PROJECT SUMMARY
The key focus of this proposed research work is to do fundamental research in the general area of decision and control systems with special emphasis on nonlinear control and estimation theory, optimization and optimal control on special manifolds (e.g. Lie Groups), the computation of feasible trajectories for motion control of single and multiple autonomous robotic vehicles (with special focus on surface crafts, gliders, AUVs, and UAVs) subject to input and state constraints, and the challenge of coupled control/logic communication design. The main themes addressed are strongly motivated by the high impact applications on cooperative navigation and control of multiple Autonomous Robotic Vehicles (ARVs) in the general fields of aerial, land, and marine robotics. At practical level, one key objective is to build a new generation of small ARVs and to demonstrate some of the control algorithms proposed.