Our Research
The GAFL strives to lead the curve in the field of adaptive & intelligent control systems, aviation safety technologies, and flight simulation systems. Our faculty and students consistently publish research articles in peer-reviewed journals and regularly present latest developments at major aerospace conferences. Some of our latest research areas and endeavors include:
- Aircraft loss-of-control mitigation through predictive methologies
- Smart sensing and quantification of morphing wing deflections
- Augmented-reality visual guidance technologies for aviation safety and control loss prevention
- Adaptive neural network-based control systems for general aviation aircraft
- Development of control systems resilient to loss of control effectivity and adverse weather
- Unconventional aircraft control techniques using EEG control and interactive hand-motion gestures
- Simulated flight testing through small-scale R/C aircraft and full-scale flight simulators
- Real-world flight testing of adaptive control algorithms
Our Publications
Check out our conference proceedings and published articles here:
Book Chapters
- Model Reference Adaptive Control for General Aviation Aircraft: Development, Simulation,
and Flight Test
Advances in Computational Intelligence and Autonomy for Aerospace Systems, pp. 243-288
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, Venkatasubramani S. R. Pappu, John M. Watkins, and Bryan S. Steele
Journal Articles
- A Study on Smart SansEC Skin Sensing for Real-Time Monitoring of Flexible Structures
IEEE Sensors Journal, Volume 18, Number 7, April 2018
Yulia Kostogorova-Beller, Jonathan Whitford, Kenneth Dudley, Alok Menon, Animesh Chakravarthy, and James Steck - Real-Time Google Glass Heads-Up Display for Rapid Air-Traffic Detection
AIAA Journal of Aircraft, Volume 55, Number 1, January 2018
Melvin Rafi, Balaji Chandrasekaran, Bill Kusmez, James E. Steck, and Jibo He - Measurement of Wing Deflections in Flexible Aircraft Using the SansEC Smart Sensor
IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, Volume 32, Number 10, October 2017
Alok Menon, Melvin Rafi, Georg Schirmer, Teresa Tran, Jonathan Whitford, Nita Yodo, Yulia Kostogorova-Beller, James Steck, Animesh Chakravarthy, Suresh Keshavanarayana - Kalman-Filter-Based Adaptive Control: Flight Testing on General Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Volume 40, Number 9, September 2017
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and John Watkins - A Study on Smart SansEC Skin Sensing for Real-Time Monitoring of Flexible Structures
IEEE Sensors Journal, Volume 18, Number 7, April 2018
Yulia Kostogorova-Beller, Jonathan Whitford, Kenneth Dudley, Alok Menon, Animesh Chakravarthy, and James Steck - Turbulence Effects on Modified State Observer-Based Adaptive Control: Black Kite Micro
Aerial Vehicle
MDPI Aerospace, Volume 3, Number 6, February 2016
Venkatasubramani Subba Reddiar Pappu, James E. Steck, and Guruganesh Ramamurthi - Neural Network Based Adaptive Controller for Attitude Control of All-Electric Satellites
Advances in the Astronautical Sciences Astrodynamics 2015, Volume 156, 2016
Suwat Sreesawet, Venkatasubramani Subba Reddiar Pappu, Atri Dutta, and James E. Steck - Adaptive Flight-Control Design Using Neural-Network-Aided Optimal Nonlinear Dynamic
Inversion
AIAA Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, Volume 11, Number 11, November 2014
Geethalakshmi S. Lakshmikanth, Radhakant Padhi, John M. Watkins and James E. Steck - Single Network Adaptive Critic Aided Dynamic Inversion for Optimal Regulation and
Command Tracking with Online Adaptation for Enhanced Robustness
Journal of Optimal Control Applications and Methods, Volume 35, Number 4, July/August 2014
Geethalakshmi S. Lakshmikanth, Radhakant Padhi, John M. Watkins, and James E. Steck - Crack Propagation Analysis Using Acoustic Emission Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring
Systems
The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2013, Article ID 823603, June 2013
Zachary Kral, Walter Horn, and James Steck - Adaptive Feedback Control by Constrained Approximate Dynamic Programming
IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part B (Cybernetics), Volume 38, Number 4, August 2008
Silvia Ferrari, James E. Steck, and Rajeev Chandramohan - Implementation of Automatic Airspace Avoidance in an Advanced Flight Control System
SAE 2007 Transactions Journal of Aerospace, March 2008
Kamran Rokhsaz, James E. Steck, and Yakup Gunbatar - Response of an Advanced Flight Control System to Microburst Encounters
SAE 2005 Transactions Journal of Aerospace, March 2006
Kamran Rokhsaz, James E. Steck, Rajeev Chandramohan, and Balbahadur Singh - An Advanced Flight Control System for General Aviation Application
SAE 2004 Transactions Journal of Aerospace, Volume 113, Number 1, July 2005
James E. Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, Urpo Pesonen, and Noel Duerksen - Adaptive Neural Network Inverse Controller for General Aviation Safety
AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Volume 27, Number 3, May 2004
Urpo J. Pesonen, James E. Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, Hugh Samuel Bruner, and Noel Duerksen
Conference Proceedings
- A Vision-Based Parameter Estimation for an Aircraft in Approach Phase
AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum, January 2021
Balaji Kartikeyan Chandrasekaran, James E. Steck, and Zahra Nili Ahmadabadi - Piloted Simulator Evaluations of an Adaptive Loss-of-Control Avoidance Prediction
Architecture and Augmented-Reality Pilot Advisory Display
AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum, January 2021
Melvin Rafi, Justin Schmitz, Alok N. Menon, Robert Ross, Abbas Qamar, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - Real-time Adaptive Optimal Prediction of Safe Control Spaces and Augmented-Reality
Head-Up Displays Towards Aircraft Loss-of-Control Mitigation
AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum, January 2021
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - Modeling and Control of Uncertain Hybrid Structure Flexible, Morphing Wings with Stability
and Performance Guarantees
AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, Orlando, FL, January 2020
Alok N. Menon, Animesh Chakravarthy, Benjamin C. Gruenwald, Tansel Yucelen, and James E. Steck - Sensor Fusion Of Structural Finite Element Model With Inertial Sensor Data To Measure
Wing Deflection Of A Fixed Wing Aircraft
AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, Orlando, FL, January 2020
Georg Schirmer and James E. Steck - Adaptive Prediction of Aircraft Loss-of-Control Margins and Safe Control Envelopes
with Longitudinally and Laterally Coupled Higher-Order Dynamics
AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, Orlando, FL, January 2020
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - An Adaptive Flight Control system for a Morphing Flapping Wing Aircraft
AIAA Scitech 2020 Forum, Orlando, FL, January 2020
Balaji Kartikeyan Chandrasekaran and James E. Steck - Control of a Flexible Wing with Flaps using a Set Theoretic Active-Passive Framework
AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, San Diego, CA, January 2019
Alok N. Menon, Animesh Chakravarthy, Benjamin C. Gruenwald, and Tansel Yucelen - Adaptive Control System For Flapping Wing Aircraft: A Gain Study On Optimal Control
Modification
AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, San Diego, CA, January 2019
Balaji Kartikeyan Chandrasekaran and James E. Steck - Design, Implementation And Experimental Testing Of An Inertial Sensor System To Quantify
Wing Deflection
AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, San Diego, CA, January 2019
Georg Schirmer, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - Simulated Flight Testing of an Adaptive Loss-of-Control Avoidance Pilot Advisory Display
AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, San Diego, CA, January 2019
Melvin Rafi, Kiran Rajaram, Mohamed Moustafa, Danial Imran bin Salmaan Hussain, Kevin Morales, James E. Steck, Jibo He, and Animesh Chakravarthy - Real-time Adaptive Prediction of Loss-of-Control Margins on a Fourth Order Aircraft
AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, San Diego, CA, January 2019
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - An Adaptive Flight Control System For A Flapping Wing Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Kissimmee, FL, January 2018
Balaji Kartikeyan Chandrasekaran, and James E. Steck - Approaches to Real-time Adaptive Prediction of Loss-of-Control Margins with Visual
Cue Feedback
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Kissimmee, FL, January 2018
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - Adaptive Control for Hybrid PDE Models Inspired from Morphing Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Kissimmee, FL, January 2018
Alok N. Menon, Animesh Chakravarthy, and Nhan T. Nguyen - Adaptive Control for Fault Tolerant Autonomous Carrier Recovery
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Kissimmee, FL, January 2018
Scott Reed and James E. Steck - Approaches to Real-time Predictive Estimation of Loss-of-Control Events & Boundaries
on Transport Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Grapevine, TX, January 2017
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, Animesh Chakravarthy, and Tansel Yucelen - Decentralized Optimal Adaptive Control Architectures for the VCCTEF Aircraft
58th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Grapevine, TX, January 2017
Alok Menon, Animesh Chakravarthy, James E. Steck, and Nhan T. Nguyen - Flexible Deflection Measurements using the SansEC Smart Sensor
58th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Grapevine, TX, January 2017
Alok Menon, Jonathan Whitford, Yulia Kostogorova-Beller, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - Laplace-Based Predictive Estimation of Loss-of-Control Boundaries on a Transport Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Grapevine, TX, January 2017
Kiran Rajaram, Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and Animesh Chakravarthy - A Dynamic Heads-Up Air Traffic Locator & Collision Advisory Display Using Google Glass
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, San Diego, CA, January 2016
Melvin Rafi, Balajikartikeyan Chandrasekaran, Mehmet Kusmez, James E. Steck, and Jibo He - Application of a Kalman Filter for Reduction of Sensor/Turbulence-Induced Noise Within
a Model Reference Adaptive Controller
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, San Diego, CA, January 2016
Melvin Rafi, James E. Steck, and John M. Watkins - Hardware-In-Loop and Flight Testing of Modified State Observer Based Adaptation for
a General Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Kissimmee, FL, January 2015
Venkatasubramani Subba Reddiar Pappu, James E. Steck, Bryan S. Steele, Karthikeyan Rajagopal, and Sivasubramanya N. Balakrishnan - System Identification, HIL and Flight Testing of an Adaptive Controller on a Small
Scale Unmanned Aircraft
AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, Kissimmee, FL, January 2015
Parth Kumar, James E. Steck and Steven G. Hagerott - Modified State Observer based adaptive control law design for the Black Kite MAV
2014 American Control Conference, Portland, OR, June 2014
Venkatasubramani Subba Reddiar Pappu, James E. Steck, Viswanathan Shanmugham, and Guruganesh Ramamurthi - Modified State Observer Based Adaptation for a General Aviation Aircraft - Simulation
and Flight Test
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, National Harbor, MD, January 2014
Venkatasubramani Subba Reddiar Pappu, James E. Steck, Karthikeyan Rajagopal, and Sivasubramanya N. Balakrishnan - Demonstration of the Optimal Control Modification for 6-DOF Control of a General Aviation
Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, National Harbor, MD, January 2014
Scott Reed, James E. Steck, and Nhan T. Nguyen - Response and Recovery of an MRAC Advanced Flight Control System to Wake Vortex Encounters
AIAA Infotech@Aerospace Conference, Boston, MA, August 2013
Melvin Rafi and James E. Steck - Single Network Adaptive Critic aided Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion with Optimal Control
Modification for Fast Adaptation of MRAC Flight Control
AIAA Infotech@Aerospace Conference, Boston, MA, August 2013
Geethalakshmi Shivanapura Lakshmikanth, Scott Reed, John Watkins, and James E. Steck - Single Network Adaptive Critic (SNAC) Architecture for Optimal Tracking Control of
a Morphing Aircraft during a Pull-up Maneuver
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Boston, MA, August 2013
Wilfred Nobleheart, Geethalakshmi Shivanapura Lakshmikanth, Animesh Chakravarthy and James E. Steck - Flight and HIL Testing of a Longitudinal Model Reference Adaptive Controller on a
High-Lag General Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Boston, MA, August 2013
Phillip J. Meikel, Bryan S. Steele, Kimberly Lemon, James E. Steck, and Kamran Rokhsaz - Single Network Adaptive Critic (SNAC) Design for a Morphing Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Minneapolis, MN, August 2012
Wilfred Nobleheart, Geethalakshmi L., Animesh Chakravarthy, and James Steck - Uadd + Umult MRAC Compensation For Control Reversal: Elevator Miss-rigging in a General
Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Minneapolis, MN, August 2012
James Steck and Scott Reed - A Microburst Response and Recovery Scheme Using Advanced Flight Envelope Protection
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Minneapolis, MN, August 2012
Melvin Rafi, James Steck, and Kamran Rokhsaz - Adaptive Critic Optimization of Dynamic Inverse Control
AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2012, Garden Grove, CA, June 2012
James Steck, Geethalakshmi Lakshmikanth, and John Watkins - Damage Detection with Ultrasonic Sensors and Artificial Neural Networks in Composite
Laminates
2012 Aircraft Airworthiness and Sustainment (AA&S) Conference, Baltimore, MD, April 2012
Zachary Kral, Walter Horn, and James Steck - Single Network Adaptive Critic Aided Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion for Suboptimal Command
Tracking
IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control, Denver, CO, September 2011
Geethalakshmi S. Lakshmikanth, Radhakant Padhi, John M. Watkins, and James E. Steck - Application of a Six Degree of Freedom Adaptive Controller to a General Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Portland, OR, August 2011
Kimberly Lemon, James Steck, Brian Hinson, Kamran Rokhsaz, and Nhan Nguyen - Adaptive Control of an Elastic General Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Portland, OR, August 2011
Brian Hinson, James Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, and Nhan Nguyen - Demonstration of the Optimal Control Modification for General Aviation: Design and
Simulation
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Portland, OR, August 2011
Scott Reed, James Steck, and Nhan Nguyen - Model Reference Adaptive Fight Control Adapted for General Aviation: Controller Gain
Simulation and Preliminary Flight Testing On a Bonanza Fly-By-Wire Testbed
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Toronto, ON, August 2010
Kimberly Lemon, James Steck, Brian Hinson, Nhan Nguyen, and Dwayne Kimball - Robust Adaptive Control of a General Aviation Aircraft
AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, Toronto, ON, August 2010
Karthikeyan Rajagopal, S. N. Balakrishnan, James Steck, and Dwayne Kimball - Dynamic Inverse Resilient Control of a Damaged Asymmetric General Aviation Aircraft
48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, Orlando, FL, January 2010
Michael Arruda and James Steck - Composite Panel Damage Detection using Ultrasonic Testing and Neural Networks
SEM Annual Conference & Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Albuquerque, NM, June 2009
Zachary Kral, Walter Horn, and James Steck - Neural Network Approach of Active Ultrasonic Signals for Structural Health Monitoring
Analysis
SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, San Diego, CA, March 2009
Zachary Kral, Walter Horn, and James Steck - Crack Propagation Analysis Using Acoustic Emission Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring
Systems
50th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Palm Springs, CA, May 2009
Zachary Kral, Walter Horn, and James Steck - A Model Following Inverse Controller with Adaptive Compensation for General Aviation
Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference and Exhibit, Honolulu, HI, August 2008
H. Samuel Bruner and James E. Steck - Implementation of Automatic Airspace Avoidance in an Advanced Flight Control System
SAE Aerospace Technology Conference and Exposition, September 2007
Kamran Rokhsaz, James E. Steck, and Yakup Gunbatar - Adaptive Critic Flight Control For A General Aviation Aircraft: Simulations For The
Beech Bonanza Fly-By-Wire Test Bed
AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2007 Conference and Exhibit, Rohnert Park, CA, May 2007
Rajeev Chandramohan, James Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, and Silvia Ferrari - Response of an Advanced Flight Control System to Microburst Encounters
SAE Aerospace Technology Conference and Exposition, October 2005
Kamran Rokhsaz, James E. Steck, Rajeev Chandramohan, and Balbahadur Singh - Effect of Turbulence on an Adaptive Dynamic Inverse Flight Controller
AIAA Infotech@Aerospace, Arlington, VA, September 2005
James Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, Urpo Pesonen, Balbahadar Singh, and Rajeev Chandramohan - Pilot Evaluation of an Adaptive Controller on a General Aviation SATS Testbed Aircraft
AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference and Exhibit, Providence, RI, August 2004
Urpo Pesonen, James Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, Stuart Mochrie, and Mike Maxfield - An Advanced Flight Control System for General Aviation Application
SAE General Aviation Technology Conference & Exhibition, 性色视频, KS, April 2004
James E. Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, Urpo Pesonen, and Noel Duerksen - Adaptive Neural Network Inverse Controller for General Aviation Safety
41st Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, NV, January 2003
Urpo Pesonen, James Steck, Kamran Rokhsaz, Sam Bruner, and Noel Duerksen