About me

I’m currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of Instituto Superior Técnico, and a Senior Researcher at INESC-ID, working with the Group on Artificial Intelligence for People and Society.

Contact

Instituto Superior Técnico
TagusPark, Edifício IST
Av. Prof. Dr. Aníbal Cavaco Silva
2744-016 Porto Salvo
Portugal

Phone: +351 210 407 002
Fax: +351 214 233 290

fmelo (at) inesc-id (dot) pt

Research

My main research interests are in machine learning and decision-theoretic planning, and in the exploration of models and algorithms from these fields of AI that may enable the development of intelligent autonomous agents capable of interacting with other agents (human or artificial) in complex, possibly unknown environments. My research thus lies at the intersection of different sub-fields within artificial intelligence, such as decision-theoretic planning (and its applications to human-robot interaction and collaborative multi-agent scenarios), general reinforcement learning, active learning, and interactive machine learning.

Research Interests:

• Machine learning (ML):
• Reinforcement learning
• Inverse reinforcement learning
• Active learning
• Online learning
• Robotic applications of ML
• Decision-theoretic planning (single and multiagent)

Publications

Research Projects

• ANIMATAS ETN
• ILU FCT project
• Ad hoc teamwork with robots, AFOSR Project
• AMIGOS FCT project
• CMU-PT Project INSIDE
• EU FP7 Project EMOTE
• CMU-PT Project MAIS+S
• EU FP7 Project LIREC

Teaching

Courses

• Planning, Learning and Intelligent Decision Making
  MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (Fall 2018, Fall 2019)
• Reinforcement Learning
  PhD Program in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (Fall 2018, Fall 2019)
• Learning and Intelligent Decision Making
  MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018)
• Advanced Topics in Artificial Intelligence
  PhD Program in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017)
• Introduction to Programming
  MSc in Information and Enterprise Systems (Fall 2013, Fall 2014)
• Decision Support Systems
  MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (Fall 2011, Spring 2013)
• Foundations of Programming
  BSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014)

Students and post-docs

Current PhD students:

• Rui Silva
  Dual PhD CMU-IST Program in Computer Science and Engineering (co-advised with Manuela Veloso)
• Kim Baraka
  Dual PhD CMU-IST Program in Electrical Engineering and Robotics (co-advised with Manuela Veloso)
• Filipa Correia
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• Carla Guera
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Manuel Lopes)
• Ali Kordia
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering
• Miguel Faria
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering
• Miguel Vasco
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• Ramona Merhej
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Francisco C. Santos)
• Silvia Tulli
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• João Ribeiro
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Guilherme Varela
  IST PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)

Current MSc students:

• João Esteves, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Pedro M. Santos, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Pedro P. Santos, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Pedro Remédios, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Ricardo Martins, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering
• Ricardo Quinteiro, MSc in Mathematics and Applications (co-advised with Pedro Santos)
• Rodrigo Agostinho, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering

Past post-doctoral collaborators:

• Pedro Sequeira, 2014-2016
  (currently at SRI International)
• Stefan Witwicki, 2011-2013
  (currently at Nissan Research)

Past PhD students:

• Hang Yin
  Dual IST-EPFL PhD Program in Computer Science and Engineering, 2018
  (co-advised with Ana Paiva and Aude Billard, currently at KTH)

• Pedro Sequeira PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2013
  (co-advised with Ana Paiva, currently at SRI International)

Past MSc students:

• Ricardo Sequeira, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2019 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• Renato Cardoso, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2019 (co-advised with Manuel Lopes)
• João Barbosa, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2019 (co-advised with Francisco C. Santos)
• Diogo Carvalho, MSc in Mathematics and Applications, 2019 (co-advised with Pedro Santos)
• Daniel Alves, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2019 (co-advised with António Reis)
• Miguel Vera, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2019 (co-advised with Manuel Lopes)
• Gonçalo Rodrigues, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2018 (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Henrique Carlos, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2018 (co-advised with Sofia Pinto)
• João Ribeiro, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2018 (co-advised with João Dias)
• Luís Henriques, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2018 (co-advised with Luísa Coheur)
• Ricardo Costa, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2018 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• João Abreu, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2018 (co-advised with Manuel Lopes)
• Ana Rita Salta, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• Daniel Brandão, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with João Dias)
• Gonçalo Castilho, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Manuel Lopes)
• Tiago Gomes, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Manuel Lopes)
• Tomás Alves, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Sandra Gama)
• André Santos, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Pedro Santos)
• Hugo Martins, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• João Cruz, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2017 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• Miguel Faria, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2016 (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• Rodrigo Monteiro, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2016 (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Ana Narciso, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2016 (co-advised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Beatriz Bernardo, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2016 (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• Filipa Correia, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2015 (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• Pedro Gusmão, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2015 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• João Quitério, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2015 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• Daniel Magarreiro, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2014 (co-advised with Luísa Coheur)
• Ricardo Carvalho, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2014 (coadvised with Alberto Sardinha)
• Rui Silva, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2014
• Joana Botelho, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2013 (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• João Prioste, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2013 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• Diogo Simões, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2012 (co-advised with Ana Paiva)
• Carlos Fraga, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2011 (co-advised with Rui Prada)
• Vivek Maganlal, MSc in Information Systems and Computer Engineering, 2011 (co-advised with Ana Paiva)