Bio Daniel Toal

Daniel Toal is Chair of Electrical Engineering and Robotics in the ECE Department at UL and Co 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), CEng, MIEI, MIEEE. 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 is programme director for Bachelor and Masters in Electrical Engineering at the University of Limerick and teaches: Automation, Robotics, Instrumentation, Avionics, Sensors, Electrical Machines, Electrical Engineering. 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 co-director of CRIS the Center for Robotics & Intelligent Systems at the University of Limerick and is Co PI of MaREI – SFI Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine 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. Read More