Autonomous decision-making
POMDPs, Monte Carlo tree search, trajectory prediction, and interactive planning for complex traffic.
Welcome.
I develop intelligent decision-making and control methods for autonomous systems.
I am a Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at İstanbul University–Cerrahpaşa. My research combines reinforcement learning, model-based control, and interpretable AI to make autonomous vehicles and robots safer, more capable, and easier to validate.
I completed my PhD at the University of Surrey in 2025, where I worked on intelligent decision-making for autonomous driving. My background spans academic research and automotive engineering, including roles with Innovate UK projects, Sellafield Game Changer, Ford Otosan, and AVL.
- 12+
- years across research & engineering
- PhD
- University of Surrey, 2025
- Focus
- safe autonomy · learning · control
Research
Learning and planning for systems that act under uncertainty.
My work sits at the intersection of control engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, and intelligent mobility.
Reinforcement & imitation learning
Safe policy learning, behavioural cloning, human-like driving, and multi-agent coordination.
Interpretable autonomy
Neuro-symbolic learning and language-model reasoning for explainable, knowledge-informed policies.
Control & optimisation
Model predictive control, feedback control, and hybrid model-based / learning-based architectures.
Simulation & validation
Closed-loop testing, scenario evaluation, digital twins, and reproducible benchmarking.
Autonomous flight
Minimal-sensor reinforcement learning and flight-dynamics simulation for autonomous thermal soaring.
Currently
Working on safe and interpretable driving policies, minimal-sensor autonomous soaring, and multi-agent learning for coordinated vehicle and robot control.
Selected projects
From driving intelligence to open engineering tools.
Research theme
Safe autonomous highway decision-making
Learning, planning, and neuro-symbolic reasoning for interactive traffic, with safety and interpretability at the centre of evaluation. The original top-down visualisation is inspired by HighD-style trajectory analysis; it is not recorded dataset footage.
Related publicationOpen model · 2026
Longitudinal Vehicle Dynamics
An open MATLAB/Simulink model for traction, braking, resistive forces, and speed-control studies.
RL · Flight dynamics
Autonomous Thermal Soaring
Minimal-sensor reinforcement learning for energy-efficient soaring in JSBSim, with FlightGear visualisation.
Digital twin · Robotics
Cyclopic Mobile Robot
Warehouse digital-twin and load-balancing research developed through industry-facing Innovate UK work.
Selected publications
Research outputs.
Toward Safe Autonomous Highway Driving Policies Using a Neuro-Symbolic Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach
I. Sharifi, M. Yıldırım, and S. Fallah
Transportation Research Record, 2680(1), 416–431
HighwayLLM: Decision-Making and Navigation in Highway Driving with RL-Informed Language Model
M. Yıldırım, B. Dagda, V. Asodia, and S. Fallah
Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 193, 105114
Symbolic Imitation Learning: From Black-Box to Explainable Driving Policies
I. Sharifi, M. Yıldırım, and S. Fallah
Applied Sciences, 15(23), 12464
Prediction of Asthma Outpatients Using Cumulative Particulate Matter and Machine Learning Algorithms
A. Özbeyaz, M. Yıldırım, and F. Tufaner
Discover Applied Sciences, 7, 19
Prediction Based Decision Making for Autonomous Highway Driving
M. Yıldırım, S. Mozaffari, L. McCutcheon, M. Dianati, A. Tamaddoni-Nezhad, and S. Fallah
IEEE 25th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC)
Engine Inertia and Combustion Loads Parameters Effect on Vehicle Interior Noise
M. Yıldırım
SAE Technical Paper 2017-01-1064
Additional preprints and outputs
Behavioral Cloning Models Reality Check for Autonomous Driving · arXiv, 2024
Human-Like Autonomous Driving on Dense Traffic · arXiv, 2023
Otonom Araçlarda Kontrol Yöntemleri · Book chapter, 2025
Experience & education
Academic research grounded in engineering practice.
2025—present
Lecturer · İstanbul University–Cerrahpaşa
Teaching, supervision, and research in autonomous systems, control, reinforcement learning, and engineering simulation.
2023—2025
Researcher · Innovate UK & Sellafield Game Changer
AI-enabled mobile-robot autonomy, warehouse digital twins, load balancing, and navigation concepts for safety-critical environments.
2020—2025
PhD Researcher · University of Surrey
Intelligent decision-making methods for autonomous driving using reinforcement learning, prediction, imitation learning, and online planning.
2012—2018
Automotive Engineering · Ford Otosan & AVL
Product development, powertrain NVH simulation, engine-load modelling, modal analysis, and structural verification.
PhD
University of Surrey
MSc · Aeronautical Engineering
İstanbul Technical University
BSc · Mechanical Engineering
Sakarya University
Teaching & supervision
Connecting fundamentals to autonomous-system practice.
Current teaching
- Intelligent Vehicle Design
- Python Programming for Mechanical Engineering Applications
- Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
- Materials Applications
Student projects
I supervise undergraduate theses and design projects in autonomous driving, reinforcement learning, simulation, control, and traffic-data analysis.
Discuss a projectContact
Interested in autonomous systems, control, or collaborative research?
I welcome conversations about international research collaboration, student projects, and postdoctoral or visiting-researcher opportunities.
mustafa.yildirim@iuc.edu.tr