Learning to fly: Using Pressure Sensing for Control in Gusty Environment | Prof. David E. Rival

#Aeroseminar #TUDelft #Aerodynamics
The Aeroseminar lecture given by Prof. David E. Rival titled "Learning to fly: Using Distributed Pressure Sensing and Network Strategies for Control in Gusty Environment" in the faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft.
Abstract:
The potential for distributed sensing in complex fluid-dynamics problems, when coupled with network-science tools, offers a myriad of fresh opportunities. For sake of illustration, recent progress towards controlling drones in gusty environments, using distributed pressure sensors, will be showcased. Examples of optimal sensing in flying/swimming, from the perspective of evolutionary biology, will first be contrasted before embarking in state-estimation strategies using Bayesian statistics. Here it will be shown that simple linear static mappings between pressure and aerodynamic loads have limited value, but that identification and even prediction of key operational points in state space is feasible when working in a transition network.
Short Biography:
Dr. Rival leads a large research group at the interface between experimental fluid dynamics and bioinspiration. In 2020, Dr. Rival was awarded a one-year Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship to conduct research in Munich. Prior to joining Queen’s, Dr. Rival completed his doctoral studies on the aerodynamics of dragonfly flight at TU Darmstadt, worked as a postdoctoral associate at MIT on shape morphing in nature, and held a research chair on atmospheric sensing at the University of Calgary. The lab is involved in a number of international research collaborations sponsored by, for instance, AFOSR and NATO, and has been featured on David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things as well as on the Discovery Channel’s Daily Planet show.