feeling bored? join my PhD defence

created on March 29, 2026 , last updated on August 10, 2026

2026

I will be defending my doctoral dissertation soon, so I thought it would nice to invite you all!

You used to be able to read the official post on the website of the Aarhus University Graduate School of Technical Sciences (GSTS), but now it is only available on the archive.org snapshot.

You can also read the pretentious official text below:

project synopsis

During his PhD studies, Dario Sirangelo has explored how high-fidelity vehicle modelling and simulation tools can support the development and verification of the next-generation of autonomous vehicle systems.

His work includes the design, instrumentation and implementation of a physical-digital twin system of an autonomous off-road vehicle, OLAV (Off-Road Light Autonomous Vehicle), used to evaluate key autonomous system capabilities, including localization, perception, obstacle avoidance, and leader–follower navigation.

Using high-fidelity multibody vehicle simulations, Dario Sirangelo has developed and assessed model-based algorithms in terrain-aware path planning, high-speed navigation in unstructured environments, and integrated camera and LiDAR sensing for leader-follower scenarios. Moreover, through his research, he has developed an end-to-end open-source software framework for conducting systematic vehicle simulation studies and generating vehicle performance metrics.

The results demonstrate that the early adoption of simulation-driven methodologies can substantially enhance system performance and reliability, while simultaneously streamlining verification efforts for autonomous vehicle technologies.

practical information

  • Time: Tuesday May 26th 2026 at 08:00
  • Place: Åbogade 15, 8200 Aarhus, Building 5520, Small Auditorium INCUBA
  • Title of the PhD thesis: A simulation-driven approach to the development and verification of autonomous vehicle systems
  • Contact information: Dario Sirangelo, email: dsi@mpe.au.dk, mobile phone: +45 93 50 89 63
  • Members of the assessment committee:
    • Distinguished Scientist Radu Serban
      Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
    • Chief Technologist Abhinandan Jain
      Karana Dynamics, Pasadena, USA
  • Chair of the committee:
    • Associate Professor Alessandro Lucantonio
      Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Main supervisor
    • Professor Ole Balling
      Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English.

attending the defence

The defence is public. The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.

See you all there!