Hands-on CasADi course on optimal control
November 18-20, 2024 – Leuven, Belgium
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Target audience
Academic/industrial researchers or tool-developers that seek practical ways to tackle large/complex continuous optimization problems, and optimal control problems in particular. People seeking to quickly gain familiarity with CasADi through a broad range of practical exercises.
CasADi?
Originating from KU Leuven’s “Optimization in Engineering Center” under guidance of prof. Moritz Diehl, CasADi [1] is an open-source software framework for nonlinear optimization and algorithmic differentiation. It facilitates rapid - yet efficient - implementation of different methods for numerical optimal control, both in an offline context and for nonlinear model predictive control.
Format
Seminars (40%) paired with computer exercises (60%). The seminars provide a bird’s-eye view on optimization and optimal control, serving as teaser for further study or as recap for the experienced. The computer exercises aim to deepen understanding of the theory, and leave the participants well-equipped to solve a broad range of problems using CasADi by themselves.
Covered topics
Newton-type methods for constrained nonlinear programming – integration methods – direct transcription of optimal control problems (OCP) – model predictive control (MPC) – CasADi 3.6 syntax and best practices
Prerequisites
Basic mathematical skills (analysis, calculus, linear algebra) are required. Experience with programming in MATLAB/Octave or Python is required, unless you partner up with an experienced person.
Tutor
Joris Gillis obtained his PhD in electrical engineering at KU Leuven in 2015. Currently active at MECO, KU Leuven and part-time freelancer, he pursues large-scale applications in optimal control and is highly active as a main developer of CasADi since 2010.
Practicalities
The course will take place at the Park Inn hotel, Martelarenlaan 36, 3010 Leuven, Belgium, starting each day at 9:00 and ending at 18:00. Participants are required to bring their own laptops (Linux/Windows/Mac); no software is needed besides a working installation of MATLAB/Octave or Python.
Registration
The registration fee amounts to 1050 EUR excl. VAT (850 EUR for PhD students). Early bird discount (75 EUR) applies until July 1. The registration fee covers for daily mini-breakfasts, refreshments during the breaks, and lunch. A joint dinner is included on Tuesday evening. Lodging is not included.
The number of participants is capped to 40. Registration closes October 20.
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Organizer: Joris Gillis, joris@yacoda.com, +32496432937, Yacoda BV, Glabbeeksestraat 37, 3300 Vissenaken, Belgium. BE0642979742
[1] Joel A. E. Andersson, Joris Gillis, Greg Horn, James B. Rawlings, M. Diehl, “CasADi – A software framework for nonlinear optimization and optimal control,” Mathematical Programming Computation, 2018.