Daniel M. Lofaro Ph.D                                                   2011-11-11 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

website: http://danLofaro.com                                                                            email: dan@danLofaro.com Research InterestMy research interests lie primarily in Humanoid Robotics, Complex Control Systems and Robotics with most recent ventures relating to Robot Design and Cloud Robotics. EducationDrexel University 2008 - 2013
PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering in Control Systems and Advisor: Dr. Paul Oh
Robotics. Dissertation Title:
Unied Algorithmic Framework for High Degree of Freedom Complex
Systems and Humanoid Robots

Drexel University 2006 - 2008
Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering in Control Systems Graduated with Honors
Thesis Title: Control Design to Reduce the Effects of Torsional Resonance
in Coupled Systems

Drexel University 2003 - 2008
Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering in Control Systems Graduated Cum Laude and with Honors Fellowships and AwardsONR-SFRP Fellow 2015
The Summer Faculty Research Program provides science and engineering faculty members from institutions of higher education the opportunity to participate in research of mutual interest to the faculty member and peers at U.S. Navy Laboratories

NSF-GRFP Honorable Mention 2009
The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in the U.S. and abroad.

NSF-EAPSI Fellow 2008
The primary goals of EAPSI are to introduce students to East Asia and Pacific science and engineering in the context of a research setting, and to help students initiate scientific relationships that will better enable future collaboration with foreign counterparts.

Lester Kraus Award 2008
Awarded to Electrical Engineering student who has shown the greatest promise of developing into a creative and socially responsible engineer.

Dean’s Fellowship 2008
Non-need-based award for full-time graduate students designed to assist outstanding applicants. ProgrammingProficient Languages: C/C++, Python, MATLAB, Java, C#, LabView
Platforms and OS: Linux, Windows
Computer Control Methods: Real-Time, Inter-Process Communication, Network Based Control Lab Skills and Tools PCB Layout and Design, PCB Surface Mount Population, Soldering (Solder and Solder Paste) Use of: Oscilloscopes, Spectrum Analyzers, Function Generators, Volt-Ohm Meters, Amp Meters, Jigsaws, Band Saws, Routers, Drills, etc. Carpentry skills include both metal working, wood working, and 3D printing.

Publications *Under Peer-Review

Server Configuration for Real-Time Cloud Control
Authors: Lofaro, D. and Asokan, A.
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2016
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Martyna, B.; Early, P.; Eide, E. and Javid, M.;
Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 2015 10th IEEE-RAS International Conference
Low Latency Geographically Adjacent Real-Time Cloud Control
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Asokan, A. and Roderik, E.;
Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 2015 10th IEEE-RAS International Conference
Authors: Dantam, N.; Lofaro, D.; Hereid, A.; Oh, P.; Ames, A.; Stilman, M.
IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine
Authors: Hilton, W.; Lofaro, D.; Kim, Y.
Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference
manipulation tasks with unreliable communication:
System design and lessons learned Authors: J. Mainprice, C. Phillips-Grafflin, H. Suay, N. Alunni, D. Lofaro, D. Berenson, S. Chernova, R. Lindeman, and P. Oh,
Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference
Complex Systems and Humanoid Robots
Authors: Lofaro, D.
Doctoral Dissertation, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Drexel University
Authors: Grey, M.; Dantam, N.; Stilman, M.; Lofaro, D.
IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications
Authors: Alunni, N.; Phillips-Graffin, C; Suay, H.; Lofaro, D.; Berenson, D.
Chernova, S; Lindeman, R; Oh, P.;
IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Practical Robot Applications
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Sun, C.; Oh, P.;
Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 2012 10th IEEE-RAS International Conference
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Lynch, K. Oh, P.;
International Conference on Control, Automation and Systems
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Ellenberg, D. Oh, P.; Oh, JH.;
Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2012 IEEE/RSJ International Conference
Authors: Lofaro, D.;Oh, P.;
International Conference on Ubiquitous Robotics and Ambient Intelligence
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Grunberg, D. Oh, P.; Kim, Y.; Oh, J.;
International Association of Science and Technology (IASTED), 2011
International Conference on Robotics
Authors: Grunberg, D.; Lofaro, D. ; Oh, J.; Kim, Y;
Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2011 IEEE/RSJ International Conference
Authors: Kim, Y.; Lofaro, D; Batulaa, A; Grunberg, D;
EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Oh, P.; Oh, J.; Kim, Y.;
Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 2010 10th IEEE-RAS International Conference
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Ellenberg, R.; Oh, P.;
Humanoid Robots (Humanoids), 2010 10th IEEE-RAS International Conference
Authors: Kim, Y.; Batula, A.; Grunberg, D.; Lofaro, D. ; Oh, J.;
Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2010 IEEE/RSJ International Conference
Authors: Lofaro, D.; Le, T.; and Oh, P.;
Progress in Robotics, ser. Communications in Computer and Information Science
Author: Lofaro, D.
Masters Thesis, Drexel University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Work Experience

Assistant Professor in Robotics at George Mason University in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Director of the Lofaro Labs at George Mason University. The primary focus of the lab is robotics including Humanoids and Complex Control Systems with most recent ventures relating to Robot Design and Cloud Robotics. Focus on science infused art/music and STEM outreach is also a big part of the Lofaro Labs’ mission.

Create automation software for animated and interactive museum displays.

Research Lead and Systems Engineer for the Track-A DARPA Robotics Challenge team DRC-Hubo. I work directly with Dmitry Berenson at WPI on the valve opening/closing task of the challenge. In collaboration with Mike Stilman and Neil Dantam at Gerogia Tech I lead the developed of the needed open-source, Linux based, BSD licensed controller for humanoid robots. Our software is the primary control system for the DRC-Hubo team and is currently being used by MIT, WPI, Purdue, Ohio State, Swarthmore College, Georgia Tech, and Drexel University. Team Website: http://www.drc-hubo.com

Researching Complex Control Systems and Robotics. Daniel’s dissertation topic is end-effector velocity control for bipedal robots, also known as throwing. Primary care taker of the full-size humanoid robot Jaemi Hubo.

Testing and modeling of linear actuators for dual rotor unmanned aerial vehicles.

Assist professor with electrical engineering lab courses as well as organizing and maintaing Senior Design for the electrical and computer engineering dept.

Design and maintain events and website for the International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

Organize and maintain 6 workshops for an international audience with participation from 23 countries

Coach/mentors for the all girls high school, Agnes Irwin School (Bryn Mawr, PA), FIRST Robotics team and Philadelphia Regional Competition volunteer.

Temperature response testing - Error analysis on positional and rotational actuators - Fault detection circuit design and implementation for positional and rotator actuators - PCB trace verification, Trained in MIL-SPEC soldering.

Design and implementation of vacuum deposited tin films for the control of optical, thermal and electrical surface properties, design using computer simulations. Implementation via vacuum deposition using electron beam gun. Invited Talks and Demonstrations
Talk Title: Team DRC-Hubo: The Road to the DARPA Robotics Challenge - Lessons Learned
Speaker for kickoff to National Robotics Week 2015. Talk Title: Design, Implementation, and Control of Disaster Relief Humanoid Robots. Demonstration: Showed the inner-workings of 3D printed humanoid robots to the do it yourself (DYI) community.
Demonstration: Showed the inner-workings of 3D printed humanoid robots to the do it yourself (DYI) community.
Demonstration: Showed the inner-workings of 3D printed humanoid robots to the do it yourself (DYI) community.
Seven day Jaemi Hubo Training session
Talk Title: I can Robot and You Can Too
Invited Professor: Seven day Jaemi Hubo Training session
Talk Title: DARPA Robotics Challenge, Next Steps Forward
Talk Title: Team DRC-Hubo: International Collaboration using a Three Phase Design Cycle
Talk Title: Building a robot club from the ground up (Part 2)
Talk Title: I can robot, and you can too - a cheat sheet for getting your Ph.D
Talk Title: Team DRC-Hubo: International Collaboration using a Three Phase Design Cycle
Talk Title: Team DRC-Hubo: A US-Korea Collaboration
Talk Title: Team DRC-Hubo: A US-Korea Collaboration
Talk Title: Building a robot club from the ground up (Part 1)
Talk Title: Team DRC-Hubo: A road-map to the DARPA Robot Challenge
Talk Title: DARPA Robot Challenge: The DRC-Hubo Team - Where we are and what we are doing.
Demonstration: Hands on demonstration of the Hubo2+ humanoid robot. Following the demonstration there was a in depth Q&A session with the graduate and undergraduate students in the college of engineering.
Demonstration: Showed the inner-workings of Hubo the humanoid robot to the do it yourself (DYI) community.
Talk Title: Humanoid Pitching at a Major League Baseball Game: Challenges, Approach, Implementation and Lessons Learned
Demonstration: Developed a system to make Hubo become the first full-size humanoid robot to successfully throw the inaugural pitch at a Major League Baseball game, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Chicago Cubs. 45,196 spectators according to the USA Today.
Video: http://danlofaro.com/projects/philliesGame/
Talk Title: Humanoid Robots, they are fun!
Included live hands-on demonstration of a miniature humanoid.
Purpose what to get the inner city students exposed to advanced robotics.
Demonstration: Hands on demonstration and interactive sessions of ground vehicles,
pick and place robots and miniature humanoids for elementary school students.
Talk Title: Humanoid robots, a step in the right direction?
About Philcon: Started in 1936, Philcon features cutting-edge programming about
literature, art, television, film, anime, comics, science, gaming, costuming and
cosplay, music, and other topics of interest to fans of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.
Technology Symposium - Philadelphia, PA
Talk Title: Humanoid Robots, Past, Present, Future. 5^th Annual
Carole I Smith Technology Symposium. Presented by State
Senator LeAnna M. Washington, Hosted by Temple University
Talk Title: Interactive Games With Humanoids.
Daejeon, South Korea
Talk Title: Interactive musical participation with humanoid robots through the use
of novel musical tempo and beat tracking techniques in the absence of auditory cues.
Talk Title: Visual Beat Tracking
Talk Title: Humanoid Robots, Past, Present, Future
Demonstration: Live hands on demonstration for children and adults ages 3 to 99. Extracurricular Activities
Designed and implemented student socials and activities for the IEEE-Humanoids 2012 conference in Osaka, Japan. This included organizing daily group lunch and dinners for students, Karaoke night, a day trip to Kyoto, and a Student Banquette. My over all purpose for these events is to “create an atmosphere conducive for students to get to know each other in a non-academic setting.” Website: http://humanoids2012.danlofaro.com/
Designed and implemented student socials and activities for the IEEE-ICRA 2012 conference in St. Paul, MN. This included a student dinner with a comedian as well as daily events and activities. My over all purpose for these events is to “create an atmosphere conducive for students to get to know each other in a non-academic setting.” Website: http://icra2012.org/student/
Designed, implemented, and coached a robot competition for senior students in the Drexel University Senior Design class. The competition consisted of multiple teams and multiple robots. Each robot was less then 1.0m x 1.0m x 1.0m and less then 10kg.
Designed and implemented the Indoor Aerial Robotics Competition from 2008-2011. The IARC was formed in 2005 by Dr. Paul Oh in parallel with the Congressional mandate that requires 30% of all U.S. deep-strike aircraft to be capable of autonomous navigation by 2015. To keep in line with this mandate, the competition was revised to increase the difficulty each year with the goal of having a “backpack-able” vehicle that flies autonomously inside buildings by 2015.
The Egg Drop competition challenges student, faculty, and professional staff teams to create a recyclable contraption that will protect a large Grade A egg from a free fall of 40 feet or from it gliding down a steel zip line and crashes into a target more than 30 feet below. Scoring is based on a mathematical formula that calculates weight and speed.
Drexel University’s IEEE Branch Technical Chair. Designed events and activities for IEEE student branch.
The goal of this competition is to build the lease expensive bridge that can span a 12 inches gap, have a width of at least 3 inches, and hold a load at its center using only the materials listed below. The functioning bridge with the lowest materials cost wins. Please note that this competition is geared towards middle school students to teach them some of the basics of engineering.
Design and implementation of the bi-annual Lego robot competition. The competition has the expressed goals of enforcing the knowledge the electrical and computer engineering students have learned in class including robot design, logic and autonomous systems.
Judge for high school student robot competition. The SeaPerch Program provides students with the opportunity to learn about robotics, engineering, science, and mathematics (STEM) while building an underwater ROV as part of a science and engineering technology curriculum. Throughout the project, students will learn engineering concepts, problem solving, teamwork, and technical applications.