Description:

Title: 

Collective Power Management for Persistent Operation

Abstract:

A variety of robotic missions in space, air, and water or on ground depend on precision and persistence. Persistent operation requires addressing both science and technology challenges to effectively respond to energy needs in the presence of dynamic conditions and environmental uncertainty. This talk will describe recent progress towards achieving persistent autonomy that advances unmanned systems’ ability to perform autonomous missions. The approach includes task and energy routing scheduling, efficient path planning and coordination, and low-infrastructure platforms. The presentation highlights the interconnection of mechanical design and system control in providing practical solutions that lower deployment and operating costs, while increasing efficiency, endurance, and persistence. The tools and algorithms will impact sustainable Arctic system exploration, post-disaster assessment and response, and search on Jupiter's moon Europa.

Bio:

Dr. Nina Mahmoudian is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech. She received her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech. Before joining Michigan Tech, She held a post-doctoral position with the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland. She is the founding director of the Nonlinear and Autonomous Systems Laboratory (NAS Lab). Her research interests lie in the area of robotics, energy autonomy, systems design, dynamics and controls. Dr. Mahmoudian is a recipient of the NSF-CAREER and ONR-YIP awards.