Caro Lucas: The Father of Iran’s Robotic Sciences

Caro Lucas was an Iranian Armenian scientist who died in 2010. He was widely regarded as the “Father of Iran’s robotic sciences” for his pioneering contributions to various fields of science and engineering, especially biological computing, computational intelligence, uncertain systems, intelligent control, and multiagent systems. He also introduced new multi-disciplinary graduate courses and founded the Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (ISRF). He authored or co-authored hundreds of papers and books and was a keynote speaker at many national and international events.

Early Life and Education

Caro Lucas was born on September 4, 1949, in the historical city of Isfahan, in an Armenian family. Although he was born in Isfahan, he grew up in Tehran, where he attended the Kooshesh High School, the school of the Armenian minority. He received his M.Sc. degree in Electrical and Control Engineering from the University of Tehran in 1973 and his Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1976.

Academic Career and Achievements

After returning to Iran, Lucas joined the University of Tehran as a faculty member of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He served as the chairman of the department from 1986 to 1988 and as the founding director of the Center of Excellence for Control and Intelligent Processing (CIPCE) from 1997 until his death. He also worked as a researcher at the School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS) and the director of the School of Intelligent Systems at the Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (IPM), Tehran.

Lucas was a prolific and influential scientist who made significant contributions to various fields of science and engineering, such as biological computing, computational intelligence, uncertain systems, intelligent control, fuzzy systems, neural networks, multiagent systems, swarm intelligence, data mining, business intelligence, financial modeling, knowledge management, systems science, and general design theory. He developed several novel algorithms and methods, such as the brain emotional learning based intelligent controller (BELBIC), the emotional learning, and the invasive weed optimization algorithm. He also applied his expertise to various domains, such as robotics, power systems, biomedical engineering, social sciences, and arts.

Lucas was also a visionary and a leader who introduced new multi-disciplinary graduate courses and programs, such as biological computing, general systems design, advanced socio-cognitive systems, and computational intelligence. He also founded the Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics (ISRF) in 1985, which is a leading research institute in Iran and the region. He also established several research groups and laboratories, such as the Computational Intelligence Laboratory (CIL), the Intelligent Systems Laboratory (ISL), and the Biological Computing Laboratory (BCL).

Lucas was a prolific writer and speaker who authored or co-authored about 825 conference papers, 332 journal papers, and edited many books. He was also a keynote speaker at 190 national and international events, such as the IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems, the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, and the World Congress on Computational Intelligence. He also received several awards and honors, such as the Iranian Science and Culture Hall of Fame, the Khwarizmi International Award, and the Distinguished Professor Award.

Personal Life and Death

Lucas married Emilia Nercissians, a professor of mathematics at the University of Tehran. They had a son, Arman, who is also a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the same university. Lucas was also a grandfather to Sarvaia, who is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto.

Lucas was diagnosed with cancer in 2009. After a year of treatment, he had overcome his cancer, but he died on July 8, 2010, from intestinal infection resulting from a medical mistreatment that happened during a colonoscopy. His death was mourned by the Iranian scientific community and the public, who regarded him as a national hero and a role model.

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