, Y. (2023). "Long Short-Term Memory for Improved Transients in Neural Network Adaptive Control", American Control Conference (accepted for publication)
  • M. Y. Uzun, E. Inanc, A. Habboush, and Y. Yildiz (2023). "Human-in-the-loop performance evaluation of an adaptive control framework with long short-term memory augmentation", European Control Conference (accepted for publication)
  • Habboush, A., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "An Adaptive Pilot Model with Reaction Time-Delay", IEEE Conference on Decision and Control,Cancun, Mexico p.38-43
  • Yaldız, C. O., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "Game Theoretical Driver Modeling Using an Infinite Policy Space", IEEE Conference on Decision and Control(5068-5073)
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "A Generalized Human-In-The-Loop Stability Analysis in the Presence of Uncertain and Redundant Actuator Dynamics", American Control Conference p.659-664
  • Habboush, A., Yildiz, Y. (2022). "Modeling Pilot-Flight Control System Interactions in the Presence of Uncertainty,", AIAA Scitech 2022
  • Emre, E., and Yildiz, Y. (2021). "Modeling and Adaptive Control of Flexible Quadrotor UAVs", IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC)(1783-1788)
  • Albaba, B. M., Musavi, N., and Yildiz, Y. (2021). "A 3D Modeling Framework for the Application of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration", IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications
  • Koprulu, C., Yildiz, Y., (2021). "Act to Reason: A Dynamic Game Theoretical Driving Model for Highway Merging Applications", IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y., and Kolmanovsky, I. (2021). "Sliding mode control for over-actuated systems with adaptive control allocation and its applications to flight control,", IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y. (2021). "Discrete Adaptive Control Allocation,", American control conference p.3731-3736
  • Koru, A. T., Arabi, E., Dogan, K. M., Yucelen, T., Sipahi, R., Yildiz, Y. (2020). "Set-Theoretic Model Reference Adaptive Control for Performance Guarantees in Human-in-the-Loop Systems; A Pilot Study,", AIAA Scitech Forum
  • Albaba, M., Yildiz, Y., Li, N., Kolmanovsky, I., Girard, A. (2019). "Stochastic driver modeling and validation with traffic data", American Control Conference p.pp. 4198-4203
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y. (2019). "Adaptive Human Pilot Model for Uncertain Systems,", European Control Conference, p.2938-2943
  • Temiz, O., Cakmakci, M., Yildiz, Y. (2019). "Adaptive Control Allocation with Communication Delay for In-Wheel Propulsion Electric Vehicles,", IFAC Workshop on Distributed Estimation and Control in Networked Systems, v.52(20) p.157-162
  • Arabi, E., Yucelen, T., Sipahi, R., Yildiz, Y. (2019). "Human-in-the-Loop Systems with Inner and Outer Feedback Control Loops: Adaptation, Stability Conditions, and Performance Constraints", AIAA Scitech Forum
  • Su, G., Li, N., Yildiz, Y., Girard, A., Kolmanovsky, I. (2019). "A traffic simulation model with interactive drivers and high-fidelity car dynamics", IFAC Cyber Physical Human Systems Conference, v.51(34) p.384-389
  • Tian, R., Li, S., Li, N., Kolmanovsky, I., Girard, A., Yildiz, Y (2018). "Adaptive game-theoretic decision making for autonomous vehicle control at roundabouts", IEEE Conference on Decision and Control p.321-326
  • Temiz, O., Cakmakci, M., Yildiz, Y. (2018.). "A Fault Tolerant Vehicle Stability Control Using Adaptive Control Allocation", ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference
  • Tohidi, S. S., Yildiz, Y., & Kolmanovsky (2018). "Pilot induced oscillation mitigation for unmanned aircraft systems: an adaptive control allocation approach", IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications p.343-348
  • Li, N., Kolmanovsky, I.V., Girard, A., Yildiz, Y. (2018). "Game Theoretic Modeling of Vehicle Interactions at Unsignalized Intersections and Application to Autonomous Vehicle Control", American Control Conference p.3215-3220
  • Yousefi, E., Demir, D.F., Sipahi, R., Yücelen, T., Yildiz, Y. (2017). "Effects Of Linear Filter On Stability And Performance Of Human-in-the-Loop Model Reference Adaptive Control Architecture", ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Conference
  • Yousefi, E., Yildiz, Y., Sipahi, R. Y. T. (2017). "The Effect of Remote-Signal Feedback Architecture on the Stability of Human-in-the-Loop Telerobotics in the Presence of Time-Delays", IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications p.1288-1293
  • Alan, A., Yildiz, Y., Poyraz, U. (2017). "Adaptive Pressure Control Experiment: Controller Design and Implementation", IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications p.80-85
  • Tohidi, S.S., Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I.V. (2017). "Adaptive Control Allocation for Over-Actuated Systems with Actuator Saturation", IFAC World Congress, v.50(1) p.5492-5497
  • Dibaji, S. M., Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Chakrabortty, A. (2017). "Delay-Aware Control Designs of Wide-Area Power Networks", IFAC World Congress, v.50(1) p.79-84
  • Yousefi, E., Yildiz, Y., Sipahi, R., Yucelen, T. (2017). "Stability Analysis of a Human-in-the-Loop Telerobotics System With Two Independent Time-Delays", IFAC World Congress, v.50(1) p.6519-6524
  • Yucelen, T., Yildiz, Y., Sipahi, R. Y. E., Nguyen, N. (2017). "Stability Analysis of Human-Adaptive Controller Interactions", AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition
  • Anıl, A., Yildiz, Y., Poyraz U. (2017). "Pressure Control of Cold Air Testing Plant with Delay Resistant Closed-loop Reference Model Adaptive Control,", AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition(10.2514/6.2017-0121)
  • Oyler, D.W., Li, N., Zhang, M., Yildiz, Y., Girard, A., Kolmanovsky I. V., (2016). "Hierarchical Reasoning Game Theory Based Approach for Evaluation and Testing of Autonomous Vehicle Control Systems", IEEE Conference on Decision and Control p.727-733
  • Zaki, H., Unel, M., Yildiz, Y. (2017). "Trajectory control of a quadrotor using a control allocation approach", International Conference on Unmanned Aircraft Systems p.533-539, Miami, FL, USA.
  • Tohidi, S.S., Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2016). "Fault Tolerant Control for Over-Actuated Systems: An Adaptive Correction Approach", American Control Conference p.2530-2535, Boston, USA
  • Oyler, D., Yildiz, Y., Girard, A., Kolmanovsky, I (2016). "A Game Theoretical Model of Traffic with Multiple Interacting Drivers for Use in Autonomous Vehicle Development", American Control Conference p.1705-1710, Boston, USA
  • Musavi, N., Tekelioğlu, K.B., Yildiz, Y., Gunes, K., Onural, D. (2016). "A Game Theoretical Modeling and Simulation Framework For The Integration Of UAS In To The NAS", AIAA Infotech @ Aerospace, AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition(AIAA-2016-1001)
  • Yildiz, Y., Unel, M., Demirel, A.E. (2015). "Adaptive Nonlinear Hierarchical Control of a Novel Quad Tilt-Wing UAV", European Control Conference p.3623-3628
  • Abidi, K., Yildiz, Y., Korpe, B. E. (2015). "Explicit Adaptive Time-Delay Compensation for Bilateral Teleoperation", IEEE Chinese Control and Decision Conference p.3379-3383
  • Alan, A., Yildiz, Y., Poyraz, U. (2015). "Gas Generator Pressure Control in Throttleable Ducted Rockets: A Classical and Adaptive Control Approach", AIAA/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference
  • Abidi, K., Yildiz, Y. (2015). "On the Discrete Adaptive Posicast Controller", IFAC Workshop on Time-Delay Systems, v.48(12) p.422-427
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A. (2015). "Robust Adaptive Posicast Controller", IFAC Workshop on Time-Delay Systems, v.48(12) p.398-403
  • Acosta, D., Yildiz, Y., Klyde, D. (2014). "Avoiding Pilot-Induced Oscillations in Energy-Efficient Aircraft Designs", IEEE Control Systems Society
  • Craun, R., Acosta, D., Beard, S., Leonard, M., Hardy, G., Weinstein, M., Yildiz, Y. (2013). "Motion-Based Piloted Simulation Evaluation of a Control Allocation Technique to Recover from Pilot Induced Oscillations", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference
  • Yildiz, Y., Brat, G., A. Agogino (2013). "Predicting Pilot Behavior in Medium Scale Scenarios Using Game Theory and Reinforcement Learning", AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference p.AIAA 2013-4908
  • Yildiz, Y., Brat, G., Lee, R. (2012). "Using Game Theoretic Models to Predict Pilot Behavior in NextGen Merging and Landing Scenario", AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference p.AIAA Paper 2012-4487
  • Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2011). "A Control Allocation System for Automatic Detection and Compensation of Phase Shift Due To Actuator Rate Limiting", American Control Conference p.444-449
  • Abidi, K., Yildiz, Y. (2011). "Discrete-Time Adaptive Posicast Controller for Uncertain Time-Delay Systems", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference p.AIAA Paper 2011-6442
  • Yildiz, Y. (2011). "The Effect of Explicit Adaptive Time Delay Compensation on Time Delay Margin", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference p.AIAA Paper 2011-6440
  • Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2010). "A Control Allocation Technique to Recover From Pilot Induced Oscillations (CAPIO) Due To Actuator Rate Limiting", American Control Conference p.516-523
  • Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2010). "Stability properties and cross coupling performance of the control allocation scheme CAPIO", AIAA Infotech@Aerospace p.AIAA Paper 2010-347
  • Yildiz, Y. (2010). "Adaptive Control For Time Delay Systems Applied To Flight Control", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference p.AIAA Paper 2010-7576
  • Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I. (2010). "Implementation of CAPIO for Composite Adaptive Control of Cross-Coupled Unstable Aircraft", AIAA Infotech@Aerospace p.AIAA Paper 2011-1460
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Yanakiev, D., Kolmanovsky, I. (2008). "Adaptive Air Fuel Ratio Control for Internal Combustion Engines", American Control Conference p.2058-2063
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Yanakiev, D., Kolmanovsky, I. (2008). "Automotive Powertrain Control Problems Involving Time Delay: An Adaptive Control Approach", ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference p.1421-1428 (BEST STUDENT PAPER AWARD)
  • Yildiz, Y., Annaswamy, A., Yanakiev, D., Kolmanovsky, I. (2007). "Adaptive Idle Speed Control for Internal Combustion Engines", American Control Conference p.3700-3705
  • Book Chapter
  • Eraslan E., Yildiz Y., Annaswamy A. M. (2023). "Safe Shared Control Between Pilots and Autopilots in the Face of Anomalies", in Cyber-Physical-Human Systems: Fundamentals and Applications, Jia Q. S., Long T, John Wiley & Sons, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • Annaswamy A.M., Yildiz Y., (2020). "Cyber-Physical-Human Systems", Encyclopedia of Systems and Control
  • Li, N., Zhang, M., Yildiz, Y., Kolmanovsky, I., Girard, A. (2019). "Game Theory-Based Traffic Modeling for Calibration of Automated Driving Algorithms,", Control Strategies for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Autonomous Driving Functions p.89-105
  • Erbatur, K., Yildiz, Y., Sabanovic, A. (2004). "Sliding Modes in Fuzzy and Neural Network Systems,", Variable Structure Systems: from principles to implementation p.245 –264