TREADMILLS, WIND TUNNELS AID UH RESEARCHERS
IN ROBOTICS INNOVATION
International Symposium in Houston Showcases Work in Engineering
and Technology
HOUSTON, Sept. 15, 2004 – From healthcare to helicopters,
University of Houston engineers bring innovations in robotics to
an international conference held in Houston this year.
The 14th International Symposium on Measurement and Control in
Robotics (ISMCR) aims to gather high-quality, original contributions
in the robotics field, as well as assess the most recent developments
in this very scientific and technological area. Held last year in
Madrid, Spain, the symposium this year convenes at NASA Johnson
Space Center in Houston, Sept. 16-18. The University of Houston
will be well represented by two groups from its Cullen College of
Engineering (CCoE) and College of Technology (COT) in the “Advanced
Control” sessions during the first day of presentations.
In the first “Advanced Control” session from 3 to 4:15
p.m., a team of UH researchers from its engineering and technology
colleges will present a paper titled “Exercise Machine Controller
Design.” This project seeks to promote neuromuscular health
and improve the quality of life of older adults and people with
disabilities by targeting individual musculoskeletal rehabilitation
needs.
“We do this through design, development and testing of a
prototype expert-based variable resistance/assistance (EVRA) exercise
machine that removes the shortcomings found in the currently available
constant resistance and other variable resistance exercise machines,”
said Heidar A. Malki, a professor in the COT’s engineering
technology department. “Expert-based exercise prescriptions
are incorporated into EVRA and high-precision electric motors are
computer-controlled to smoothly and safely create arbitrary force
profiles, resulting from a patient-specific biomechanical analysis
or from prescribed non-resistance exercise.”
In addition to Malki, the paper is co-authored by Seshu Motamarri,
an engineering graduate student in the CCoE’s electrical and
computer engineering department; Enrique Barbieri, a professor and
chair of the COT’s engineering technology department; and
Earl J. Charlson, a professor in the CCoE’s electrical and
computer engineering department.
In the second “Advanced Control” session from 4:15
to 5:30 p.m., a team of UH researchers from its engineering college
will present a paper titled “A Neural Network-Based Approach
for Control of Vibration in a Black Hawk Helicopter.” Addressing
the issue of vibration control in helicopters, the data in this
project was collected during wind tunnel testing of a Black Hawk
(UH-60A) rotor at the NASA Ames Research Center, resulting in a
significant reduction in vibrations.
“Control of vibration in helicopters is a critical issue because
vibration in the main rotor causes structural fatigue of critical
components,” Malki said. “This can cause the ride quality
to be degraded, as well as compromises the overall system reliability,
thereby increasing the rate of accidents.”
Again, in addition to Malki, the paper is co-authored by Jose I.
Canelon, a doctoral student in the CCoE’s electrical and computer
engineering department, and Leang S. Shieh, a professor in the CCoE’s
electrical and computer engineering department.
The scope of ISMCR covers a broad spectrum of disciplines that
includes work in advanced conceptual design and methodology, sensors,
actuators, instrumentation, real-time control algorithms and innovative
robotics applications. This conference and the field of robotics
bring together researchers from different specialties who contribute
to provide a full picture of the state-of-the-art research and applications
in this area.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
For more information about the 14th International Symposium on
Measurement and Control in Robotics, visit http://www.DIcentral.com/ISMCR.
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