Design of Advanced Spacecraft
New technologies are enabling new kinds of space vehicles, from ultralight large solar sails to tiny autonomous 'inspector' craft. We are interested in understanding the design implications of these new vehicle types as well as solving the remaining technical hurdles to putting them into space. [Professor Swartwout]

Design of Airfoils
Evolutionary Design Optimization Search and optimization techniques based upon natural evolution. Mechanical engineering applications of genetic algorithms, a technique that encodes designs with a chromosome representation and creates improved designs with a survival-of-the fittest evolutionary process. A wide variety of applications has been studied. [Professor Jakiela]

Design and Operation of Robotic Vehicles
The interaction between robotic vehicles (spacecraft, rovers, ballooncraft) and their human operators/supervisors leads to a host of design-related and operations-related issues. We are investigating model-based methods to improve vehicle design & control, emphasizing the information shared amongst vehicles and operators. We are also interested in creating automated methods to analyze a vehicle for health and safety concerns. Wherever possible, we will build working robotic vehicles to test out our research. [Professor Swartwout]

• Mark Jakiela - Automated Assembly, Evolutionary Design Optimization/Automation
• Michael Swartwout - Building and operating ultra-low-cost aerospace vehicles.Bandit Inspector Spacecraft, Akoya-B Nanosatellite, Synchronization of Autonomous Systems, Project Aria,