Publications

I am interested in a number of different fields including: Control systems, Computer systems, Satellite systems, Unmanned vehicles and general robotics. A number publications are listed below:

Publications in Journals

• Multi-axis thruster-only fine pointing control strategies for nanosatellites
  T Cilliers, WH Steyn & HW Jordaan, Aerospace Science and Technology, Elsevier, 150, 2024.
• Safe Reinforcement Learning for High-speed Autonomous Racing
  B Evans, HW Jordaan & HA Engelbrect, Cognitive Robotics, Elsevier, 3 (2023), pp. 107-126, 2023.
• High-speed Autonomous Racing using Trajectory-aided Deep Reinforcement Learning
  B Evans, HA Engelbrecht & HW Jordaan, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, IEEE, 8 (9), pp. 5353-5359, 2023.
• Comparing Deep Reinforcement Learning Architectures for Autonomous Racing
  B Evans, HW Jordaan & HA Engelbrecht, Machine Learning with Applications, Elsevier, 14, 2023.
• Considerations in the design and deployment of flexible booms for a solar sail
  LT Hibbert & HW Jordaan, Elsevier & Science Direct, Advances in Space Research, online available since Feb 2020, 2020.
• Experiment for Pose Estimation of Uncooperative Space Debris using Stereo Vision
  WC De Jongh, HW Jordaan & CE Van Daalen, Elsevier & Science Direct, Acta Astronautica, 168 (2020), pp. 167-173, 2020.
• An active attitude control system for a drag sail satellite
  WH Steyn & HW Jordaan, Online available since July 2016, Elsevier & Science Direct, Acta Astronautica, 128 (2016), pp. 313-321, 2016.

Published Book Chapters

• “Graphene Foam Deorbit Sail with Failsafe Release Mechanism”, Jürgen Lüdemann, Jurie H. Wessels, Aaron Buysse, André-Jan Merts, Arno Barnard & Hendrik W. Jordaan , Book Chapter in: Innovative Ideas on Micro/Nano-Satellite Missions and Systems Report on Deorbit Device Competition (DDC) and Mission Idea Contest (MIC4), IAA Book Series, Vol.1 No.7, 2017, ISBN/EAN IAA: 978-2-917761-55-7, pp.63-76.
• “A Nano-Satellite Constellation for Tracking and Monitoring Endangered Wildlife in Developing Countries”, JH le Roux, A Heunis, G Janse van Vuuren, A Barnard, HW Jordaan, D Steyn, N Rossouw, M Bin Othman, N Calitz, M Junaid & C Groenewald, Book Chapter in: Inventive Ideas for Micro/Nano-Satellites The MIC3 Report, IAA Book Series, Vol.1 No.5, 2015, ISBN/EAN IAA: 978-2-917761-38-0, pp.37-49.
• “The Attitude Control of a Tri-Spin Solar Sail Satellite”, HW Jordaan & WH Steyn, Book Chapter in: Advances in Solar Sailing, Publisher Springer Praxis Books 2014, pp.755-769, ISBN: 978-3-642-34907-2.
• “The OuterNet: A novel satellite communication relay constellation”, M-A Kearney, PJ Botma, HW Jordaan, J Gerber, E Thesnaar, F Nolte, A Erlank, C Groenewald, A Barnard, Book Chapter in: Innovative Ideas for Micro/Nano-Satellite Missions, IAA Book Series,Vol.1, No.3, 2013, ISBN/EAN IAA: 978-2-917761-28-1.

Papers at Peer-Reviewed Conferences/Symposia

2024

• “Optimisation-based Control in Unmapped Environments: The Local Map Framework for Autonomous Racing” B Evans, HW Jordaan & HA Engelbrecht, IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium, Jeju Island, Korea, 2 – 5 June 2024.

2023

• “Miniaturizing Docking and Undocking through DockSat” HW Jordaan, G Serfontein, ID Swart, L Visagie & J Lun, 2023 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky MT USA, 4 – 11 March 2023.
• “Extracting Orbital Information from Attitude Control System of a Spacecraft new Small Bodies” D Messman & HW Jordaan, 2023 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky MT USA, 4 – 11 March 2023.
• “Hybrid pose estimation of space debris with neural networks developed using photorealistic synthetic data” E Korf & HW Jordaan, 14th IAA Symposium on Small Satellites for Earth System Observation, Berlin Germany, 8 May – 12 May 2023.
• “Towards payload-in-loop for improved earth observation efficiency” HW Jordaan, Stephan Busch & Daniel Garbe, 14th IAA Symposium on Small Satellites for Earth System Observation, Berlin Germany, 8 May – 12 May 2023.
• “Accelerating Online Reinforcement Learning via Supervisory Safety Systems” B Evans, J Betz, H Zheng, HA Engelbrecht, R Mangharam & HW Jordaan, 21th International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), UAE, 1 October – 5 October 2023.
• “Model-Free Trajectory Planning for a Rotary-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle With An Uncertain Suspended Payload” A. Hohbach, HW Jordaan & JAA Engelbrecht, 2023 RAPDASA-RobMech-PRASA-CoSAAMI Conference, Pretoria, South Africa, 1 October – 5 October 2023.
• “Bench Satellite Development and Testing” S. Jeffery, HW Jordaan, D. Slabber & L Visagie, 2023 RAPDASA-RobMech-PRASA-CoSAAMI Conference, Pretoria, South Africa, 1 October – 5 October 2023.

2021

• “Learning the Subsystem of Local Planning for Autonomous Racing”
  B Evans, HA Engelbrecht \& HW Jordaan, 20th International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), Ljubljana Slovenia, 6-10 December 2021.
• “Reward Signal Design for Autonomous Racing”
  B Evans, HA Engelbrecht \& HW Jordaan, 20th International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), Ljubljana Slovenia, 6-10 December 2021.
• “Data-Driven System Identification and Model Predictive Control of a Multirotor with an Unknown Suspended Payload”
  JK Louw \& HW Jordaan, 2021 Control Conference Africa, Magaliesburg South Africa, 7-8 December 2021.
• “Vision-Based Control of an Unknown Suspended Payload with a Multirotor”
  JF Slabber \& HW Jordaan, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS 2021), Prague Czech Republic, 27 September - 1 October 2021.

2020

• “Robust Adaptive Control of a Multirotor with an Unknown Suspended Payload”
  AP Erasmus & HW Jordaan, 21st IFAC World Congress, Berlin Germany, 12-17 July 2020.
• “Training Neural Networks for Plant Estimation, Control and Disturbance Rejection”
  H Kotze and H Kamper & HW Jordaan, 21st IFAC World Congress, Berlin Germany, 12-17 July 2020.
• “Linear Quadratic Gaussian Control of a Quadrotor with an Unknown Suspended Payload”
  AP Erasmus & HW Jordaan, 2020 Southern African Universities Power Engineering Conference/Robotics and Mechatronics/Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (SAUPEC/RobMech/PRASA), Cape-Town South Africa, 29-31 January 2020.
• “An Experimental Investigation Of 3D Printed Cold Gas Thruster Nozzles”
  D Jansen, L Visagie & HW Jordaan, 2020 Southern African Universities Power Engineering Conference/Robotics and Mechatronics/Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (SAUPEC/RobMech/PRASA), Cape-Town South Africa, 29-31 January 2020.
• “Autonomous Vision Based Landing Strategy for a Rotary Wing UAV”
  R Grobler & HW Jordaan, 2020 Southern African Universities Power Engineering Conference/Robotics and Mechatronics/Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (SAUPEC/RobMech/PRASA), Cape-Town South Africa, 29-31 January 2020.

2019

• “Considerations in the Design and Deployment of Flexible Booms for a Solar Sail”
  L Hibbert & HW Jordaan, 5th International Symposium on Solar Sailing, Aachen Germany, 1-3 August 2019.

2017

• “Gyro-Control of a Solar Sailing Satellite”
  HW Jordaan & WH Steyn, 4th International Symposium on Solar Sailing, Kyoto Japan, 17-20 June 2017.

2015

• “An Active Attitude Control System for a Drag Sail Satellite”
  WH Steyn & HW Jordaan, Paper IAC-15.B4.6A.1, 66th International Astronautical Congress, Jerusalem Israel, 12-16 Oct 2015. Proceedings ISSN 1995-6258

2013

• “The Attitude Control of a Tri-Spin Solar Sail Satellite”
  HW Jordaan & WH Steyn, 3rd International Symposium on Solar Sailing, Glasgow Scotland, 11-13 June 2013.
• “Attitude Manoeuvres of a Tri-Spin Solar Sail Satellite”
  HW Jordaan & WH Steyn, SACAC Control Systems Day, University of Cape Town, 27 Nov 2013.

2012

• “Spinning Solar Sail in an Earth-Centred Orbit”
  HW Jordaan & WH Steyn, 5th UN/Japan Nanosatellite Symposium, Nagoya Japan, 10-13 Oct 2012.