The PI proposes a research program to establish a theoretical foundation for analysis and design of control tasks on embedded computers powered by battery. In modern day applications, feedback control laws are typically implemented as control tasks that are scheduled and executed in an embedded computer under constraints imposed by limited energy budget. The PI proposes to use computing delay and sampling period as feedback control mechanism. This timing control is implemented as online feedback scheduling algorithms generated by methods inspired by robot navigation, path following, and obstacle avoidance.
Intellectual Merit:
The proposed work may establish smooth transition from the mathematical design of control laws to the computational design of control tasks on embedded computers. The goal is to have a theory for a control law that is correct and also works on a real system. The research may provide guidelines in control-computing-power co-design for cyber-physical systems and contribute to the success of feedback control theory in real life applications.
Broader Impacts:
The PI is endowed with a mission to establish the first PhD level research and education programs in both control systems and robotics in Savannah, GA. Robotics is a key area for applications of control tasks on embedded computers. The PI is a co-founder of the coastal robotics club in the Savannah area to provide teaching experience to graduate and undergraduate students through summer camps, workshops and tutoring sessions attended by high school and middle school students.
