Sebastian Oberst

Dr. Sebastian Oberst is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra. His research focuses on vibration and acoustics, mechanical characterization, and vibration/noise control, with particular expertise in microvibrations related to insect communication. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of nonlinear time series analysis, chaotic dynamics, and statistical uncertainty analysis in mechanical systems.

Dr. Oberst's primary research interests include:

• Stability behavior of deployable, flexible structures of nano-satellites
• Friction-induced vibrations & sound (e.g., automotive disc brake squeal)
• Vibrational communication in insects (e.g., ants, termites)
• Mechanical characterization and vibration/noise control
• Nonlinear time series analysis and chaotic dynamics
• Statistical and uncertainty analysis in vibration systems

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on applying advanced signal processing techniques to vibration analysis, particularly in biological systems and engineered structures. Dr. Oberst has pioneered methods for analyzing microvibrations in insect communication and has made significant contributions to understanding brake squeal phenomena through nonlinear dynamics approaches. His work bridges the gap between theoretical vibration analysis and practical engineering applications.

Dr. Oberst has secured significant research funding through multiple Australian Research Council grants and industry partnerships:

• Lead Chief Investigator for "Discovering how termites use vibrations to thrive in a predators' world" (ARC Discovery Project DP200100358, 2020-2022)
• Chief Investigator for "Metamaterials for control of acoustic radiation forces" (ARC Discovery Project DP200101708, 2020-2022)
• Chief Investigator for "National Laser-Based Non-Destructive Evaluation System" (ARC LIEF LE180100041, 2018)
• Lead Chief Investigator for "Bio-inspired vibration-reduction for sensing and detection" (NSW Department of Industry, 2020)
• Chief Investigator for "Enhanced detection, localisation and identification of sand-covered naval mines" (NSW Department of Industry, 2021)

Dr. Oberst teaches across several engineering disciplines including Statics, Dynamics, Thermofluids, Introduction to vibration, Acoustics, Instrumentation, and Statistics. His research lab focuses on experimental and numerical vibration analysis, with particular emphasis on biological vibration systems and engineered mechanical structures. Current projects include developing micro-exciter devices to mimic insect vibration signals, analyzing termite nest morphology, and investigating acoustic radiation forces for contactless manipulation of objects.