Radu Calinescu

Research strands

My team’s research spans three interrelated theory and methodology strands whose outputs are validated within a fourth, applied-research strand that develops embodied-AI systems for safety-critical domains.

Theoretical foundations

Extending the theory of probabilistic system modelling, verification and synthesis.

• Key publications
• R. Calinescu, S. Gerasimou, S. Getir Yaman, G. Vázquez Flores, M. Bassett. Verification of Multi-Model Stochastic Systems. ICSE 2026.
• R. Calinescu, M. Bassett, B. Devlin-Hill, S. Gerasimou, S. Getir Yaman, K. Fatehi, G. Vázquez Flores. ULTIMATE: A Tool for the Verification and Synthesis of Stochastic World Models. CAV 2026.
• X. Fang, R. Calinescu, S. Gerasimou, F. Alhwikem. Fast Parametric Model Checking with Applications to Software Performability Analysis. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2023.
• C. Paterson, R. Calinescu. Observation-Enhanced QoS Analysis of Component-Based Systems. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2020.
• R. Calinescu, C. Ghezzi, K. Johnson, M. Pezzè, Y. Rafiq, G. Tamburrelli. Formal Verification with Confidence Intervals: A New Approach to Establishing the QoS Properties of Software Systems. IEEE Trans Reliab 2016.

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More theory publications

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• R. Calinescu, C. Paterson, K. Johnson. Efficient Parametric Model Checking Using Domain Knowledge. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2021.
• X. Fang, R. Calinescu, S. Gerasimou, F. Alhwikem. Fast Parametric Model Checking through Model Fragmentation. ICSE 2021.
• S. Gerasimou, J. Cámara, R. Calinescu, N. Alasmari, F. Alhwikem, X. Fang. Evolutionary-Guided Synthesis of Verified Pareto-Optimal MDP Policies. ASE 2021.
• X. Zhao, R. Calinescu, S. Gerasimou, V. Robu, D. Flynn. Interval Change-Point Detection for Runtime Probabilistic Model Checking. ASE 2020.
• S. Gerasimou, R. Calinescu, G. Tamburrelli. Synthesis of Probabilistic Models for Quality-of-Service Software Engineering. Autom Softw Eng 2018.
• R. Calinescu, M. Češka, S. Gerasimou, M. Kwiatkowska, N. Paoletti. Efficient Synthesis of Robust Models for Stochastic Systems. J Syst Softw 2018.
• R. Calinescu, K. Johnson, C. Paterson. FACT: A Probabilistic Model Checker for Formal Verification with Confidence Intervals. TACAS 2016.
• S. Gerasimou, G. Tamburrelli, R. Calinescu. Search-Based Synthesis of Probabilistic Models for Quality-of-Service Software Engineering. ASE 2015.

Engineering & assurance

Methodologies for the engineering and assurance of safety-critical, self-adaptive AI and autonomous systems.

• Key publications
• C. Paterson, R. Hawkins, C. Picardi, Y. Jia, R. Calinescu, I. Habli. Safety assurance of Machine Learning for autonomous systems. Reliab Eng Syst Saf 2025.
• R. Calinescu, C. Imrie, R. Mangal, G. Nunes Rodrigues, C. S. Pasareanu, M. Alpizar Santana, G. Vázquez. Controller Synthesis for Autonomous Systems With Deep-Learning Perception Components. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2024.
• C. Menghi, C. Tsigkanos, M. Askarpour, P. Pelliccione, G. Vázquez, R. Calinescu, S. García. Mission Specification Patterns for Mobile Robots: Providing Support for Quantitative Properties. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2023.
• R. Ashmore, R. Calinescu, C. Paterson. Assuring the Machine Learning Lifecycle: Desiderata, Methods, and Challenges. ACM Comput Surv 2022.
• R. Calinescu, D. Weyns, S. Gerasimou, M. U. Iftikhar, I. Habli, T. Kelly. Engineering Trustworthy Self-Adaptive Software with Dynamic Assurance Cases. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2018.

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More engineering & assurance publications

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• V. Nenchev, C. Imrie, S. Gerasimou, R. Calinescu. Compositional code-level safety verification for automated driving controllers. J Syst Softw 2025.
• J. A. McDermid, R. Calinescu, I. Habli, R. Hawkins, Y. Jia, J. Molloy, M. Osborne, C. Paterson, Z. Porter, P. Ryan Conmy. The Safety of Autonomy: A Systematic Approach. Computer 2024.
• N. Alasmari, R. Calinescu, C. Paterson, R. Mirandola. Quantitative verification with adaptive uncertainty reduction. J Syst Softw 2022.
• R. Calinescu, L. Grunske, M. Z. Kwiatkowska, R. Mirandola, G. Tamburrelli. Dynamic QoS Management and Optimization in Service-Based Systems. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 2011.

SLEEC norm operationalisation

Operationalisation of social, legal, ethical, empathetic and cultural (SLEEC) requirements for AI agents.

• Key publications
• P. Ribeiro, R. Calinescu, A. Cavalcanti, M. Chechik, S. Getir Yaman, L. Marsso, I. Standen, B. A. Townsend. The SLEEC Framework for Normative Requirements Engineering. FM 2026.
• S. Getir Yaman, P. Ribeiro, A. Cavalcanti, R. Calinescu, C. Paterson, B. A. Townsend. Specification, validation and verification of social, legal, ethical, empathetic and cultural requirements for autonomous agents. J Syst Softw 2025.
• N. Feng, L. Marsso, S. Getir Yaman, Y. Baatartogtokh, R. Ayad, V. Oldemburgo de Mello, B. A. Townsend, I. Standen, I. Stefanakos, C. Imrie, G. Nunes Rodrigues, A. Cavalcanti, R. Calinescu, M. Chechik. Analyzing and Debugging Normative Requirements via Satisfiability Checking. ICSE 2024.
• B. A. Townsend, C. Paterson, T. T. Arvind, G. Nemirovsky, R. Calinescu, A. Cavalcanti, I. Habli, A. Thomas. From Pluralistic Normative Principles to Autonomous-Agent Rules. Minds & Machines 2022.

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More SLEEC requirements publications

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• A. L. Partis, R. Calinescu, A. Cavalcanti, S. Getir Yaman, I. Stefanakos, A. Miyazawa. A MAPE-K Instantiation for Dependable Normative Adaptation in Intelligent Agents. ISSRE 2026 (to appear).
• B. A. Townsend, K. J. Parnell, S. Getir Yaman, G. Nemirovsky, R. Calinescu. Normative conflict resolution through human–autonomous agent interaction. J Responsible Technol 2025.
• S. Getir Yaman, P. Ribeiro, C. Burholt, M. Jones, A. Cavalcanti, R. Calinescu. Toolkit for specification, validation and verification of social, legal, ethical, empathetic and cultural requirements for autonomous agents. Sci Comput Program 2024.
• N. Feng, L. Marsso, S. Getir Yaman, I. Standen, Y. Baatartogtokh, R. Ayad, V. Oldemburgo de Mello, B. A. Townsend, H. Bartels, A. Cavalcanti, R. Calinescu, M. Chechik. Normative Requirements Operationalization with Large Language Models. RE 2024.
• S. Getir Yaman, C. Burholt, M. Jones, R. Calinescu, A. Cavalcanti. Specification and Validation of Normative Rules for Autonomous Agents. FASE 2023.

Safety-critical applications of embodied-AI systems

We develop embodied-AI systems that validate theory and methodologies from our other research strands and deliver impact through interdisciplinary collaborations in domains including healthcare, assistive care, and forest ecosystem monitoring.

Assistive care

ALMI

Robotic assistive-care system co-developed with PAL Robotics under the Assuring Autonomy International Programme.

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Healthcare

DAISY

Diagnostic AI System for Robot-Assisted A&E Triage — progressed from vision through basic research to a pilot clinical study at Scarborough Hospital, and showcased by the World Economic Forum as one of ‘6 ways robotics are transforming healthcare’.

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Forest protection

ASPEN

Teams of drones and ground robots that help experts detect pests and diseases in UK woodlands.

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Breast cancer screening

MammoBot

Dual-arm robotic system making breast screening more accessible for women with disabilities or limited mobility.

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Inclusive design

TAS-DYP

Reimagining Trustworthy Autonomous Systems with Disabled Young People — a collaboration with student co-researchers at Greenacre School, South Yorkshire and their teachers.

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Ecosystem restoration

ARISE

Accelerating the reintroduction of ecosystem-engineering wood ant colonies with embodied AI.

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• Key publications
• I. Stefanakos, J. Hamilton, R. Calinescu, J. Cámara, T. Peyrucain, N. Miguel Baños. Adaptive planning for assistive-care robotic missions. Int J Robot Res 2026.
• S. Wang, J. Zhang, P. Wang, J. Law, R. Calinescu, L. Mihaylova. A deep learning-enhanced Digital Twin framework for improving safety and reliability in human-robot collaborative manufacturing. Robot Comput Integr Manuf 2024.
• B. A. Townsend, K. L. Plant, V. J. Hodge, O. Ashaolu, R. Calinescu. Medical practitioner perspectives on AI in emergency triage. Front Digit Health 2023.
• C. S. Pasareanu, R. Mangal, D. Gopinath, S. Getir Yaman, C. Imrie, R. Calinescu, H. Yu. Closed-Loop Analysis of Vision-Based Autonomous Systems: A Case Study. CAV 2023.

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More applications publications

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• B. A. Townsend, V. J. Hodge, H. Richardson, R. Calinescu, T. T. Arvind. Cautious optimism: public voices on medical AI and sociotechnical harm. Front Digit Health 2025.
• M. Gleirscher, R. Calinescu, J. A. Douthwaite, B. Lesage, C. Paterson, J. M. Aitken, R. Alexander, J. Law. Verified synthesis of optimal safety controllers for human-robot collaboration. Sci Comput Program 2022.

Recent & ongoing projects

A selection of recent and ongoing grant-funded projects.

• MammoBotRobotic Posture Assistance for Universal Breast Screening Access (Breast Cancer Now)
• ARISEAccelerating Reintroduction of Ecosystem-Engineering Ant Colonies with Embodied AI (ARIA Accelerated Adaptation Research Programme)
• CfAACentre for Assuring Autonomy (Lloyd’s Register Foundation)
• ULTIMATEUniversal Stochastic Modelling, Verification and Synthesis Framework (ARIA Safeguarded AI Research Programme)
• SAFER-ADSSafety Assurance of Frontier AI for Automated Driving Systems (ARIA Safeguarded AI Research Programme)
• DOMINOSDisruption Mitigation for ResponsibleAI (Responsible AI UK / EPSRC)
• REASONUKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Node in Resilience (UKRI / EPSRC)
• CHEDDARCommunications Hub for Empowering Distributed clouD computing Applications and Research and its extension (UKRI / EPSRC)
• DAISYDiagnostic AI System for Robot-Assisted A&E Triage (UKRI TAS Hub / EPSRC)
• TAS-DYPReimagining Trustworthy Autonomous Systems with Disabled Young People (UKRI TAS Hub / EPSRC)
• ASPENAutonomous Systems for Forest Protection (UKRI TAS Hub / EPSRC)
• AAIPAssuring Autonomy International Programme (Lloyd’s Register Foundation)

Professional activities

Selected roles and service.

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