Dan Davison, PEng

Associate Professor

Contact information

Dan Davison
Email: ddavison@uwaterloo.ca

Phone: 519-888-4567 x35338

Location: EIT 3114

Fax: 519-746-3077

Education

  • BASc, University of Toronto
  • MASc, University of Toronto
  • PhD, Michigan, Ann Arbor

Research Interests

  • Theoretical Control: various aspects of linear and nonlinear control, including performance limitations in feedback control; multi-agent control schemes; time-delay systems.
  • Current Main Application Interest: any psychological system with interesting dynamics (current projects include stabilization of crowds governed by notions of suggestibility and the modeling of cognitive dissonance)
  • Previous Application Interests: control of radiotherapy machinery, engine control, aircraft control, control of infectious diseases

My research program deals with theoretical and applied control. My philosophy is to let the applications motivate the theory; this reduces the likelihood that there will be a desperate search for an application to which the theory applies (a surprisingly common problem in theoretical research) and, I believe, makes the research more exciting. My current application interests are in the field of social psychology, which basically deals with how people think about each other and influence each other. I am especially interested in psychological problems where the underlying dynamics include feedback. An example of feedback is the attitude-behaviour-attitude connection: our attitudes affect to some degree our behaviour, and (perhaps surprisingly, for those who have not studied psychology) our behaviour affects to some degree our attitudes. My research includes modeling such phenomena, simulating interesting scenarios, and developing control schemes. Recently we have started to work on experimental verification of our theoretical results. Check out some of the publications below if you want to get a good feel for the sort of research I like doing.
 

Publications

(Sorry, no links are available at present, so you will have to look them up or ask me for a copy.)
 

  • J. Ni, D. Kulic, and D.E. Davison, "A Model-Based Feedback-Control Approach to Behavior Modification Through Reward-Induced Attitude Change", American Control Conference, (Washington DC), 8 double-column pages, June 2013. Invited paper. Submitted Sept 2012.
  • Y. Liu and D.E. Davison, "A Targeting Approach to Disturbance Rejection in Multi-Agent Systems", IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, (Montreal), 6 double-column pages, May 2012.
  • D.E. Davison, R. Vanderwater, and Z. Zhou, "A Control-Theory Reward-Based Approach to Behavior Modification in the Presence of Social Norm Pressure and Conformity Pressure", American Control Conference, (Montreal), 7 double-column pages, June 2012.
  • D.E. Davison and E.J. Davison, "Optimal Servomechanism Control of Plants with Fewer Inputs than Outputs", IFAC World Congress, (Milan), 6 double-column pages, August 2011.
  • R. Vanderwater and D.E. Davison, "Using rewards to change a person"s behavior: a double-integrator output-feedback dynamic control approach", 2011 American Control Conference, (San Francisco), 6 double-column pages, June 2011.
  • N.A. Shams and D.E. Davison, "A Co-operative Control Approach to the Regulation of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Structured Systems", IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, (Calgary), 6 double-column pages, May 2011.
  • N.A. Shams and D.E. Davison, "A Graph-Theoretic Condition Necessary for the Stabilization of Crowds Using Cooperating Control Agents", IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, (Calgary), 8 double-column pages, May 2010.
  • R. Vanderwater and D.E. Davison, "A Dynamic Control Approach to Studying the Effectiveness of Rewards in Inducing Behavior and Attitude Change", IEEE International Conference on Control and Automation, (Christchurch, New Zealand), Dec 2009.
  • E.J. Davison, D.E. Davison, and S. Lam, "Multivariable Three-Term Optimal Controller Design for Large-Scale Systems", IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, (Shanghai), Dec 2009.
  • K. Spieser and D.E. Davison, "A Cooperative Multi-Agent Approach for Stabilizing the Psychological Dynamics of a Two-Dimensional Crowd", American Control Conference, (St. Louis), June 2009.
  • W.W. Kwok, D. Gaudette, and D.E. Davison, "Multivariable Controller Design in the Face of Sensor Delay: A Separation Principle Approach", IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering, (St. John's), May 2009.
  • K. Spieser and D.E. Davison, "Multi-Agent Stabilization of the Psychological Dynamics of One-Dimensional Crowds", Automatica, Feb 2009.
  • K. Spieser and D.E. Davison, "Stabilizing the Psychological Dynamics of People in a Queue", American Control Conference, (Seattle, WA), June 2008.
  • K. Bergey, K. Spieser, and D.E. Davison, "The Psychological Dynamics of Students in a Classroom: Modeling and Control Strategies Based on Le Bon's Crowd Theory", IEEE Conference on Control Applications (now part of IEEE Multi-Conference on Systems and Control), (Singapore), Oct. 2007.
  • W. Kwok and D.E. Davison, "Implementation of Stabilizing Control Laws: How many controller blocks are needed for a universally good implementation", IEEE Control Systems Magazine, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 55-60, Feb. 2007.
  • J. Stewart and D.E. Davison, "On Overshoot and Nonminimum Phase Zeros", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 51, No. 8, pp. 1378-1382, Aug. 2006.
  • W.W. Kwok and D.E. Davison, "A Separation Principle Associated with Sensor Time Delay Compensation in Feedback Control", IEEE Conference on Control Applications, (Munich), 6 double-column pages, Oct 2006. (This paper was a finalist in the Best Student Paper Award competition.)
  • D. Gaudette and D.E. Davison, "Performance Limitations Imposed by Sensor Time Delays in a General 2-DOF Control Scheme", American Control Conference, (Minnesota), 6 conference pages, June 2006.
  • J. Stewart and D.E. Davison, "Dose Control in Radiotherapy Cancer Treatment: Improving Dose Coverage with Estimation and Feedback", American Control Conference, (Minnesota), 6 conference pages, June 2006.
  • D.E. Davison, D. Gaudette, "Tumor-tracking in Radiotherapy: Parameterization of Sensor Time-delay Compensators and Associated Performance Limitations", IEEE Conference on Control Applications, (Toronto), pages 131-136, Aug. 2005.
  • D.E. Davison, J. Stewart, "Conformal Radiotherapy Cancer Treatment with Multileaf Collimators: Improving Performance with Real-Time Feedback", IEEE Conference on Control Applications, (Toronto), pages 125-130, Aug. 2005.
  • D.E. Davison, R. Milman, and E.J. Davison, "Optimal Transient Response Shaping for Model Predictive Control", IFAC World Congress, (Prague), 6 double-column pages, July 2005.
  • D.E. Davison, R. Tonita, "Performance Limitations in Control Systems with Sensor Time Delays", IFAC World Congress, (Prague), 6 double-column pages, July 2005.
  • E.J. Davison, D.E. Davison, and R. Milman, "Transient Response Shaping, Model Based Cheap Control, Saturation Indices, and MPC", European Journal of Control, Vol. 11, No. 5-6, pp. 288-300, Dec. 2005.
  • D.E. Miller and D.E. Davison, "Stabilization in the Presence of an Uncertain Arbitrarily Large Delay", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 50, No. 8, pp. 1074-1089, Aug. 2005.
  • D.E. Davison, E.S. Hwang, "Automating radiotherapy cancer treatment: Use of multirate observer-based control", American Control Conference, (Denver, Colorado), June 2003.
  • D.E. Davison, E.S. Hwang, X. Li, "Generalization of the separation principle beyond constant-gain state-feedback control", American Control Conference, (Denver, Colorado), June 2003.
  • D.E. Miller and D.E. Davison, "Use of Time-Varying Control to Achieve an Arbitrarily Large Delay Margin", Conference on Decision and Control (Las Vegas, Nevada), Dec. 2003
  • D.E. Miller and D.E. Davison, "A Linear Periodic Controller to Provide an Arbitrarily Large Delay Margin", IFAC Workshop on Time-Delay Systems, (Rocquencourt, France), 6 conference pages, Sept. 2003.
  • D.E. Davison and E.J. Davison, "Optimal transient shaping for the discrete-time servomechanism problem", IEE/IFAC/IEEE/EUCA European Control Conference, (Cambridge, UK), 6 conference pages, Sept. 2003.
  • D.E. Davison and E.J. Davison, "Optimal Transient Response Shaping of the Servomechanism Problem", Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Vol. 115, No. 3, pp. 491-515, Dec 2002.
  • D.E. Davison, "An Approach to Computing Bounds on H-infinity Performance Under Hard Constraints", American Control Conference, (Arlington VA), June 2001.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Robustness with Respect to Disturbance Model Uncertainty: Theory and Application to Autopilot Performance Analysis", Mathematical Problems in Engineering: Theory, Methods, and Applications.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Robustness with Respect to Disturbance Model Uncertainty: Analysis and Design", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 1556-1559, Aug. 1999.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Limitations of Disturbance Rejection in Feedback Systems with Finite Bandwidth", IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 1132-1144, June 1999.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "The V-transform: A Tool for Analysis of Control System Robustness With Respect to Disturbance Model Uncertainty", Mathematical Problems in Engineering: Theory, Methods, and Applications, Vol. 3, pp. 413-477, 1998.
  • D.E. Davison and S.A. Bortoff, "Stabilization Using Pseudolinearization and High-Gain Feedback", Automatica, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 245-251, Feb. 1997.
  • D.E. Davison, S.J. Cornelius, and K. Glover, "A Control Scheme to Produce a Catalyst Feedgas with Arbitrary Periodic Air-to-fuel Ratio", ASME International Congress and Exposition-Symposium on Advanced Automotive Technologies, (Orlando), Nov. 2000.
  • D.E. Davison, S.J. Cornelius, N. Collings, and K. Glover, "Observations of Trans-stoichiometric AFR spikes in UEGO sensors", SAE International Fall Fuels and Lubricants Meeting and Exposition, (Baltimore), Oct. 2000.
  • C. Gokcek, D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Robustness of Control Systems with Respect to Disturbance Model Uncertainty", IFAC World Congress, (Beijing), Vol. G, pp. 289-294, July 1999.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Loopshaping Using Pontryagin's Minimum Principle", American Control Conference, (San Diego, California), pp. 3280-3281, June 1999.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Analysis and Design of Robust Controllers in the Face of Disturbance Model Uncertainty", International Conference on Control devoted to the 60th anniversary of the Institute of Control Sciences, (Moscow), June 1999.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Applying Pontryagin's Minimum Principle in the Frequency Domain to Characterize Limitations on Disturbance Rejection", International Conference on Mathematics and Applications Dedicated to the 90th Anniversary of L.S. Pontryagin: Optimal Control Section, (Moscow), pp. 332-334, Sept. 1998.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Fundamental Limitations of Disturbance Rejection in Feedback Control Systems", 35th Annual Allerton Conference, (Urbana, Illinois), pp. 848-857, Sept. 1997.
  • D.E. Davison, P.T. Kabamba, and S.M. Meerkov, "Disturbance Gain and Bandwidth Margins: Definitions and Application to Autopilot Design", American Control Conference, (Albuquerque), pp. 1109-1110, June 1997.
  • D.E. Davison and S.A. Bortoff, "Regulation of the Acrobot", IFAC Nonlinear Control Systems Design Symposium (NOLCOS), (Tahoe City, California), pp. 390-395, June 1995.
  • D.E. Davison and S.A. Bortoff, "Enlarge Your Region of Attraction Using High-Gain Feedback", in Conference on Decision and Control, (Lake Buena Vista, Florida), pp. 634-639, Dec. 1994.

Recent Supervised Theses

  • Xiaomei Li, "Application of Feedback Control and Image Processing in Radiotherapy", MASc, 2003.
  • Tennille Whiteford, "A Linear Approach to Adaptive Control for Slowly Time-Varying Systems", MASc, 2004 (co-supervised with D.E. Miller)
  • Julie Vale, "The Human Immune System: A Challenging Control Problem", 2004.
  • Wilfred Kwok, "Parameterizations of sensor time-delay compensators and the separation principle", MASc, 2006.
  • James Stewart, "Radiotherapy Cancer Treatment: Investigating Real-Time Position and Dose Control, the Sensor-Delayed Plant Output Estimation Problem, and the Nonovershooting Step Response Problem", 2006
  • Darrell Gaudette, "H-infinity Performance limitations for problems with sensor time delays", MASc, 2008.
  • Kevin Spieser, "Stabilizing the Psychological Dynamics of People in a Crowd", MASc, 2008.
  • Ruth-Anne Vanderwater, "A Dynamic Control Approach to Modeling and Analysing the Effects of Rewards on Behaviour and Attitude Change", MASc, 2010.
  • Nasim Shams, "Decentralized Regulation of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Multi-Agent Systems", MASc, 2011.
  • Yining Liu, "A Targeting Approach to Disturbance Rejection in Multi-Agent Systems", MASc, 2012.

Current Graduate Students

  • David Bickford (MASc)
  • Noha Elprince (PhD)

Note to Potential Graduate Students

Due to email overload, I cannot respond to all unsolicited requests for information about graduate studies. If you are seriously interested in working with me, please note the following:

  1. Due to the commitment involved in the relationship between a professor and a graduate student, I will almost never take on a student without meeting him or her in person beforehand. At the very least, a telephone call is needed.
  2. It is difficult to quantify standards that should be applied to graduate school admission. However, my personal minimal standards include:
    1. At least an 80% (or A) average in undergraduate studies.
    2. A background that includes at least two undergraduate courses in the control systems field, with 85% or more earned in each.
    3. Very good written and verbal communication skills in English.
    4. Evidence of the right character traits (enthusiasm, care of detail, creativity, resourcefulness, curiosity, maturity,etc.).
  3. The faculty has a policy that all graduate students must be fully funded; consequently, if I do not have available funds and if a student does not have a scholarship, then I am not able to take on that student. Unfortunately, self-funding of students is not allowed! I strongly encourage students from Canadian universities to apply for NSERC and provincial scholarships before you plan to start graduate studies; deadlines are usually in September.

Note on Recommendation Letters

Like most professors, I receive many requests to write reference letters. This is a part of my job and, when on behalf of good students, a pleasure. However, to write the most effective letters and to avoid killing both trees and time needlessly, I thought it best to create the following guidelines.
 

For whom will I write a letter?

Issue

Points

You were in at least one of my classes

1 for every class

Your overall average is less than 70%

-10

Your overall average is 70% to 74%

-5

Your overall average is 75% to 79%

0

Your overall average is 80% to 84%

1

Your overall average is 85% to 89%

2

Your overall average is more than 90%

3

You are thinking of asking me for a NSERC reference letter, and your overall average is less than 90%.

-10

You are thinking of asking me for an OGS reference letter, and your average in the last two years is less than 88%.

-10

You did one or more URAs with me.

1 for each URA

You did a NSERC USRA term or co-op term with me

3 for each term

I supervised some other project of yours (for example, a fourth year design project)

1

You are pretty sure that I would not recognize you if I bumped into you at Canadian Tire.

-4

You are sure that, although I would probably recognize you, I probably would not know your name.

-2

You are sure that I would recognize you and, moreover, I would likely know your name.

1

You are positive that I would both recognize you and know your name.

2

Add up your points, and see what I am likely to decide:
 

Total Points

Decision

4 or less

Sorry, I cannot provide a letter that will be of any use to you. So please do not ask me to write one!

5 to 6

There's a good chance I can provide a meaningful letter.

7 to 8

I'm almost certain that I can provide a meaningful letter for you.

9 or more

I might ask you for a recommendation letter one day!

If I indicate I will write a letter for you

Please send me a single package (hardcopy or softcopy, but not a mixture) with all of the following information:

  • A covering page explaining what is in the package and summarizing key deadlines and mailing addresses (if applicable).
  • An up-to-date transcript (an unofficial copy is okay)
  • All of your detailed co-op assessments (the multiple-page forms filled out by your employers, not the one-page summary of your final co-op grades). If you haven't kept copies of the detailed reports, the co-op department has copies that you can have sent to me, for a small fee. (Unfortunately I am not allowed to request them myself.)
  • For each school or each scholarship application (ideally no more than 3 in total), I will need:
    • Any forms I have to fill out (be sure to fill out your part, if applicable!)
    • Clear instructions on deadlines and mailing instructions.
    • A copy of any Statement of Purpose or similar document that you have included with your application.

Final free advice to those applying to grad school

  • Apply to no more than three (3) graduate programs. It is better to focus on writing up a few excellent applications instead of a dozen mediocre applications. Moreover, your referees can write up better letters, tailored to specific institutions, if they have only a few letters to write per student. It's not very wise to burden your referees with piles of work; they will be spending effort and time on your behalf, so treat them nicely. A few years ago, a guy who was a decent (but not outstanding) student asked me to write 11 letters! I still curse his very name. And, by the way, I don't think he was accepted at any of the 11 places.
  • Be realistic. You are wasting everyone's time applying to all the top places under the illusion that you "just might" get in. There are plenty of excellent grad programs out there at universities other than MIT, Stanford, CalTech, and Berkeley. The 11-letter guy, for example, had essentially 0% chance of getting into most of the places he applied to.
  • Yes, the reputation of the university is important for graduate work, but the characteristics of your research supervisor are even more important. Spend time looking at potential supervisors: Do they have a big group (say 15 students) or a small one (say 2 students)? How much time do they spend with each student (2 hours per term or 2 hours per week)? Do they do more theoretical or more applied work? Do they really care about students? Are they away half the time at conferences and sabbaticals? Are they friendly? These types of questions matter.



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Last updated October 2012