The Systems Performance And Robust Control Laboratory (SPARC)
Laboratory
Robust Multivariable Control System Design
and Analysis
Professors Djaferis, Hollot
and Looze are developing techniques for the
design and analysis of multivariable feedback systems. A major objective of
this current research is the design of robust control systems that minimize the
performance degradation due to uncertain parameters, unmodeled dynamics
and nonlinearities. The research uses and extends the state-of-the-art in areas
such as robustness analysis, control system synthesis, control system
architecture design, and nonlinear feedback systems.
SPARC Laboratory
The Systems Performance And Robust Control Laboratory (SPARC)
Laboratory is located in Room 204 of the Knowles Engineering Building.
Given today's increasingly complex systems and the demand for maximal
achievable performance, the need for robust and reliable designs has never
been greater. The systems being referred include large flexible structures,
aircraft, thermodynamic processes, elevator systems and robotic manipulators.
To accomplish these objectives it is imperative that one gain a fundamental
understanding of the dynamic behavior of these systems as well as the control
limitations imposed by nature. One has to weigh the benefits of developing
very accurate but yet complicated analytical models against the advantages of
simplicity and engineering intuition. Frequently one has to deal with
uncertainty which may be due to component tolerances, modeling errors,
actuator or sensor failures, or with the nonlinear characteristics of such
systems. One priority in the SPARC lab is to develop novel analysis
techniques and design methodologies for the robust control of uncertain
systems. Of special interest is the development of control strategies that
combine artificial intelligence and classical control (intelligent control).
Several of these tools have already been applied to aircraft and robot control,
the development of dispatching algorithms for elevator systems as well as to
the control of crystal growth and xerographic processes. Its facilities have
been enriched by donations from DEC, SUN, and Raytheon, and include
several state-of-the-art workstations as well as Macintosh computers, with
extensive analysis and design software capabilities.