About

I am a Senior Lecturer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Derby, where I contribute to teaching, research and academic development within the School of Engineering and Built Environment.

My role includes designing and delivering modules in control, electronics and automation, and supporting students in building strong practical and analytical skills. I also work within the wider academic team to enhance our programmes and strengthen industry-aligned learning. Through my research and professional activities, I aim to bring real engineering challenges into the classroom and help students connect theory with practical applications.

Teaching responsibilities

I teach modules across the following areas:

• Control engineering
• Power electronics
• Industrial electronics and automation
• Engineering design

My teaching includes lectures, laboratory sessions and practical workshops in which students learn to analyse circuits, design controllers and apply engineering methods to real engineering problems. I also incorporate advanced topics such as:

• Nonlinear control
• Modelling and simulation
• MIMO control systems
• Fuzzy control

These topics are often covered when supporting project work or teaching advanced modules. Alongside my teaching responsibilities, I supervise undergraduate and postgraduate projects and contribute to the development of new teaching materials that integrate software tools, hardware platforms and hands-on engineering activities.

Professional interests

My professional interests lie in system-level engineering, intelligent automation and the integration of advanced control with modern electrical and electronic systems.

I am particularly interested in how robust and adaptive algorithms can improve the safety, stability and efficiency of engineering systems in areas such as energy, transportation and autonomous platforms.

I also focus on engineering education, especially on designing practical, industry-focused learning experiences that help students develop high-level technical competence.

I enjoy building connections between academic research, industrial applications and student learning, ensuring that teaching remains relevant, modern and aligned with emerging technologies.

Research interests

My research focuses on:

• Adaptive and robust nonlinear control
• Advanced observer design
• Real-time implementation of control algorithms

I work on developing modelling, analysis and control methods for complex dynamical systems in a range of engineering domains, including:

• Vehicle dynamics and integrated stability control
• Battery management systems
• Renewable energy systems (wind and solar)
• Autonomous aerial and underwater robots
• Intelligent transportation and rail systems

In addition, I conduct research on:

• Computer-based simulation
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Digital twins, as tools for validating controllers under realistic operating conditions

I am also interested in the modelling and control of biological systems and disease dynamics, applying engineering approaches to support health-related research and decision-making.

Qualifications

I hold a BSc in Electronic Engineering, awarded in 2008, during which I completed a project on congestion control in computer networks and was recognized as the top graduate of my cohort.

I continued my studies with an MSc in Electrical Engineering – Control, completed in 2011, where I developed a sliding-mode control algorithm and achieved first rank in the programme.

I later completed my PhD in Electrical Engineering – Control in 2016, focusing on the development of new adaptive and observer-based non-linear control strategies for complex dynamical systems.

Recent conferences

• “Development of a Nonlinear Control Strategy for Quadrotors with Finite-Time Convergence Properties”
  10th International Conference on Control and Robotics Engineering (ICCRE), 2025.
• “Adaptive Sliding Mode Control for Nonlinear Heart Rhythm Regulation: A Model-Based Approach”,
  “Design of an Observer-Based Nonlinear Controller for Tracking Maximum Power Point in the Solar Cell”,
  30th International Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEE), 2022.
• “Two Degrees of Freedom Solar Cell Tracker Control Using Sliding Mode Method”,
  30th International Conference on Electrical Engineering (ICEE), 2022.
• “Pure Pursuit Guidance and Sliding Mode Control of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Pipeline Tracking”,
  5th International Conference on Control, Instrumentation and Automation, 2017.

In addition, I have served on the organising board and as a session chair for several conferences in control and electrical engineering and renewable energy, contributing to programme coordination and technical session leadership.

Experience in industry

I have collaborated with industrial partners on applied projects involving renewable energy systems, robotics systems and vehicle stability. My work has included system design, modelling, controller design, testing and simulation for systems used in real-world engineering environments.

International experience

I have established active international collaborations with several UK research groups and institutions. My work with the University of Aberdeen has focused on soft robotics and the nonlinear control of dielectric elastomer actuators.

I have collaborated with researchers at the University of Warwick on advanced estimation and control methods for lithium-ion battery state-of-charge estimation.

Additionally, I have worked with researchers at Loughborough University on vehicle dynamics, integrated stability control, and rehabilitation robotics.

Beyond these collaborations, I regularly engage with international researchers on joint publications, proposal development, and interdisciplinary engineering projects, contributing to the global research community in control, energy, and autonomous systems.

Recent publications

2025

• Kassim, S.O., Zou, J., Behnamgol, V., Vaziri, V., Aphale, S.S.,
  “Enhancing wide-band trajectory tracking and finite-time control of Dielectric Elastomer Actuators using nonsingular terminal sliding mode control scheme,” Mechatronics, 109, 103336, 2025.
• Mirzaei, M., Vali, A.R., Allahverdizadeh, F., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Finite-time lateral stability control of vehicles via longitudinal tire slip-based dynamic control allocation in limit handling manoeuvers,” Vehicle System Dynamics, 2025.
• Behnamgol, V., Mirzaei, M., Sohani, B.,
  “Enhanced vehicle lateral stability under unknown road conditions using finite-time smooth adaptive sliding mode control,” International Journal of Dynamics and Control, 13(6), 221, 2025.
• Behnamgol, V., Ehsani, M., Oraee, A., Barzamini, R., Sohani, B.,
  “Finite Time Power Regulation of BDFIG Using Adaptive Nonlinear Method,” Power, Control, and Data Processing Systems, 2(2), 2025.
• Behnamgol, V., Asadi, M., Aphale, S.S., Sohani, B.,
  “Recursive PID-NT Estimation-Based Second-Order SMC Strategy for Knee Exoskeleton Robots: A Focus on Uncertainty Mitigation,” Electronics, 14(7), 1455, 2025.
• Behnamgol, V., Asadi, M., Aphale, S.S.,
  “Adaptive sliding mode control with fixed-time stability for robust glucose regulation,” International Journal of Dynamics and Control, 13(4), 157, 2025.
• Ashtari Mahini, M., Hakimi, S.M., Naghavi, S.V., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Design of an Adaptive Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Controller to Adjust Voltage in DC Microgrids with Constant Power Load,” Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Electrical Engineering, 2025.
• Muhammad, E., Behnamgol, V., Vali, A., Kashaninia, A.,
  “Observer-based integrated smooth MIMO sliding mode control for coordinating AFS and DYC systems under uncertainties,” Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 47, 2025.

2024

• Mirzaei, M., Vali, A.R., Allahverdizadeh, F., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Fixed-time dynamic control allocation for the distribution of braking forces in a vehicle ESC system,” Nonlinear Dynamics, 112(24), 22009–22037, 2024.
• Behnamgol, V., Asadi, M., Mohamed, M.A.A., Aphale, S.S., Faraji Niri, M.,
  “Comprehensive review of lithium-ion battery state of charge estimation by sliding mode observers,” Energies, 17(22), 5754, 2024.
• Ehsani, M., Oraee, A., Abdi, B., Behnamgol, V., Hakimi, M.,
  “Adaptive dynamic sliding mode controller based on extended state observer for brushless doubly fed induction generator,” International Journal of Dynamics and Control, 12(10), 3719–3732, 2024.
• Muhammad, E., Behnamgol, V., Vali, A., Kashaninia, A., Mirzaei, M.,
  “Adaptive MIMO Sliding Mode Control for Enhanced Vehicle Stability with Coordinated AFS and DYC Systems,” Asian Journal of Control, 2024.
• Mirzaei, M., Vali, A., Alahvirdizadeh, F., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Robust vehicle stability control using smooth sliding mode and tire slip-based dynamic control allocation in ESC systems,” International Journal of Research and Technology in Electrical Industry, 3(2), 2024.
• Muhammad, E., Vali, A., Kashaninia, A., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Stability enhancement of hybrid electric vehicles using optimal fuzzy logic,” International Journal of Dynamics and Control, 12(4), 1130–1145, 2024.
• Ashtari, M., Hakimi, S.M., Naghavi, S.V., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Design of an Adaptive Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Controller to Adjust Voltage in DC Microgrids with Constant Power Load,” Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, 2024.

Selected Earlier Work (2015–2023)

• Esfahani, Z., Vali, A.R., Hakimi, S.M., Behnamgol, V., Abdi, B.,
  “Sliding mode controller design based on state estimation for underactuated AUVs in the presence of time-varying disturbances and uncertainties,” International Journal of Dynamics and Control, 11(4), 1637–1652, 2023.
• Semnani, M.A.A., Vali, A.R., Hakimi, S.M., Behnamgol, V.,
  “Modelling and design of observer based smooth sliding mode controller for heart rhythm regulation,” International Journal of Dynamics and Control, 10(3), 828–842, 2022.
• Behnamgol, V., Vali, A.R., Mohammadi, A.,
  “A new adaptive finite time nonlinear guidance law to intercept maneuvering targets,” Aerospace Science and Technology, 68, 416–421, 2017.
• Behnamgol, V., Vali, A.R.,
  “Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Nonlinear Systems with both Matched and Unmatched Uncertainties,” Iranian Journal of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, 11(2), 109–117, 2015.