Ludovic Krundel has been a research student in Micro-Electronic Systems Engineering for Robotics within the Electronic Systems Design research group of the department. His research focuses on Biologically-Inspired Micro-Processes for Hardware Devices such as FPGAs and ASIC-based electronic chips, notably in the area of digital and discrete modelling of nervous system.
Research Engineer Krundel was awarded a departmental Ph.D. scholarship. Early in 2009, his project of academic partnership with Wany Robotics company was short-listed (top five within about 100 candidates world-wide from postgraduate students to professors).
Recently, RE Krundel has reached high-level of expertise in the study of alternative and artificial forms of life's phenomena and has several publications in the area.
He is also currently assigned for the edition of the proceedings of the "2nd International Symposium on Neural Networks and Econophysics: from superconducting junctions to financial markets", Department of Physics.
Expertise
Adaptive and blind signal processing
Advanced scientific visualization
Algorithms and architectures for high-performance real-time controllers
Applications of advanced control techniques
Applications of Systems Engineering
Autonomous systems
Distributed estimation and techniques
Engineering for enduring capability
Failure of electronic devices
Frequency Synchronisation Techniques
Human Factors
In Silico Biology
Integration of complex systems
Iterative (Turbo) Equalization and Estimation Techniques
Iterative decoding
Modelling and Simulation (including virtual/synthetic environments)
Modelling Complex Adaptive Systems
Multisensor fusion
Signal Processing
Systems Engineering
Systems Theory and Practice
Technology Development and Roadmapping
Feedback control systems analysis and design
Machine learning
Robust control
Keywords
machine learning
bottom-up design
asynchronous systems
rule adaptation
neural fabrics
cellular automata
ALife (Artificial Life)
PSO methods (Particle Swarm Optimization methods)
action learning
cognitive robotics
neuromorphic algorithms
strong AI (AI-complete / AI-hard problems)
neuro-modulation
autonomous design
Objective: A postdoctoral position to develop further his research skills on innovative spontaneous emergence of artificial life phenomena in microelectronic hardware: SoC (System-on-a-Chip), and later obtain an entry-level position as a frontier research scientist.
In 2000 Mr Krundel earned a BSc (good hons) in Sciences and Technologies for Engineering from Montpellier University II of Sciences in Southern France.
He was then admitted by the highly selective French engineering school Polytech'Montpellier (formerly known as ISIM) on Montpellier University II campus, where he received full training towards being immediately operational as a design engineer for semiconductor industry in microelectronics (from front-end to back-end) and for automation including robotics, networks, adaptive systems, etc.
In 2003 he was granted the degree of MEng upon completion of this formal training, for which summer placements were strongly advised and a final five-month placement was mandatory in addition to a final major project.
He chose to do the two summer placements with Alstom company and then with Solem Cap Alpha company in Southern France, and the final placement with Philips Research Labs (internationally known as The Nat.Lab.) in Eindhoven, Holland (The Netherlands), which he decided to extend up to nine months and an IEEE publication came out of this 'design automation' research work. Besides, the final project was conducted along with a partnership between the LIRMM of Montpellier and iRoC Technologies company of Grenoble in France.
Due to rankings within and concurrently with the final year of the MEng training, he was allowed and decided to prepare a one-year postgraduate research degree required before French doctoral studies at the Doctoral School of Montpellier University II (also in 2003). Completion made him earning an MPhil (with hons) in Microelectronic and Automatic Systems in line with his then confirmed utmost desire to pursue a career in research. The research project at Philips also counted towards partial fulfillment of this degree.
During the year 2004, Research Engineer Krundel volunteered to participate in the foundation of the spin-out Menta Company, where he was also involved as a digital design engineer.
In the same year, he was granted ten or so PhD scholarships and EngD sponsorships in France and England. He decided to take on the offer at Loughborough University due to the openness of the research topic, the potential for creating a new area of research during the very studies, the renown of the department and particular excellence of his supervisors in their respective fields.
PhD title: Autonomous Design in Highly-Adaptive Hardware Neuro-Controller for Human-Level Communication with and Intelligent Control of Performing Machines
The original part of the work involves development of a "seed blueprint" with novel techniques for maximizing both its growth speed and accuracy against arbitrary specifications of high-level functions and skills. This experimental bottom-up self-development is achieved through utilization of conventional top-down methodologies such as FPGA/ASIC design flows that require industrial and experimental EDA (electronic design automation) tools such as Xilinx ISE and Balsa respectively.
Besides, innovative methodologies have been elaborated along with mapping of observed biological and natural phenomena onto purposely designed micro-processes implemented by in-house reconfigurable micro-architectures of integrated circuits: neuro-controller co-processor.
Main topics include Hardware Cellular Automata and Hardware Neural Networks for artificial neural tissue formation on integrated circuits.
The bottom-up approach adopted requires extensive analyses of emerged phenomena as well as concentrating on "harnessing emergence" for purposes of creating autonomous learning behaviours as well as enabling top-to-bottom mechanisms for autonomous design of new functions as required on-the-fly by the (arbitrary) performing machine under consideration and controlled by the neuro-controller (neural tissue on chip) thereby developed and investigated.
View all Mr Krundel’s publications in the central publications database
Selected Publications
[1] Yimin Zhou, Ludovic Krundel, David Mulvaney, and Vassilios Chouliaras, “Dynamic Rule Learning in Cellular Neural Network Design – On an Autonomous Design Chip” in ITIP2010: Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE sponsored 2nd International Conference on Intellectual Technique in Industrial Practice (ITIP 2010), http://www.iita-conference.org/itip2010, Changsha, China, Sep. 8–9, 2010, p. 6. [Online]. Available: http://www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~ellak/ITIP2010final_YZ_LK.pdf
(Co-author of full paper from my work.)
[2] L. A. Krundel, D. J. Mulvaney, and V. A. Chouliaras, “Autonomous Design in VLSI: Growing and Learning on Silicon” in ISVLSI2010: Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE Computer Society Annual Symposium on VLSI (ISVLSI conference), Conference Center, Lixouri, Kefalonia, Greece, Jul. 5–7, 2010, p. 5. [Online]. Available: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/ISVLSI.2010.109
(Full paper and poster.)
[3] L. A. Krundel, D. J. Mulvaney, and V. A. Chouliaras, “Autonomous Design in VLSI: an In-House Universal Cellular Neural Platform” in ISVLSI2010: Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE Computer Society Annual Symposium on VLSI (ISVLSI conference), Conference Center, Lixouri, Kefalonia, Greece, Jul. 5–7, 2010, p. 3. [Online]. Available: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/ISVLSI.2010.29
(Paper and poster.)
[4] L. A. Krundel, D. J. Mulvaney, and V. A. Chouliaras, “Self-Adaptive Compact Neuro-Controller for Natural Interaction and Training of Autonomous Communicating Robots,” in SIRCon2009: Proceedings of the 2009 International Conference on Service and Interactive Robotics (SIRCon), IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE–RAS) and Robotics Society of Taiwan (RST), Taipei World Trade Center, Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei, Taiwan. IEEE Computer Society, Aug. 6–8, 2009, p. 10.
(Full paper and oral presentation.)
[5] L. A. Krundel, “Harnessing Emergence with Self-Organization for Autonomous Architecture Design and High-Level Adaptation,” in Showcase of Research School of Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK. SEIC, Jul. 6, 2009.
(Oral presentation and poster.)
[6] Ludovic Krundel, “Self-Organizing Strategies for the Emergence of Goal-Adaptive Behaviours in Autonomous Communicating Machines,” in The 2nd International Symposium on Neural Networks and Econophysics: from superconducting junctions to financial markets, Department of Physics and Business School, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK. European Science Foundation (ESF) – Arrays of Quantum Dots and Josephson Junctions (AQDJJ) Network-Programme and Loughborough University, Jun. 13–17, 2009.
(Oral lecture.)
[7] Ludovic Krundel, “Neural Networks with Cellular Automata,” in Symposium on Neural Networks and Cellular Automata: from superconducting junctions to biology, Department of Physics, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK. European Science Foundation (ESF) – Arrays of Quantum Dots and Josephson Junctions (AQDJJ) Network-Programme and Loughborough University, Feb. 4–5, 2008.
(Oral lecture.)
[8] L. A. Krundel, V. A. Chouliaras, and D. J. Mulvaney, “A Knowledgeable Authority for Interactive Hardware Design Capture Support,” in VLSI-SoC 2006: Digest of Papers of the 2006 International Conference on Very Large Scale Integration (IFIP VLSI-SoC), IEEE, IFIP, Nice, France, Oct. 16–18, 2006, pp. 13–18. [Online]. Available: http://vassilios-chouliaras.com/pubs/c38.pdf
(Full paper and poster.)
[9] L. A. Krundel, S. K. Goel, E.-J. Marinissen, M.-L. Flottes, and B. Rouzeyre, “User-Constrained Test Architecture Design for Modular SoC Testing,” in ETS’04: Proceedings of the European Test Symposium, Ninth IEEE ETS’04, Ajaccio, Corsica: IEEE Computer Society, May 23–26, 2004, pp. 80–85. [Online]. Available: http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/ETSYM.2004.1347611
(Full paper and oral presentation.)
[10] Ludovic Krundel, “Constrained Test Architecture Design for Modular SoC Testing,” in Combined M.Phil. and final year M.Eng. master’s thesis report, Philips Research Laboratories, The Nat.Lab, High Tech Campus 5, 5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Oct. 31, 2003, p. 111.
(Master’s thesis report and final major oral presentation to the research staff of Philips Research related to this work.)
[11] Ludovic Krundel, “Turbo-Codes”, a literature review: prepared at and submitted from Philips Research Laboratories, The Nat.Lab, High Tech Campus 5, 5656 AE, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Aug. 31, 2003, and submitted to and presented at Polytech’Montpellier, Montpellier University 2, France, Sep. 30, 2003, p. 10.
(Paper and oral presentation.)
[12] Ludovic Krundel, and David Veyrié, “Conception d’une Matrice de Circuits Robustes / Radiation-Proofing of SRAM, based on Toshiba design”, in final project M.Eng. master’s thesis, prepared at and submitted from the LIRMM Labs, Montpellier, France, and for iRoC Technologies Company, Grenoble, France, Jan. 5, 2003, and submitted to and presented at Polytech’Montpellier, Montpellier University 2, France, Jan. 31, 2003, p. 66.
(Master’s thesis and oral presentation.)
