Mohayad Omer

Mohayad Omer is a Researcher in the Faculty of Engineering at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium, holding a PhD in Engineering Technology. His research focuses on robotics and control systems for non-prehensile object manipulation, with current leadership of the FWO-funded project 'FWOSB178: Safe control for non-prehensile object transportation using a heterogeneous robot team' (2024-2028).

He completed his Master's degree in 2023 at VUB with the thesis 'Constrained Control For Dynamic Non-prehensile Object Transportation: Modeling, Control, and Optimization of a Franka Emika Panda Robot for Non-Sliding and Non-Prehensile Object Transportation' under supervisors Merckaert, K. and Van de Perre, G. His research fingerprint identifies core expertise in Robotics (80%), Gravitation modeling (94%), Friction dynamics (73%), and Cone-based manipulation (100%).

His work bridges mechanical engineering and control theory to develop safe transportation methods without object grasping, emphasizing real-world applications in industrial automation. Recent publications demonstrate specialization in constraint control for flexible manipulators and non-prehensile transportation, addressing dynamic challenges in heterogeneous robot teams.

• 1st Place Award in the Real-World Challenge - IEEE MRS 2024
• 1st place in IEEE MRS, Virtual challenge (August 2024)

Omer serves as principal investigator for the €250,000 FWO project FWOSB178, developing control strategies for multi-robot object transportation. While no current advisees are documented, his 2023 Master's thesis supervision suggests mentoring experience. He actively contributes to academic discourse through conference presentations at the 43rd Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control (2024) and the IEEE RAS Summer School on Multi-Robot Systems (2024).

His research operates within VUB's robotics group, collaborating with Bram Vanderborght and Greet Van de Perre on advanced manipulation techniques. Current activities include developing optimization frameworks for Franka Emika Panda robots and participating in the 44th Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control (2025).