Saeid Nahavandi

Roles and Affiliations: Distinguished Professor Saeid Nahavandi is the inaugural Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Chief of Defence Innovation at Swinburne University of Technology. He leads defence innovation and research strategy, with a focus on autonomous systems, robotics, and AI. Previously, he served as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Defence Technologies) at Deakin University and founded its Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation.

Research Focus: Specializes in robotics, haptics, autonomous systems, AI, and advanced modelling/simulation. His work bridges academia and industry, with collaborations spanning Airbus, Boeing, NASA, and NATO. He has secured over $150M in funding and established three tech startups. Key research areas include motion simulation, teleoperation systems, and defence technologies.

Articles Overview: Over 1,300 publications span AI, robotics, and control engineering. Recent work emphasizes autonomous navigation reviews, uncertainty-aware AI, and motion cueing algorithms. His research addresses real-world applications like driver distraction detection and robotic ultrasound.

Awards and Recognition: Recipient of the 2022 Clunies Ross Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2021 Australian Space Awards Researcher of the Year, and multiple engineering excellence accolades. A Fellow of ATSE, IEEE, and other leading institutions.

Grants & Industry Impact: Led ARC Training Centres for automated vehicles and energy storage. Notable grants include a $15M ARC Training Centre for Automated Vehicles in Rural/Remote Regions (2024–2029). Collaborates globally on defence, aerospace, and smart transportation projects.

Labs & Teams: Heads Swinburne’s Defence Innovation Group and collaborates with Harvard University (as an Associate) and the University of Windsor (adjunct professor). Advises governments and industries on technology strategy and innovation.