N00014-17-1-2614
July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2021
$1,022,160
ONR
Aerospace Science Research Division
PI:
S. Ferrari
Co-PI:
R. Wood (Harvard University)
Project Description
This project seeks to develop efficient event-based control algorithms that are tightly integrated with event-based sensors to provide low-power and low-latency feedback control. These algorithms are currently being implemented and tested on the RoboBee, a 14mm insect-scale flapping robot currently in development at the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory.
Research Goals
- Physics-based model of RoboBee using blade-element theory
- Adaptive controllers based on biologically-inspired spiking neural networks
- Stabilizing robot flight control while adapting to manufacturing irregularities
- Neuromorphic hardware implementation
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- T. S. Clawson, T. C. Stewart, C. Eliasmith, S. Ferrari “An Adaptive Spiking Neural Controller for Flapping Insect-scale Robots,” IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence (SSCI), Honolulu, HI, December 2017. [PDF]
- T. S. Clawson, S. B. Fuller, R. J. Wood, S. Ferrari “A Blade Element Approach to Modeling Aerodynamic Flight of an Insect-scale Robot,” American Control Conference (ACC), Seattle, WA, May 2017. [PDF]
- T. S. Clawson, S. Ferrari, S. B. Fuller, R. J. Wood, “Spiking Neural Network (SNN) Control of a Flapping Insect-scale Robot,” Proc. of the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Las Vegas, NV, pp. 3381-3388, December 2016. [PDF]
Presentations
- “Event-based Sensorimotor Planning and Control,” ONR Unmanned Maritime Systems Technology (UMST) Program Review, Miramar Beach, FL, January 2019. [PDF]
- “Neuromorphic Sensing and Control of Bio-Inspired Robots,” Biocene 2018, Cleveland, OH, August 2018. [PDF]
- “An Adaptive Spiking Neural Controller for Flapping Insect-scale Robots,” IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, Honolulu, HI, December 2017. [PDF]
- “A Blade Element Approach to Modeling Aerodynamic Flight of an Insect-scale Robot,” American Control Conference (ACC), Seattle, WA, May 2017. [PDF]
- “Spiking Neural Network (SNN) Control of a Flapping Insect-scale Robot,” IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Las Vegas, NV, December 2016. [PDF]
Special Events
- T. S. Clawson, “Bandwidth Limited Sensing with Neuromorphic Cameras,” Meeting with Industry, Ithaca, NY, December 2018. [PDF]
- H. Yang, “Indoor Airflow Modeling and Data Assimilation,” Meeting with Industry, Ithaca, NY, December 2018. [PDF]
- T. S. Clawson, “Neuromorphic Vision,” Presentation to the Cornell Engineering College Council, Ithaca, NY, October 2018.
- T. S. Clawson, “Neuromorphic Sensing and Control of Bio-Inspired Robots,” Invited Talk, NASA Biocene 2018, Cleveland, OH, August 2018. [PDF]
- T. S. Clawson, “Neuromorphic Sensing and Control of Autonomous Micro-Aerial Vehicles,” Commercialization Fellowship Technical Presentation, Ithaca, NY, June 2018. [PDF]