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ELLIS Delft Talk by Javier Alonso-Mora

ELLIS Delft Talk by Javier Alonso-Mora 12 April 2022 16:00 (NOTE: the meeting moved from 5th -> 12th) This will be a hybrid meeting This meeting is open for all interested researchers. Motion Planning among Decision-Making Agents: Trajectory Optimization with Learned Cost Functions Abstract We move towards an era of smart cities, where autonomous vehicles will provide on-demand transportation while making our streets safer and mobile robots will coexist with humans. The motion plan of mobile robots and autonomous vehicles must, therefore, account for the interaction with other agents and consider that they are, as well, decision-making entities. For example, when humans drive a car, they are fully aware of their environment and how other drivers and pedestrians may react to their future actions. Towards this objective I will discuss several methods for motion planning and multi-robot coordination that leverage constrained optimization and reinforcement learning to achieve interactive behaviors with safety guarantees. Namely: using inverse reinforcement learning and social value estimation to achieve social behaviors; employing a learned policy to guide the motion planner in dense traffic scenarios or for information gathering; achieving social trajectories by learning a cost function from a dataset of human-driven vehicles; and learning to communicate the relevant information for multi-robot coordination. The methods are of broad applicability, including autonomous vehicles and aerial vehicles. Bio Javier Alonso-Mora is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cognitive Robotics of the Delft University of Technology, the director of the Autonomous Multi-robots Laboratory, a Principal Investigator at the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions and co-founder of The Routing Company. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. degree in robotics from ETH Zurich, in partnership with Disney Research Zurich. He serves as associate editor for Springer Autonomous Robots, and has served as associate editor for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, the Publications Chair for the IEEE International Symposium on Multi-Robot and Multi-Agent Systems 2021 and associate editor for ICRA, IROS and ICUAS. He is the recipient of several prizes and grants, including an ERC Starting Grant (2021), the ICRA Best Paper Award on Multi-robot Systems (2019), an Amazon Research Award (2019) and a talent scheme VENI award from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (2017). More info: https://www.autonomousrobots.nl/ To join this event, please contact Frans Oliehoek .

Product Evaluation Laboratory (PEL)

The Product Evaluation Laboratory, also referred to as the PEL or Product Lab , is a research facility within TU Delft. It offers services and facilities for conducting consumer research. It is special in the fact that it has its own consumer panel. Become a member Click here to join the PEL panel. You can register from the age of 16. Take a look inside: Panel members More information for panel members can be found here. On this page you can change your personal details and/or register for our panel. Research Information about completed, ongoing and upcoming research can be found here. Researchers More information for researchers, such as our facilities and the types of studies we support, can be found here. Contact Find out about how to get in touch with us here.

van Duijvenbode, J.R.

Profile TU Delft (2018 – current) Ph.D. candidate in Resource Engineering I obtained a MSc degree in the European Mining Course (EMC) from Delft University of Technology, Aalto University and RWTH Aachen. My master thesis was about: Development and Validation of Short-term Mine Planning Optimization Algorithms for a Sublevel Stoping Operation with Backfilling. Research PhD research into the behavioural Geology – Understanding how differences in geology influence metallurgical performance. The research topic consists of integrating collected information on metallurgical properties, directly or through proxies back into the resource model. The consideration of metallurgical costs is the only way forward to obtain truly optimized mining decisions, accounting for constraints and bottlenecks in the comminution circuit and chemical processing plant. This is important to better characterize metallurgical behavior of the plant feed, which allows for a morel optimal selection of process control settings. The envisioned solution will result in an increased recovery in combination with a lower utilization of energy and chemicals per tonne of processed material (lower environmental footprint). Consequently, overall OPEX will drop making lower grade ore economic while increasing the mineral resources that are available for conversion to ore reserves (lesser need to open up new mines). Moreover, a better characterization of mining blocks reduces the unintended processing of waste due to lower overall classification errors. Copromotor: Dr. M. Soleymani Shishvan Promotor(s): Dr. M. Buxton and Prof. Jan Dirk Jansen Jeroen van Duijvenbode PhD Candidate + 31 15 27 82262 J.R.vanDuijvenbode@tudelft.nl Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences Building 23 Stevinweg 1 / PO-box 5048 2628 CN Delft / 2600 GA Delft Room number: 3.21

Research

ELLIS Delft Talk by Guillaume Rongier

ELLIS Delft Talk by Guillaume Rongier Going beyond empirical relationships in geology: The example of total organic carbon 01 February 2022 16:00 Abstract While machine learning has a long history in geology, empirical relationships remain widely used. Through the example of total organic carbon (TOC), this talk will illustrate the close links between empirical relationships and machine learning, and the benefits of turning to machine learning. TOC is a measure of the proportion of organic carbon in rock samples typically gathered from boreholes. It can be used to assess the potential for hydrocarbons, understand rock mechanics, or assess reducing conditions for basin-hosted mineral systems, and is paramount when seeking to understand variations in paleo-environmental conditions. Since gathering and analyzing rock samples is expensive, empirical relationships have been developed to predict TOC from well logs, which are based on more widely available geophysical measurements into boreholes. Those empirical relationships come from geological and petrophysical principles implemented in mathematical models manually fitted to the data. This leads to several limitations, mainly poor generalization, inability to quantify uncertainties, time-consuming and subjective calibration that leads to reproducibility issues. But those empirical relationships can be rewritten as linear regressions, a simple change that solves many of the previous limitations. Turning to more advanced machine learning methods improves predictions by taking into account the non-linearity and variability in the data. Using the expert knowledge behind empirical relationships as input besides well logs improves the predictions as well: this shows that leveraging geological and petrophysical concepts through feature selection and engineering boosts machine learning performances. To join this event, please contact Frans Oliehoek .

How to present to keep your audience's attention | 19 April

How to present to keep your audience's attention | 19 April 19 April 2022 15:00 till 16:00 - Location: Auditorium - By: 3ME An inspirational session with Mark Robinson, known for his TED talk . What makes a great presentation? Why are so many workplace presentations so boring?! And what can you do to ensure that, the next time you give a presentation, you keep everyone's attention, from your first word to the last? Mark Robinson , TEDx speaker, presentation skills trainer, author and coach will share with us: The three essential elements of a great presentation; What question you need to ask yourself when preparing your presentation and; How to start your presentation to get everyone listening! This will be an interactive, fun and, above all, practical session. Sign up if you want to join!

Opening up and open access to DOCOMOMO information

Modern buildings that are threatened with demolition or disfigurement are regularly brought to the attention of DOCOMOMO International. In many cases the international DOCOMOMO community plays an important role in the preservation of these threatened buildings. To make the knowledge and information available for everyone, a lot of the material is made available online.

TRANSFORM-CE

Design researchers from TU Delft work together with the municipalities of Almere and Manchester to investigate how to increase the recycling rate of single use plastic (through injection-extrusion moulding and 3D printing), as well as to enhance uptake of recycled plastics by business and consumers.

Education

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Boost you Resillience

Develop yourself with the e-tool Gezondeboel Setbacks and challenges are a normal part of life, including student life. What you find challenging and how you deal with it is personal. It is important that you learn to deal with these challenges and grow from them. The Gezondeboel e-tool offers a wide range of online programmes that meet your development needs as a student. Think about topics such as stress, balance, decision making, planning, procrastination, fear of failure, perfectionism, feelings of loneliness and more. Use Gezondeboel as a self-help tool to strengthen your mental resilience. The programmes are suitable for everyone and offer practical tips for quick results. Choose a programme that suits you and follow it at your own pace, wherever and whenever you want - even via your mobile phone or tablet. You can follow as many programmes as you like, completely free and anonymously. Log in via the Student Portal using the link below. www.tudelft.nl/gezondeboel

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Month 2024: Aftermovie

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Month took place at TU Delft throughout October 2024, with the theme "United for Change, Together We Grow." This month featured over 20 events and activities organized by more than 35 contributors, providing a valuable opportunity for hands-on workshops, training sessions, and open discussions on various topics: Inclusive communication Unconscious bias Ally skills Neurodiversity Intercultural teamwork Good practices in EDI Girls in Tech Queer emancipation Emotional intelligence at work Deep Democracy and Inclusion Inclusive education Aftermovie Thanks to all faculties, student associations, networks, Diversity & Inclusion office for making this month possible! In this short aftermovie , you can get a glimpse of some (of the many) highlights of this month!

Don’t forget to terminate your enrolment after the final part of your study

Your termination of registration does not happen automatically! Have you completed the final part of your study? Please be aware that you need to send a request to terminate your enrolment through Studielink as it will not be done automatically. When you terminate your enrolment at TU Delft, you are entitled to a refund of one twelfth of the annual tuition fee for each month of the academic year in which you are no longer enrolled, with the exception of termination as from July and August. Enrolment termination with retroactive effect is not possible. Be aware! If you are not enrolled and you still use educational or examination facilities (including taking exams) there will be financial consequences. It can also affect your student grants and/or student travel product. For more information, please check the Student Administration website: Termination of Enrolment (tudelft.nl)

Celebrating One Year of Work Package ‘Future Skills for Engineers and Scientists’

Work Package ‘Future Skills for Engineers and Scientists’, marked one year of work with the completion of our Future Competencies Report. The report consists of our analysis of student surveys, alumni surveys, and self-conducted interviews. Notably, it includes a taxonomy of future competencies and future challenges, with further explanation about specific terms and trends. Over the coming months, these competencies and challenges will form the foundation for a SWOT analysis that aims to determine areas that we, as an alliance, need to address to advance European and technological development. During this process, we will seek to further align with our other ENHANCE work packages, such as those on Future Learning pedagogies and Sustainable Entrepreneurship, and continue to engage key stakeholders in European education, government and industry. If you would like to receive a digital copy of the Future Competencies Report, please contact g.r.penny@tudelft.nl Upcoming Work Package 4 events: 6 November 2025, TU Delft – Work Package 4 ‘Future Skills for Engineers and Scientists’ and Work Package ‘Diversity, Impact and Dissemination’ workshop: A DEI Perspective on Future Engineering Competencies and Challenges. 13 and 14 February 2025, TU Delft – Annual Work Package 4 meeting.

Work Package ‘IT Infrastructure and Services’ meetings

On the 5th and the 6th of September, the TU Delft was hosing the meeting with the work package ‘IT Infrastructure and Services’ leads from RWTH Aachen to discuss IT requirements and solutions aimed at enhancing the learner’s journey and reducing administrative burdens. In addition to this visit from RWTH Aachen, ETH Zurich hosted the inaugural IT Knowledge Hub. The event was a resounding success, bringing together IT and Education officers to collaborate and gain a deeper understanding of the innovative IT improvements needed to better serve our universities and the ENHANCE Alliance. This gathering provided a fantastic opportunity for closer collaboration and innovation.
ELLIS Delft Unit Logo

9 researchers from ELLIS Unit Delft honoured with Fellows or Scholars title

TU Delft has participated in ELLIS since 2019, currently with over 30 active members within the ELLIS Unit Delft. A total of nine researchers have recently been honour with an ELLIS Fellow or Scholar title.

A rudimentary quantum network link between Dutch cities

An international research team led by QuTech has demonstrated a network connection between quantum processors over metropolitan distances. Their result marks a key advance from early research networks in the lab towards a future quantum internet. The team developed fully independently operating nodes and integrated these with deployed optical internet fibre, enabling a 25 km quantum link. The researchers published their findings in Science Advances.

Bachelor students develop model to better understand the chemical process of renewable fuels

A group of TU Delft bachelor students has developed, as part of the students’ minor in Computational Science and Engineering, a new model that accurately predicts the molecular properties of alkanes. This knowledge is crucial for the development of renewable fuels.

Battling the data hunger of Big Tech

Devices like smartphones and laptops have become indispensable in our daily lives. By using them, we share vast amounts of data, such as photos, personal information, and location details. Despite protective legislation, large tech companies have increasing control over how data is gathered and processed, expanding their power. TU Delft researchers Seda Gürses and Lilika Markatou are working to expose the practices of Big Tech and develop new privacy protocols and systems to curb this power and better protect users.

How do we keep the internet, and therefore Dutch and European society, safe?

Scientific research is rarely performed by an individual scientist; it usually involves the work of an entire team of people. Besides this, some topics and challenges are so complex and multifaceted that they affect various faculties and call for multidisciplinary approaches. At TU Delft, a team of researchers and support staff have joined forces to tackle the issue of improving cybersecurity and detecting cybercrime. How do we keep the internet, and therefore Dutch and European society, safe?

Researchers hand over Position Paper to Tweede Kamer

On behalf of the TU Delft PowerWeb Institute, researchers Kenneth Brunninx and Simon Tindemans are handing over a Position Paper to the Dutch Parliament on 14 November 2024, with a possible solution to the major grid capacity problems that are increasingly cropping up in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is unlikely to meet the 2030 climate targets, and one of the reasons for this is that large industry cannot switch to electricity fast enough, partly because of increasingly frequent problems around grid capacity and grid congestion. In all likelihood, those problems will actually increase this decade before they can decrease, the researchers argue. The solution offered by the TU Delft PowerWeb Institute researchers is the ‘flexible backstop’. With a flexible backstop, the current capacity of the power grid can be used more efficiently without sacrificing safety or reliability. A flexible backstop is a safety mechanism that automatically and quickly reduces the amount of electricity that an electric unit can draw from the grid (an electric charging station or a heat pump) or deliver (a PV installation). It is a small device connected or built into an electrical unit, such as a charging station or heat pump, that ‘communicates’ with the distribution network operator. In case of extreme stress on the network, the network operator sends a signal to the device to limit the amount of power. Germany recently introduced a similar system with electric charging stations. The backstop would be activated only in periods of acute congestion problems and could help prevent the last resort measure, which is cutting off electricity to users. ‘Upgrading the electricity network remains essential, but in practice it will take years. So there is a need for short-term solutions that can be integrated into long-term planning. We, the members of the TU Delft PowerWeb Institute, call on the government, network operators and regulator to explore the flexible backstop as an additional grid security measure,’ they said. The entire Paper can be read here . Kenneth Brunninx Associate Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Governance and Management, where he uses quantitative models to evaluate energy policy and market design with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions. Simon Tindemans is Associate Professor in the Intelligent Electrical Power Grids group at Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. His research interests include uncertainty and risk management for power grids. TU Delft PowerWeb Institute is a community of researchers who are investigating how to make renewable energy systems reliable, future proof and accessible to everyone.

TU Delft and Urenco invest together in nuclear talent

Uranium enricher Urenco and TU Delft are teaming up to develop new generations of nuclear scientists. Urenco is supporting the Delft Excellent Laboratory Facilities for Innovation and Nuclear Education (DELFINE) programme for three years to increase the pool of nuclear talent who can work to find solutions to the challenges society faces.

Empowering professionals – vital for the longevity of any organisation

Empowering professionals – vital for the longevity of any organisation “Employers need to recognise that allowing employees to develop themselves is essential to business success, and space must be made for that,” says Willem van Valkenburg, Executive Director of TU Delft’s Extension School for Continuing Education. In a recent Topic Talks interview on New Business Radio , van Valkenburg highlighted the need for a robust learning culture within organisations to keep pace with an evolving job market and rapid technological advancements. Barriers to continous development Reflecting on the learning culture in the Netherlands, as an example, van Valkenburg pointed out an often-overlooked barrier: although resources for professional development exist, business needs frequently take precedence, sidelining employee growth. “Employers must actively create environments that encourage continuous learning and foster dialogue about upskilling and growth opportunities. This is especially crucial for companies struggling with unfilled vacancies. When staffing is low, the demand on existing employees intensifies, making it harder to prioritise time for learning.” Recognising these challenges, TU Delft has developed short-duration online courses to help professionals fit learning around their work responsibilities. The importance of up-to-date skills is clear: businesses need to adopt new technologies to remain competitive, yet they often face skills gaps that traditional training does not cover. Van Valkenburg shared an example of a professional who, after completing TU Delft’s AI in Manufacturing course, applied their learning to increase production by 50%. To address the need for specialised knowledge, TU Delft’s approach goes beyond standard coursework, fostering innovation through collaborative learning communities. “Our learning communities bring together researchers, professionals, and policymakers to collaboratively address real-world problems. This structure enables participants to learn while actively solving practical challenges,” explained van Valkenburg. Throughout the conversation, van Valkenburg emphasised the value of aligning academic expertise with industry needs. By integrating TU Delft’s research into their courses, participants have access to the latest advancements, keeping them at the forefront of their fields. “Our courses, accessible in English and designed for a global audience, allow professionals from diverse sectors to stay ahead of technological shifts,” he said. Tangible impact In addition to cutting-edge content, the Extension School maintains a learner-centred approach. Feedback is integral, helping TU Delft ensure its courses remain relevant and impactful. “What moves me the most are people in developing countries who say, ‘I took a course on solar energy. With the knowledge I gained, I wrote a project plan to install solar panels in our village. Now, we have more electricity and can develop ourselves further.'" Building lifelong learning at all levels is essential to creating a resilient workforce and a sustainable future. TU Delft’s Extension School is committed to keeping these conversations alive, empowering professionals worldwide to drive meaningful change. For those interested in hearing the full interview in Dutch, please click the link. Luister hier Support Willem van Valkenburg and our work by giving us a shout-out on LinkedIn linkedin

Large meltwater accumulation revealed inside Greenland Ice Sheet

A new study published in Nature unveils a surprising discovery: a substantial amount of meltwater is temporarily stored within the Greenland Ice Sheet during summer months. For the first time, an international group of researchers was able to quantify meltwater with positioning data. The finding challenges current models of how ice sheets contribute to global sea level rise.

TU Delft and Urenco invest together in nuclear talent

Uranium enricher Urenco and TU Delft are teaming up to develop new generations of nuclear scientists. Urenco is supporting the Delft Excellent Laboratory Facilities for Innovation and Nuclear Education (DELFINE) programme for three years to increase the pool of nuclear talent who can work to find solutions to the challenges society faces.

Revolutionary terahertz spectrometer: a step forward in space observation

Researchers at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), in close collaboration with SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and LongWave Photonics LLC, have achieved a breakthrough in terahertz spectroscopy—a vital technology to study galaxies, stars, and planetary formation. They created a centimeter-sized, lightweight terahertz spectrometer that could replace traditional half-meter-sized, bulky, and heavy spectrometers in future space observatories. The new device could significantly reduce costs and offer greater flexibility in launching, making these space observatories more affordable and feasible. The innovation is published in Laser & Photonics Reviews.

Vevox Legacy PowerPoint add-in to be phased out September 2025

Vevox will end it’s support of the Legacy PowerPoint add-in after September 2025.

E-Tool Gezondeboel

Challenges and setbacks are part of life, and therefore also of student life. What you experience as challenging and how you respond to it is personal. It is important that you can deal with challenges or learn how to deal with them. You can develop yourself further in this area. The e-tool Gezondeboel offers a variety of specific online programmes. These match the developmental needs of students and PhDs. Think about themes such as stress, balance, making choices, planning, procrastination, fear of failure, perfectionism, feelings of loneliness, living in a different culture and more. You can use Gezondeboel as a self-help tool to strengthen your mental resilience. Everyone can benefit from Gezondeboel's online programmes and achieve quick wins. Follow a programme that suits you. At your own pace, at a time that suits you. You can also do this via your phone or tablet. You can follow as many programmes as you like. Free of charge and anonymously. Log-in via the studentportal/the link below (switch to the English version of the website by changing your language settings): www.tudelft.nl/gezondeboel

Statement RvT

Social safety at TU Delft is an issue which is close to our hearts as the Supervisory Board and it pains us whenever we hear that students and staff do not feel safe. It is a matter which concerns us greatly. Given our supervisory role, we therefore consider it to be a top priority to keep a close eye on the implementation of the Social Safety and Integrity Plan for Change. Although we realise that implementation and visible change take time, by the same token it is helpful if initial steps can be taken, and that is certainly now the case. Examples of such steps are the discussions with participation bodies and the fact that we invite experts in the field to our meetings and receive updates from the social safety project leader (Olivier Sueur) and the portfolio holder on the executive board (Tim van der Hagen). These steps enable us to monitor progress, ask questions and then use those questions as a basis for assessing whether the action plan is generating the desired results. The role we are required to fulfil also means we actively engage in discussions on progress with the minister. As we previously stated (Delta interview of 28 June), the executive board has our full confidence and this confidence has been backed up by the progress made with regard to implementing the action plan. It goes without saying that support for the executive board is something we assess on an ongoing basis. We would like to reiterate once again that all of us need to take responsibility for social safety and you cannot just leave it to a few individuals. We all need to challenge each other to take this joint responsibility now and in the future. We too want to see results and we should, of course, be held accountable if change does not happen quickly enough. However difficult it sometimes might be, we need to give each other time and space, while still being mindful of each other's roles and responsibilities. In any event, we are and will remain closely involved in social safety and take our responsibility in that respect. We therefore do not agree with the CNV's view that the supervisory board failed to intervene and we believe we are fulfilling our responsibilities in our own way and in good faith.

Puzzling over behavioural models for sustainable greenhouse horticulture

Due to the uncertainties of human behaviour, policies often play out differently in practice than what one might expect based on rational models. Researcher Emile Chappin aims to better align policy and practice by modelling human behaviour to accelerate the energy transition. In his research, he wants to give the greenhouse horticulture sector a boost in using clean energy more intelligently and profitably by using computer simulations that include behavioural uncertainties.