This REG award provides funds for the purchase of research equipment related to experiments in control of constrained non smooth mechanical systems. The equipment comprises of a two axis direct drive motion setup, digital oscilloscope, force sensor, deburring tools, data acquisition cards, power supplies and amplifiers, and computers for simulations and real time control. The research addresses applications of the results from the theory of non-smooth differential equations to the modeling and control of constrained mechanical systems, which are characterized by nonlinear differential-algebraic equations and often such phenomena as Coulomb friction,saturation dead zones and backlash. The equipment will facilitate experiments in automation of surface finishing operations,utilizing the unique methodology developed for such operations, and will identify new research directions in the area of control applications of non smooth mechanical systems. In addition, it will be used as a testbed for automated deburring, grinding, and other edge finishing operations, the behavior of which can be accurately described by non-smooth mechanical system dynamics. The knowledge base developed from the proposed experiments on the test-bed will provide significant insight towards solving some of the problems associated with complex real-world automated surface finishing operations in the industry. Besides advancing the fundamental knowledge in control theory and its applications, experiments conducted on the proposed equipment will also prepare students for industrial employment with added training in mechatronics, i.e., integration of system dynamics, control theory, process dynamics and real-time control implementation.
