Research Interests of Prof. H. Baruh
Research interests have generally been in the areas of structural dynamics, control, and parameter identification. A new area of research is the applications of conrol theory to agricultural systems. Current topics of research include:

Control of Dynamical Systems Described by Constrained Coordinates
The equations of motion of many dynamical systems are expressed more conveniently in terms of constrained generalized coordinates, which leads to a system description in terms of a set of differential-algebraic equations of motion. A typical example is closed kinematic chains. We are using the differential-algebraic formulation to design control laws based on this formulation. We are also interested in formulating the tracking control problem for dynamical systems, such as the tracking of the tip displacements, in terms of constrained generalized coordinates. We are modeling both rigid as well as elastic mechanisms.

Vibration Analysis and Control Using Smart Materials
Recent Sponsor: Federal Aviation Administration
The objective of this study is to place segmented piezoelectric and piezoceramic sensors and actuators on structures, for the purposes of vibration measurement, health monitoring, and control. The piezoelectric sensors are in the form of thin films. We make use of the relation between the properties of these piezo materials and the response of the structure to which they are attached. Our approach puts no restrictions on the shapes of the actuators, thus simplifying implementation of the control. We have developed a procedure to obtain closed-form eigenfunctions of circular cylindrical shells.

Modeling and Control of Flexible Structures and Mechanisms Undergoing Large-Angle Motion
The equations of motion of an elastic member undergoing large-angle motion are nonlinear, with coupling between the rigid and elastic motions. Two examples are spacecraft maneuvers and robot motion. The effect of nonlinearities depends on the magnitude and speed of the large-angle motion. We investigate these nonlinearities and develop laws to control the large angle motion simultaneously with the elastic motion. The mathematical model is generated by measuring the elastic motion from a set of moving coordinates, which depicts the large angle rigid motion. We have developed new ways of selecting the moving coordinates, especially for multilink structures, that lead to faster convergence. We have recently begun to investigate out of plane effects such as the influence of out of plane bending.

Control of Crop Growth in Space
Recent Sponsor: NJ-NSCORT
The purpose of this study is to evaluate and develop crop growth models in space. It is envisioned that in future space missions food will have to be grown on-board. Hence, there is a need for modeling crop growth and to influence crop growth rates by means of feedback control.

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