Plenary Speakers

Exploration in the Forest of Mechanical Systems Control

Speaker: Dr. Masayoshi Tomizuka

Date: Oct. 3rd (Monday)

Abstract
I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching and research in the field of mechanical systems control over the past fifty years. This field has been full of new theory, new mechanical hardware and new tools for real time control, and is nothing but the world of mechatronics.
In this talk, I would like to give a brief review of how this field has developed during the past fifty years and what my personal involvements have been in this field and what my current involvements are. Overall, the talk is a chronicle of my journey of exploration with my students in the forest of mechanical systems control.

Biography
Masayoshi Tomizuka received his Ph. D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in February 1974. In 1974, he joined the faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, where he currently holds the Cheryl and John Neerhout, Jr., Distinguished Professorship Chair and serves as Associate Dean for the Faculty in the College of Engineering. His current research interests are optimal and adaptive control, digital control, motion control, and control problems related to robotics and manufacturing, vehicles and mechatronic systems. He served as Program Director of the Dynamic Systems and Control Program of the National Science Foundation (2002-2004). He has supervised about 130 Ph. D. students to completion. He served as President of the American Automatic Control Council (AACC) (1998-99). He is Honorary Member of the ASME, Life Fellow IEEE, and Fellow of IFAC and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He is the recipient of the J-DSMC Best Paper Award (1995, 2010), the DSCD Outstanding Investigator Award (1996), the Charles Russ Richards Memorial Award (ASME, 1997), the Rufus Oldenburger Medal (ASME, 2002), the John R. Ragazzini Award (AACC, 2006), the Richard Bellman Control Heritage Award (AACC, 2018), the Honda Medal (ASME, 2019) and the Nichols Medal (IFAC, 2020). He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Bridging the Gap in Prediction, Estimation, and Control of Integrated Systems

Speaker: Dr. Jing Sun

Date: Oct. 4th (Tuesday)

Abstract
Integrated systems are ubiquitous as more heterogeneous physical entities are combined to form functional platforms. New and “invisible” feedback loops and couplings are introduced with increased connectivity, leading to emerging dynamics and making the integrated systems more control-intensive. The multi-physics, multi-time scale, and distributed-actuation natures of integrated systems present new challenges for modeling and control. Understanding their operating environments, achieving sustained high performance, and incorporating rich but incomplete data also motivate the development of novel design tools and frameworks.
In this talk, I will use the integrated thermal and power management of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) as an example to illustrate the challenges in the prediction, estimation, and control of integrated systems in the era of rapid advances in AI and data-driven control. While first-principle-based modeling is still essential in understanding and exploiting the underlying physics of the integrated systems, model-based control and optimization have to be used in a much richer context to deal with the emerging dynamics and inevitable uncertainties. For CAVs, we will show how model-based design, complemented by data-driven approaches, can lead to control and optimization solutions with a significant impact on energy efficiency and operational reliability, in addition to safety and accessibility.

Biography
Jing Sun received her Ph. D degree from the University of Southern California in 1989 and her master's and bachelor's degrees from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1984 and 1982, respectively. From 1989 to 1993, she was an assistant professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Wayne State University. She joined Ford Research Laboratory in 1993, where she worked on advanced powertrain system controls. After spending almost ten years in the industry, she returned to academia in 2003. She joined the University of Michigan, where she is the Michael G. Parsons Collegiate Professor in the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Department, with joint appointments in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department and Mechanical Engineering Department at the same university. She holds 44 U.S. patents and has published over 300 archived journal and conference papers. She is a Fellow of NAI (the National Academy of Inventors), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control), and SNAME (the Society of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering). She is a recipient of the 2003 IEEE Control System Technology Award.

“Mechanical Intelligence” in Robotic Manipulation: Good Design Makes Everything Easier

Speaker: Dr. Aaron Dollar

Date: Oct. 5th (Wednesday)

Abstract
The human hand is the pinnacle of dexterity – it has the ability to powerfully grasp a wide range of object sizes and shapes as well as delicately manipulate objects held within the fingertips. Current robotic and prosthetic systems, however, have only a fraction of that manual dexterity. My group attempts to address this gap in three main ways: examining the mechanics and design of effective hands, studying biological hand function as inspiration and performance benchmarking, and developing novel control approaches that accommodate task uncertainty. In terms of hand design, we strongly prioritize passive mechanics, including incorporating adaptive underactuated transmissions and carefully tuned compliance, and seek to maximize open-loop performance while minimizing complexity. In this talk, I will discuss how constraints imparted by external contacts in robotic manipulation and legged locomotion affect the mobility and control of the mechanism, introduce ways that these can be redressed through novel design approaches, and demonstrate how our group has been able to apply these concepts to produce simple and robust grasping and dexterous manipulation for tasks that are difficult or impossible to perform using traditional approaches.

Biography
Aaron Dollar is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and Computer Science at Yale University. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a Ph.D. in Engineering Science at Harvard University, and was a postdoctoral associate at MIT in Health Sciences and Technology and the Media Lab. Prof. Dollar is the recipient of a number of awards, including young investigator awards from AFOSR, DARPA, NASA, and NSF, and is the founder of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Technical Committee on Mechanisms and Design. Aside from more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and mentoring over 40 PhD Students and Postdocs, his work has made an impact through the Yale OpenHand Project, the YCB manipulation benchmarking initiatives, and lab spin-off company RightHand Robotics, among others.

ASME DSCD Oldenburger Medal & Lecture, Nyquist Lecture, and Honors and Awards

Several exciting events of the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division (DSCD) will take place at MECC 2022, including the Oldenburger Lecture along with the DSCD Award Ceremony (on Tuesday, October 4th from 11:35AM to 1:50PM), and the Nyquist Lecture (on Monday, October 3rd at 4:00PM).

Professor Wayne Book, HUSCO/Ramirez Professor (emeritus) of Georgia Institute of Technology, the 2022 Rufus T. Oldenburger Medalist, will give a presentation titled “Strong, Swift Arms on a Diet”. Professor Reza Moheimani, James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair at UT Dallas, will present the 2022 ASME DSCD Nyquist Lecture titled “Control of Scanning Tunneling Microscope for Silicon Quantum Device Fabrication: Mechatronics at the Atomic Scale”. In addition, the following awards will be presented: Henry M. Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award, Charles Stark Draper Innovative Practice Award, Michael J. Rabins Leadership Award, and the Rudolf Kalman Best Paper Award. Please see more details here and here .

Newest Advances in Systems and Control from Recent DCSD CAREER Awardees

This special session brings together recent CAREER awardees from the Dynamics, Control and Systems Diagnostics program at the National Science Foundation to discuss their research. You will hear about the latest advances in a wide variety of topics covering both fundamental understanding and cutting‐edge applications. The format of this session will provide the audience ample time for questions and for the entire group to explore future directions in the field of systems and controls. Please see details on the special session page.

Funding Agency Talks

In this special session, program managers from funding agencies such as NSF and DoD will provide overview and Q&A to research related to their programs. Please see details on the special session page.

Student Programs

MECC 2022 offers student supports and exciting student programs. Please visit the students page for details.

Social and Networking Activities

Opening Reception

Sunday, October 2
6:00PM–8:30PM
Newport I&II and the Newport Foyer
Start this year’s conference off right! Enjoy reconnecting with your friends and colleagues over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
Tickets and/or Badges are required.

Extended Coffee Breaks

Daily (Monday through Wednesday, with no afternoon break on Wednesday)
9:30AM–10:00AM and 3:30PM–4:00PM
Newport Foyer
Morning and afternoon coffee breaks are scheduled daily in the Registration Area. Coffee, tea, lemonade, iced tea and light breakfast snacks will be served.

Poster Presentations

Daily (Monday through Wednesday, with no afternoon session on Wednesday)
9:30AM–10:00AM and 3:30PM–4:00PM
Newport Foyer
This year’s conference program includes daily poster presentations. Researchers will present their latest results in a poster format, and attendees and presenters will have an opportunity to interact, discuss, and share ideas.