People

Professor S.D. Fassois (Diploma 1982 NTUA, M.Sc. 1984 & Ph.D. 1986 University of Wisconsin-Madison USA) is the Director of the Stochastic Mechanical Systems & Automation (SMSA) Laboratory, having previously served on the faculty of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, USA (1986-1992). His teaching and research interests are on stochastic mechanical and aero signals and systems, mechatronics, data-based modeling, system diagnosis-prediction-control, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), Machine Learning (ML), with applications on structures, vehicles, aircraft, energy, and other systems. He has also been lecturing on international Short Courses. His research has been supported by national and international entities, including the European Commission. 

He is the recipient of the `University of Patras Evangelos Papanoutsos Excellence in Teaching Award’ (2023), the `Excellence in Teaching Award’ (College of Engineering, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, 1990), and several additional international awards and distinctions. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing (MSSP), Associate Editor / Editorial Board Member / Advisory Board Member for additional international journals, and member of the Scientific Committee for numerous international conferences. He has organized 5 Thematic Issues for international journals, has authored articles for international technical encyclopedias, and over 320 articles in technical books, journals, and international conference proceedings.

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John S. Sakellariou received the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1999 and the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 from the University of Patras, Greece. He is currently a faculty member of the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering department at the University of Patras, Greece, and leads the Stochastic Mechanical Systems and Automation (SMSA) Laboratory. He teaches courses in systems theory, stochastic systems, modern control, flight control, mechatronics, structural health monitoring, machine diagnostics and prognostics, electric circuits and control in robotics. He has also served on the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Thessaly, Thessaly, Greece (2007), and the Department of Financial and Management Engineering of the University of the Aegean, Chios, Greece (2006-2008). Dr. Sakellariou was a collaborator of the Industrial Systems Institute (I.S.I.) in Greece (2006-2008), and has also worked as a Mechanical Engineer in the Research & Development department of N. Maniatopoulos S.A. (Ideal Bikes) bicycle manufacturing company (2008 – 2011) and earlier in Papastratos S.A. tobacco industry (affiliate of Philip Morris in Greece).

Dr. Sakellariou research areas cover estimation, dynamic identification, prediction, simulation, vibration control, diagnosis, prognosis and Structural Health Monitoring of linear, nonlinear and multiple equilibria stochastic systems and structures operating under varying conditions with an emphasis on mechanical and aeronautical applications. He has also strong interest and long experience in the design of laboratory experiments as well as in experimental procedures in field on various types of engineering systems and structures.

Dr. Sakellariou research has been published through various research articles in major international journals and conferences, as well as in chapters for international technical encyclopedias and technical reports. He is also a referee for numerous international journals and conferences, including Mechanical Systems & Signal Processing, Vehicle System Dynamics, Renewable Energy, Ocean Engineering, Structural Health Monitoring, International Journal of Control, Journal of Sound and Vibration, International Conference on Noise and Vibration Engineering (ISMA), the European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring (EWSHM) and others. 

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Ilias A. Iliopoulos is a Mechanical Engineer, Laboratory Lecturer, and Researcher at the Laboratory for Stochastic Mechanical Systems and Automation (SMSA) of the University of Patras. He received his PhD in 2024 from the University of Patras with a dissertation titled: “On-board random vibration based railway dynamics identification, wheel remaining useful life estimation, and track condition characterization.”

His research interests and main areas of scientific activity focus on Stochastic Mechanical, Mechatronic, and Aeronautical Systems, with emphasis on Dynamic Identification, Diagnostics, Prognostics, and Automatic Control through advanced statistical time series methods and machine learning techniques. He has participated as a researcher in several national and European research projects and has been actively involved in the preparation, technical writing, and proposal development of European research initiatives under the Horizon Europe and European Defence Fund (EDF) programmes. His research results have been presented to specialized scientific audiences and to national and international industrial collaborators from companies, research institutes, and universities.

He has extensive experience in the use of measurement instruments employed in experimental setups, as well as in simulation software, gained through his research and experimental work under both laboratory and real-world conditions involving various types of mechatronic systems. His teaching activities include the support and organization of laboratory and tutorial exercises in the courses "Diagnostics & Prognostics of Rotating Machinery", "Control Systems & Automation II," "Mechatronic Systems," and "Machinery Kinematics & Dynamics". He has also contributed to the supervision of student and diploma theses on topics related to dynamic identification, diagnostics, prognostics, and automatic control in mechatronic systems and mechanical engineering structures.

George Vlachospyros received the Diploma Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics from the University of Patras, Greece, in 2019. He currently is a PhD candidate in the Stochastic Mechanical Systems & Automation (SMSA) Laboratory of the same Department. His research interests are on innovative methods for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) with emphasis on railway applications.

Kyriakos P. Kritikakos received the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics in 2019 from the University of Patras, Greece. He is a Ph.D candidate and research associate in the Stochastic Mechanical Systems & Automation Laboratory (SMSA) of the same department. His dissertation focuses on the development of automated safety monitoring systems for railway vehicles, leveraging advanced random vibration analysis and integrating physics-informed with data-driven approaches to achieve robust and highly interpretable outcomes. His primary research interests lie in the analysis, dynamic identification and condition monitoring of linear and nonlinear systems, with particular emphasis on mechanical and aeronautical applications, such as rotating machinery, wind turbines, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and railway systems. 

He has been involved in EU- and nationally funded research projects and has co-authored numerous technical publications in international journals and conference proceedings. His research has been disseminated to both specialist and non-specialist audiences through international conferences and industry-oriented workshops. In addition, he has extensive experience in preparing competitive grant proposals for EU and national funding programmes, especially within the framework of the European Defence Fund (EDF). His teaching activities encompass the organization and delivery of laboratory sessions in core courses of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, including Electrical Circuits and Machines, Mechatronic Systems, and Systems & Control Theory I, as well as substantial involvement in the supervision of Master’s students. 

PhD Researcher and Mechanical Engineer specializing in the dynamic identification and prognosis of stochastic mechanical systems. Expert in applying Statistical Time Series (STS), Machine Learning (ML), and AI methods for vibration-based condition monitoring of rotating machinery. Proven ability in full-cycle research, from hands-on instrumentation and field experiments to the development and validation of innovative AI-based diagnostic units. Recognized with a HFRI Fellowship and significant experience in R&D project management and EU/national fundraising.

Panayotis E. Spiliotopoulos is a PhD researcher at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, and a member of the Stochastic Mechanical Systems & Automation Laboratory, where he pursues doctoral research on advanced Functional Models for Structural Health Monitoring and System Identification. Supported by a scholarship from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI), his work focuses on developing robust vibration-based damage diagnosis methods under operational domain uncertainty, with particular emphasis on critical structural components of ground and aerial vehicles. He is also a senior member of the ATLAS M.ACH aeronautical team, contributing to propulsion system design, mission-oriented nonlinear multi-objective design optimization, and rapid UAV prototyping. 

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Ioannis E. Saramantas received the Diploma Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics from the University of Patras, Greece, in 2020. He currently is a PhD candidate in the Stochastic Mechanical Systems & Automation (SMSA) Laboratory of the same Department. His research areas cover Structural Health Monitoring, Data Analysis, and Machine Learning. He has also strong interest in the development, implementation and validation of methodologies for Machine Learning based Structural Health Monitoring for populations of composite aerostructures under uncertainty.