Anastasios Lekkas

Anastasios Lekkas is an Associate Professor at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He serves as the Director of SFI Autoship since August 2022 and is the Project Manager for the EXAIGON project (2020-2024), funded by the Research Council of Norway. His primary affiliations include NTNU's Department of Engineering Cybernetics and NTNU Oceans. He holds leadership roles in strategic initiatives focused on autonomous systems and explainable AI.

Education:

• PhD in Engineering Cybernetics, NTNU, Norway (2014)
• Diploma in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Patras, Greece (2008)

Research Interests:
Dr. Lekkas focuses on merging Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods with control engineering to develop advanced cyber-physical systems, particularly for marine applications. His work emphasizes autonomous systems in surface and underwater vehicles, explainable AI for critical systems, and robotics. Key areas include reinforcement learning for navigation, AI planning for underwater drones, and energy-efficient control strategies for autonomous ferries.

Key Projects:
- EXAIGON (2020-2024): Developing explainable AI systems for business-critical applications with a 20 MNOK budget (16 MNOK from RCN).
- SEAVENTION (2018-2021): Focused on AI planning and control for underwater intervention drones.
- NTNU Autoferry (2018-2021): Addressing automation and autonomy in all-electric passenger ferries.

Advising and Grants:
He has supervised multiple PhD and MSc students, including main supervision of four PhD candidates and co-supervision of others. His grants include leadership in EXAIGON and participation in initiatives like NextGenIMR (2013-2017). Active in coordinating EU-funded projects and managing NTNU Oceans' EU affairs.

Labs/Teams:
- SFI Autoship: Leading the Centre for autonomous shipping and operations.
- EXAIGON Team: Collaborating with industry partners to advance explainable AI in critical sectors.