Control systems science and engineering

Research focus

The Peer review has evaluated this group as Excellent

The research team has been working on several aspects of automatic control science and technology, both in relation to basic research and to industrial applications. The research is fostered by scientific exchanges with the international control community and collaborations with leading companies operating in diverse sectors of automation, with particular attention to knowledge and technology transfer. For ease of presentation, the research activity is divided into 6 sub-areas. Control design The research includes a variety of aspects in control systems design, ranging from methodologies to computational techniques and simulation studies. Besides applications via well-assessed methodologies, the main effort is devoted to cutting-edge theoretical developments. The scope includes design with controller constraints, decentralized schemes, analytic design, data-based control, adaptive control, fault-tolerant and switching control. The activity has followed a number of significant lines, with special focus on model predictive control (MPC), periodic control, output-feedback stabilization techniques, adaptive control, stabilization and optimal control of switched systems, regulation of stochastic hybrid systems. Model identification and data analysis Identification deals with the estimation of unknown variables or parameters from experimental data. The field has strong connections with statistical data analysis, time series prediction and signal estimation by filtering techniques; in automatic control, identification plays a fundamental role in model-based control design in order to work out an accurate model of the plant. Many research topics have been considered, ranging from filtering of stochastic systems to subspace identification, from prediction error techniques to identification for control, from data mining to learning. Besides theoretical issues, many are the applicative studies, especially in the areas of automotive and aerospace control, life sciences, and green energy production systems. Process modelling, simulation and control The research has focused on various aspects. One concerns power generation plants, that constitutes a long-term research subject for the team. In that context, modern object-oriented modelling and simulation techniques are studied and applied. In addition, the research has been continuing the development of innovative control strategies, with particular reference to MPC, and the creation of effective methods for the automatic tuning of industrial controllers. The main application field is that of power plants, but several others are touched, given the inherently multidomain character of the research. Mechatronics and industrial robotics As a first goal the research aims at studying, developing and testing algorithms and software for motion control of mechanical systems. The application domains range from industrial robotics, where both the free motion and the interaction with the environment are studied, to space robotics, where the use of additional visual sensors is investigated, to home appliances, where low cost 217 control solutions are implemented, and to consumer electronics (spindle and voice coil motors of hard disk drives). A second main research goal concerns the mechatronic analysis and design of machines (machine tools, machining centers, production machines), using object-oriented tools for multi-domain modeling and simulation: virtual prototypes of the controlled machines are developed, allowing the assessment of the contribution of each component to the overall performance. Automation of vehicles and transportation systems The area covers applications in automotive and aerospace control and ranges from single vehicle control to multi-vehicle coordination. The main topics in automotive systems concern control of semi-active and active suspensions, braking and traction control, stability control of 2-wheel vehicles, estimation of dynamic variables of vehicles, transmission control, guidance of articulated vehicles, dynamic mean value models for gasoline and Diesel engines. State-of-the-art technologies have been used, like magneto-rheologic fluids for damping control, electro-mechanical brake-by-wire systems, and optical sensing. Aerospace applications include analysis of open- and closed-loop coupled rotor/fuselage helicopter dynamics using periodic systems theory; analysis and design of attitude/orbit determination and control systems for small, low Earth orbit satellites, with specific reference to spacecraft equipped with electromagnetic actuators; aircraft conflict detection and resolution algorithms for maintaining safe separation between aircraft in air traffic management systems. Automation of manufacturing systems and industrial plants The research focuses on modelling, design, validation and implementation of control systems for plants with discrete-event dynamics. They include discrete manufacturing systems, chemical batch manufacturing, pulp and paper production, and systems for energy generation, transmission and consumption. The applications range from basic equipment of specific automated machines to production plants featuring cooperating robotized working centres, to batch production and packaging systems, to power transmission grids, to energy management systems. Main issues are reconfigurability of production systems and functional safety of components and systems. Relevant investigated topics include discrete-event, object-oriented and agent-oriented modelling, meta-modelling and language-based specification and design, virtual testing, application of innovative technologies coming from the ICT world, stochastic discrete-event analysis.

Dipartimento di afferenza

Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione (DEI)

Docenti afferenti

Sergio Bittanti (full professor)
Paolo Bolzern (full professor)
Patrizio Colaneri (full professor)
Luca Ferrarini (full professor)
Gianni Ferretti (full professor)
Guido Guardabassi (full professor)
Arturo Locatelli (full professor)
Gianantonio Magnani (full professor)
Sergio M. Savaresi (full professor)
Riccardo Scattolini (full professor)
Nicola Schiavoni (full professor)
Alberto Leva (associate professor)
Marco Lovera (associate professor)
Luigi Piroddi (associate professor)
Paolo Rocco (associate professor)
Luca Bascetta (assitant professor)
Francesco Casella (assitant professor)
Simone Garatti (assitant professor)
Maria Prandini (assitant professor)
Silvia Strada (assitant professor)