Aerospace Engineering

Project Description For almost a decade, the Rieker group has been transitioning Nobel Prize winning laser technology from carefully controlled optics labs to the outside world. In partnership with NIST, a mid-infrared laser is being developed that can measure the absorption of almost any hydrocarbon molecule, such as volatile organic...

Project Description The Bioastronautics Laboratory in the Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences is conducting experiments to explore how humans and autonomous systems can best team up to address the challenges of deep space missions. As part of these experiments, we have developed a computer interface that simulates what remote...

Project Description My lab is exploring a variety of techniques for rapid prototyping of electronic circuits that assure first time success, quickly and at low cost. Some of these leverage commercial vendors and some of these leverage methods fully contained in-house. Each of four students will select a specific circuit...

Project Description The Neuromechanics lab combines ideas from neuroscience, economics and biomechanics to understand the costs and rewards underlying movement control. Using modeling, robotic interfaces, and virtual reality, we try to reverse engineer how the brain selects and controls movements. The investigations provide insight into the interplay between the neural...

Project Description We don't believe quantum computers will work without error correction. In this project, we will look at a specific part of the error correction process the act of measuring. Our goal is to use a device called a "quantum amplifier" to make measurements better for error correction. This...

Project Description Legacy pipelines made of cast iron, wrought iron, and bare steel are responsible for a disproportionate number of gas leaks in the United State’s infrastructure system. Many systems have exceeded their intended design life with increasing vulnerability to failure. The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST)...

Project Description US natural gas pipeline infrastructure has been serving the nation for decades, providing critical services and resources for energy flow. Many systems have exceeded their intended design life with increasing vulnerability to failure. The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) is leading an international project to...

Project Description Companies all around the world are building quantum computers using superconducting electrical circuits. The quantum bits are encoded in a network of linear and nonlinear inductors and capacitors. In this project, we will use the theory of electrical circuit equivalents to list all of the possible quantum bits...

Project Description The Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) houses a large 400 g-ton centrifuge (the 2nd largest in the US). This centrifuge has recently been upgraded with a shake table so that can input scaled earthquake motions into a scaled model of soil-structure systems. Additional upgrades include...

Project Description The AVS Lab is looking for a motivated undergraduate student who can assist with on-going work to apply reinforcement learning (RL) techniques to spacecraft operations problems. This work will deploy reinforcement learning agents trained in simulation on-board a real spacecraft for a flight demonstration. The student will help...