Improved Underwater Navigation
Dr. Cecilia Huertas Cerdeira and Dr. Miao Yu are using the MATRIX Lab’s water tunnel to improve uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUV) with nature-inspired ideas. They are collaborating with MATRIX Assistant Research Engineer Dr. Wei-Kuo Yen on an underwater sensor capable of detecting the presence of walls and other objects, even in complex spaces and murky waters. The proposed sensor is inspired by the highly sensitive whiskers of seals, which enable them to follow prey even in low-visibility conditions.
LEARN MORESafer UAS Landing
Dr. Pratap Tokekar and Dr. Michael Otte are using the MATRIX’s Open Air-Land Lab to help uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) land safely on ships. They are collaborating with MATRIX Director of Test and Evaluation of Autonomous Systems Dr. Donald “Bucket” Costello to create a machine-learning-enhanced controller specifically designed to adapt to changing wind conditions, helping the UAS to successfully land on its own. Traditional model predictive controllers often struggle with the unpredictability of shipboard wind.
LEARN MOREReliable Autonomous Refueling
Dr. Donald “Bucket” Costello, MATRIX Director of Test and Evaluation of Autonomous Systems, is researching how to safely and reliably refuel uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) autonomously in mid-air. This is because the United States Navy intends to increase the number of UAS in its inventory, as autonomous aviation is more cost-effective than crewed aviation and eliminates the risk of human error. Dr. Costello is using machine learning algorithms to detect and track the unpredictable motion of refueling drogues.
LEARN MOREAccurate Identification
Dr. Donald “Bucket” Costello, MATRIX Director of Test and Evaluation of Autonomous Systems, is helping Naval uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) distinguish between friendly vessels and enemy ships. These UAS need to land in order to safely refuel and exchange data, but they may be operating in challenging maritime environments without a global positioning system or radio communication. Because of this, they need reliable vision to correctly identify which vessels are safe to land on, even when these ships look very similar. Dr. Costello is addressing these concerns by equipping these systems with computer vision.
LEARN MOREEfficient System Movement
Dr. Wei-Kuo Yen, MATRIX Lab Assistant Research Engineer, is helping robots move in groups more efficiently by studying what allows fish to swim in close proximity so efficiently. He is using the MATRIX Lab’s water tunnel to gather data on how inline oscillating foils (or tailfins in the case of fish) move in the water, and how their spacing affects efficiency. This work is an important step in developing highly efficient, longer-lasting underwater systems that can explore dangerous or difficult to reach environments for longer periods of time.
LEARN MOREAdvanced Early Detection
Dr. Justin Stine, Director of Remote Sensing and Microsystems, is developing smart, capsule-sized biosensing platforms to improve early diagnostics for diseases like inflammatory bowel diseases. These devices integrate electrochemical and bioimpedance sensors with microelectronics inside a 3D-printed capsule, enabling them to detect intestinal gases and tissue conductivity/permeability in the gastrointestinal tract and wirelessly transmit results to a mobile phone. Beyond healthcare, the same sensing approaches can be adapted for monitoring of process parameters in bioreactors and for building autonomous water quality sensing systems. Together, these tools could transform disease screening, industrial quality control, and water safety.
LEARN MOREWant to see our research in action?
Check out our Google Scholar page!
Top