Mohamad Shafiee Motahar

Email: motahar@udel.edu | Web: http://udel.edu/~motahar

EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering 2011-2016
University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA GPA: 3.75/4
Thesis: Control and Motion Planning of Dynamically Walking Bipeds for Cooperative Transportation
Advisor: Prof. Ioannis Poulakakis

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering 2008-2011

Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran GPA: 16.64/20
Thesis: Static and vibrational analysis of carbon nanotubes reinforced composites
Advisor: Prof. Mohammad Taghi Ahmadian

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering 2004-2008

Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran GPA: 16.74/20
Thesis: Optimization of stress distribution in an internal combustion engine made of functionally graded materials
Advisor: Prof. Mehdi Akhlaghi

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Graduate Research Assistant 2011-2016
Affiliation: Robotic Locomotion Lab, University of Delaware, USA
Supervisor: Prof. Ioannis Poulakakis
Graduate Research Assistant 2008-2011
Affiliation: Center of Nano Science and Technology, Sharif University of Technology, Iran
Supervisor: Prof. Mohammad Taghi Ahmadian

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Theoretical: Nonlinear Dynamics and Control, Hybrid Systems, Stability Analysis, Input to State Stability, Optimal
Control, Machine Learning, Intelligent Systems

Applied: Humanoids and Bipedal Robots, Robot Locomotion and Manipulation, Kinematics and Mechanisms, Motion
Planning and Navigation, System Identification, Sensors and Actuators

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant: MEEG215, Mechanics of Solids, ME, University of Delaware Fall 2011
Teaching Assistant: MEEG112, Statics, ME, University of Delaware Spring 2012
Teaching Assistant: MEEG311, Vibration and Control, ME, University of Delaware Fall 2012
Teaching Assistant: MEEG312, Vibration and Control Lab, ME, University of Delaware Fall 2012
Guest Lecturer: MEEG624, Control of Dynamical Systems, ME, University of Delaware Fall 2016
Tutor, K-12 Education: Physics and Mathematics, Tehran, Iran 2009-2010

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HONORS AND AWARDS
Professional Development Award: Travel Award for ACC 2016 and CDC 2016, Office of Graduate and Professional
Education, University of Delaware, 2016
NOET1 Award: Ranked 6th in the nationwide MEEG exam for M.S. admission among 24,000 participants, Tehran, Iran,
2008
Academic Excellence Award: Top ten percent in class of 2008, Amirkabir University, Tehran, Iran, 2008
National Olympiad Award: Semi-finalist in national mechanical engineering Olympiad, Tehran, Iran, 2008
NOET Award: Ranked 389th in the nationwide exam for B.S. admission among 340,000 participants, Tehran, Iran, 2004
NODET2 Award: Admitted to the exceptional talented high school (Allameh Helli), Tehran, Iran, 2000.

PUBLICATIONS
Journal Publications
J1. M. S. Motahar, S. Veer, I. Poulakakis, A Switched System Approach to Motion Planning of Limit Cycle Robotic
Systems with Application to 3D Bipedal Walkers, Manuscript ready for submission to IEEE Transactions on
Robotics.
J2. S. Veer, M. S. Motahar, I. Poulakakis, Local Input-to-State Stability of Hybrid Zero Dynamic based Periodic
Orbits, Manuscript ready for submission to Automatica.
J3. M. S. Motahar, S. Veer, I. Poulakakis, Integration of Dynamic Walking and Manipulation Control for
Collaboration with a Leader, Manuscript ready for submission to Robotica.
Peer-reviewed Conference Proceedings
C1. S. Veer, M. S. Motahar, I. Poulakakis, Generation of and Switching among Limit-Cycle Bipedal Walking Gaits,
Submitted to the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 2017.
C2. M. S. Motahar, S. Veer, I. Poulakakis, Steering a 3D Limit-Cycle Walker for Collaboration with a Leader,
Submitted to the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2017.
C3. S. Veer, M. S. Motahar, I. Poulakakis, Adaptation of Limit-Cycle Walkers for Collaborative Tasks: A Supervisory
Switching Control Approach, Submitted to the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and
Systems, 2017.
C4. S. Veer, M. S. Motahar, I. Poulakakis, Almost Driftless Navigation of 3D Limit-Cycle Walking Bipeds, Submitted
to the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2017.
C5. M. S. Motahar, S. Veer, I. Poulakakis, Composing Limit Cycles for Motion Planning of 3D Bipedal Walker, In
Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, 2016, pp. 6368-6374.
C6. S. Veer, M. S. Motahar, I. Poulakakis, Local Input-to-State Stability of Dynamic Walking Under Persistent
External Excitation using Hybrid Zero Dynamics, In Proceedings of the American Control Conference, 2016, pp.
4801-4806.
C7. M. S. Motahar, S. Veer, I. Poulakakis, Integrating Dynamic Walking and Arm Impedance Control for Cooperative
Transportation, In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, 2015,
pp. 1004-1010.
C8. S. Veer, M. S. Motahar, I. Poulakakis, On the Adaptation of Dynamic Walking to Persistent External Forcing
using Hybrid Zero Dynamics Control, In Proceedings of the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent
Robots and Systems, 2015, pp. 997-1003.
C9. M. S. Motahar, M. T. Ahmadian, Vibrational Analysis Of Wavy Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Composites, In
Proceedings of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conference and Computers and Information
in Engineering Conference, 2011, pp. 371-377.
C10. R. Yousefi, M. S. Motahar, H. Faghani, M. Boroushaki, Optimization of Machinability of the Powder Extruded
Al-SiC MM Composites Using ANN Analysis and Genetic Algorithm, In Proceedings of the Powder Metallurgy
World Congress, 2010, pp. 441-450.

1
Iranian National Organization of Educational Testing
2
Iranian National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents

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WORK EXPERIENCE
Mechanical Engineer Intern, Saipa Press, Tehran, Iran 06/2008-09/2008
Mechanical Engineer Intern, Pars Exhaust, Tehran, Iran 06/2007-09/2007

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) and Control Systems Society (CSS)
Iranian Society of Mechanical Engineers (ISME)

REVIEW SERVICES
IEEE Transactions on Robotics
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)

COMPUTER SKILLS
Programming: C++, MATLAB and Simulink
Analysis and Design: AutoCAD, Solid Works, ANSYS, LIMS, Working Model, Lab View
Typesetting: Latex, Microsoft Office

REFERENCES

Ioannis Poulakakis Herbert Tanner

Associate Professor Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Delaware University of Delaware
Email: poulakas@udel.edu Email: btanner@udel.edu
Phone: (+1) 302-831-3563 Phone: (+1) 302-831-6888

Mohammad Taghi Ahmadian Valery Roy

Professor Associate Professor
School of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sharif University of Technology University of Delaware
Email: ahmadian@sharif.edu Email: vroy@udel.edu
Phone: (+98) 21-6616-5503 Phone: (+1) 302-831-1019

Jill Higginson Mohsen Asghari

Associate Professor Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering School of Mechanical Engineering
University of Delaware Sharif University of Technology
Email: higginso@udel.edu Email: asghari@sharif.edu
Phone: (+1) 302-831-3563 Phone: (+98) 21-6616-5523