Abstract:
In this talk we will discuss issues of control in networks of autonomous and semi-autonomous robots. Some theoretical issues will be discussed and some recent results presented. Control of networked robots typically involves graph theoretic methods combined with nonlinear control for applications such as formation control, rendezvous, or synchronization. In addition to these applications, we will discuss cooperative manipulation, which require not only motion control but also control of interaction forces. We will also present some new results on control that guarantees network connectivity and obstacle avoidance.
Biography:
Mark W. Spong received the B.A. degree, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in mathematics and physics from Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio in 1975, the M.S. degree in mathematics from New Mexico State University in 1977, and the M.S. and D.Sc. degrees in systems science and mathematics in 1979 and 1981, respectively, from Washington University in St. Louis.
Since 2008 he has been Dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and holder of both the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair and the Excellence in Education Chair in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to joining UT Dallas, he held faculty positions at Lehigh University, Cornell University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Spong has held visiting positions at the University of Waterloo, Canada, the CINVESTAV del IPN, Mexico City, the Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden, the Laboratoire d'Automatique de Grenoble, France, the Universite de Tecnologie de Compiegne, France, the Katholiek Universitet, Leuven, Belgium, the National University of Singapore, and the Technische Universitaet, Muenchen, and has served as a consultant to industry and government.
Dr. Spong is Past President of the IEEE Control Systems Society, a Fellow of the IEEE and has served as both Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Control System Technology, and as Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, the IEEE Control Systems Magazine, and the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. He served as Vice President for Publication Activities from 2000-2002 and is a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Control Systems Society.
His main research interests are in robotics, mechatronics, and nonlinear control theory. He has authored or coauthored more than 250 technical articles in control and robotics, four books and holds one patent. His recent awards include the 2011 Pioneer Award from the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, the 2007 IROS Fumio Harashima Award for Innovative Technologies, the IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award, the Automatica Best Paper Award, the Senior Scientist Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Distinguished Member Award from the IEEE Control Systems Society, the IEEE Third Millennium Medal, and the John R. Ragazzini from the American Automatic Control Council. In addition, he has twice received the O. Hugo Schuck Award from the American Automatic Control Council.
Prof. Alexey Borisov (Udmurt State University, Russia)
The conservation laws and control theory in nonholonomic systems
Abstract:
This talk is devoted to research in the dynamics of nonholonomic systems and, in particular, the relation between the existence of various tensor invariants, the type of behavior of the system and possible dynamical effects. The talk is based on a series of papers devoted to the investigation of the dynamics of a body rolling on a surface and subjected to nonholonomic constraints. Curiously, the kinematics of the rolling of this type has been explored in detail in numerous papers (as a rule, in connection with control problems). On the other hand, research on the problems of the dynamics of such systems (both free and controllable) is still in an embryonic state. In addition, in the talk we will discuss the control of the motion of a dynamically asymmetric balanced ball on a plane by means of three gyrostats, subject to the constraint that the ball rolls without slipping at the point of contact. A complete algebraic controllability of this system is shown, control laws are pointed out which ensure the motion along a prescribed trajectory on a plane and determine the necessary orientation of the system; explicit control laws governing the simplest motions of the system under consideration are presented.
Biography:
Alexey Borisov received a Doctoral degree in Physics and Mathematics in 2001 from Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
Since 1998 he has been Director of the Scientific and Publishing Center "Regular and Chaotic Dynamics"; since 2002 Head of the Laboratory of Nonlinear Dynamics at A.A. Blagonravov Mechanical Engineering Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow and Head of the Department of the Mathematical Methods in Nonlinear Dynamics at the Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; since 2010 Chief of Department of Laboratory of Nonlinear Analysis and the Design of New Types of Vehicles at the Udmurt State University, Izhevsk, Russia.
He is a Member of the Russian National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and the Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences; co-founder and associate editor of the international scientific journal "Regular and Chaotic Dynamics"; co-founder and editor-in-chief of "Nelineinaya Dinamika" (Russian Journal of Nonlinear Dynamics).
In 2012 Alexey Borisov received the Sofia Kovalevskaya Award for a series of monographs devoted to the integrable systems of Hamiltonian mechanics.
His main research interests lie in rigid body dynamics, nonholonomic dynamical systems, integrable systems, stability of motion, dynamics of rotating fluids and vortex structures, robotics, control of motion.
Dr. Georg von Wichert (Siemens Corporate Technology, Germany)
Robotics Inside: Integrated Industrial Systems based on Advanced Robotics Technologies
Abstract:
In this talk we will discuss the role of robotic technologies in current and future automation systems. We will argue that especially the requirement of flexible, situated, and intelligent motion drives the adoption of advanced perception and information processing methods in real industrial systems and solutions. While undoubtedly the stakeholders in today's automation domain are rather conservative when it comes to the application of these methods, we will provide several real-life examples from industrial practice, where integrated autonomous perception, cognition and action generation are key for the success of the overall system.
Biography:
Georg von Wichert received his Diploma (MSc) in Electrical and Control Engineering from Darmstadt University of Technology in 1992.
From 1992 to 1998 he was a research and teaching assistant at the Institute of Control Engineering at Darmstadt University of Technology.
From Darmstadt University of Technology he also received the PhD degree in Electrical Engineering in 1998.
Since 1998 he is with Siemens Corporate Research and Technologies, where he currently holds the position of a program manager at the Intelligent Systems and Control Department.
Georg von Wichert is a Rudolf Diesel Industry Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study at Technische Universität München, Germany.
His research is focused on applications of cognitive systems including knowledge based systems, computer and robot vision, pattern recognition, sensor fusion and robotics.
