9350268 Garcia The focus of Dr. Ephrahim Garcia's research, during his tenure as a Presidential Faculty Fellow, is on the control of flexible dynamic systems. Actuation of electro-mechanical devices is used to control the dynamic behavior of systems such as automobiles, robotic manipulators, bridges and aircrafts. However, the dynamics of the structure and the actuator are often coupled leading to structural instability. Collocated feedback strategies are used to avoid instability phenomena. In addition, smart or adaptive structures are used for structural control and health monitoring. Smart structures technology incorporates an integration of sensors, actuators and structural members to insure stability, structural identification and vibration suppression. Application of neural networks is included for structural self diagnosis and control. *** v s t $ $ ( F / ` ` 1 Times Symbol " Helvetica 5 Courier New ` , , , - " h c % c % c % v I R:WW20USERABSTRACT.DOT abgarcia maryjohnson maryjohnson
