Daniel Toal

Daniel Toal is Chair of Electrical Engineering and Robotics in the ECE Department at UL and Director of the Centre for Robotics & Intelligent Systems.  Born in Dublin, Dan is a chartered engineer in Electrical and Systems Engineering: (Hons Dip Elec Eng, Dublin Institute of Technology; BSc (eng) University of Dublin (TCD) 1984;  MSc – Manufacturing Systems Engineering, Cranfield University, UK, 1986; PhD Marine Robotics, University of Limerick (UL) 2004).  He has worked in the Electrical Power and High Voltage sector with GEC in Britain. He has worked in Automation Research and Systems Engineering including major systems engineering reorganization projects in the UK and Ireland and has worked in AMT consultancy in the electronics industry sector. Dan has taught: Automation, Robotics, Instrumentation, Avionics, Sensors, Electrical Machines. His research interests include renewable energy integration and field robotics for challenging environments (land-based, marine, airborne / ROVs, AUVs, UAVs). Successes in research are the result of hard work driven by the vision that the Marine Technology, Ocean Environment; Renewable Energy Sectors will grow in crucial importance. Daniel is the founder and director of CRIS the Center for Robotics & Intelligent Systems at the University of Limerick and is Co PI of the SFI Centre MaREI – Marine and Renewable Energy Ireland www.marei.ie. With the CRIS research team, Dan has led the design/build and operation of robotic platforms in the field including smart vehicles, ROV Latis, ROV Étaín and ROV Éad, unmanned airborne systems and many other platforms. On-going research addresses unique challenges of operating in ’high energy’ wind, wave and tidal regimes of marine renewable and airborne wind energy. Research also addresses robotic platform development for response in offshore marine incidents, search and rescue (SAR) and marine salvage. Dan is collaborating with research and industrial partners in Ireland, across Europe and North America. He has been chief scientist for numerous offshore research surveys on Celtic Explorer, Celtic Voyager, INS LÉ Eithne, and other vessels. Dan has been awarded the Denny Medal – best journal paper award 2007/2008 – Journal of Marine Engineering Technology. He has given numerous Plenary talks internationally. Dan has published numerous journal articles, books/book chapters, conference papers and conference proceedings, invention disclosures, and has granted patents in sonar technology and renewable energy. For more information on his publications, check his ORCID profile: orcid.org/0000-0003-3601-9216.