Ascolta

Description:

The Automatica Group operates in the Engineering Department and promotes research and educational activities in the context of some of the typical themes of Automation. In particular, both methodological and technological aspects related to research areas are considered, such as: physical robotics (industrial, marine, autonomous and to aid motor rehabilitation), motion control (estimation, identification and control with linear and rotating asynchronous motors), home automation, static energy conversion, hybrid systems and optimization. The intense experimental activity, which has been always accomplished side by side to the methodological investigation, turns out to be a characterizing element of the research activity; in fact, the laboratory activity has represented an important moment of verification of the developed methodologies and, at the same time, it has continuously stimulated new guidelines and direction of investigation.

Research areas currently active:

• Motion Control: Sensorless and robust control of electric drives with linear and rotary induction, brushless and reluctance motors;
• Static energy conversion: Robust control of DC-DC static converters of different topologies;
• Industrial robotics: Adaptive control, robust control, and interaction control;
• Autonomous Robotics: Control of autonomous terrestrial, marine and aerial vehicles; techniques for localization of mobile vehicles; control of cooperating robots;
• Building and Industrial Automation: PLC type controller systems, algorithms for automated systems, SCADA type Supervision Control Systems and Data Acquisition) home automation (Home and Building Automation systems);
• Rehabilitative robotics: state estimation in active orthoses for rehabilitation; human machine interface; head tracking and sensor fusion techniques in augmented reality devices;
• Research on hybrid systems: sampled data observers; stability of hybrid stochastic systems; Optimization: optimization in linear convex problems through LMI and in non-linear problems using combinatorial algorithms

List of the main research projects:

Scientific Research Programs of Relevant National Interest (PRIN):

• Robotics for Assisted Diving - ROAD - 2014-17;
• Actuators, Sensors and Control Algorithms for Human-Robot Cooperation in Rehabilitation - 2011-13;
• Control of robotic manipulators with mechanics in the loop - 2008-10.

Third mission activity: Constitution in 01/2017 of EngCoSys company - Engineering Control Sistems Srl - www.engcosys.it - Innovative and Spin-Off Start-Up of UNIPA operating in the field of marine, aerial and terrestrial drones both in field of industrial and civil automatic plants.

Keywords: Sea drones, aerial drones, terrestrial drones, Building and Industrial Automation, Industrial Robotics, Autonomous Robotics, Mechatronics, Autonomous Systems, Multi-Robot Cooperation; Motion Control; Hybrid systems; Optimization; Home Automation.