Gary Balas
Distinguished McKnight University
Professor and Department Head
Professor Balas' main research interest is narrowing the gap between engineering requirements, real-time control implementation and theoretical control analysis and design techniques. He has focused on describing "real" physical systems via sets of models with the goal to develop an integrated framework for fault detection and isolation, control modeling, analysis, and synthesis, based on physically motivated assumptions, which make use of the specific characteristics of each system to be controlled. Research being pursued to achieve these goals includes: 1) development of theoretical tools for nonlinear robustness analysis, 2) theoretical extensions of nonlinear control algorithms, 3) applying these theoretical developments to real world control problems, and 4) experimentally validating results.
Dr. Balas' areas of research include: extension of receding horizon control (RHC), linear, parameter-varying (LPV) control and dynamic inversion techniques to address highly nonlinear and switched systems, development and application of a robust, multivariable control theory to flexible structures, flight and high speed underwater vehicle control and process control; development of a unifying approach to aircraft health management and control to dramatically increase flight safety. Specific topics being studied are: development of a systematic nonlinear robustness analysis tools to aid validation and verification of adaptive, flight control systems; design and experimental validation of vehicle control algorithms for a high speed, supercavitating underwater vehicle; development of a new control framework for impulse vehicle control, robustness of nonlinear inversion techniques in the presence of model error and development of an indoor, uninhabited aerial vehicle to help test and validate the theory, algorithms and real-time software being developed by his group.
Degrees
- B.S., Civil and Electrical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 1982.
- M.S., Civil a Ph.D., Aeronautics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 1989.
Experience
- 2006 - Present; Department Head Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics, University of Minnesota
- 2001 - Present; Professor Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics and Control Science & Dynamical Systems Center, University of Minnesota
- 1996 - 2001; Associate Professor Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics and Control Science & Dynamical Systems Center, University of Minnesota
- 1995 - Present; Co-Director Control Science and Dynamical Systems Program, University of Minnesota
- 1992 - 2004; Director of Graduate Studies Control Science & Dynamical Systems Department, University of Minnesota
- 1990 - 1996; Assistant Professor Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota
- 1990 - 1991; Visiting Research Fellow Department of Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
- 1984 - 1989; Research Assistant California Institute of Technology
- 1987 - 1988; Teaching Assistant California Institute of Technology 1984; Staff Engineer H R Textron, Systems Group, Irvine, CA
- 1982 - 1984 Research & Teaching Assistant University of California
- 1979-1984 Bachelor Fellowship Engineer Hughes Aircraft Company, Fullerton, CA
Five Recent Publications
- T. Keviczky and G.J. Balas, 2006, Receding horizon control of an F-16 aircraft: A comparative study, IFAC Control Engineering Practice, vol. 14, no. 9, pp. 1023-1034, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
- Tamas Keviczky, Francesco Borrelli, and Gary J. Balas, 2006, Decentralized receding horizon control for large scale dynamically decoupled systems, Automatica, 42, 2105-2115, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
- R. Ingvalson, H. Rotstein, T. Keviczky and G.J. Balas, 2005, Fault detection design for uninhabited aerial vehicles, AIAA Journal of Guidance, Dynamics and Control, vol. 29, no. 5, pp. 1051-1060. June, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
- T. Keviczky and G.J. Balas, 2005, Software-enabled receding horizon control for autonomous UAV guidance, AIAA Journal of Guidance, Dynamics and Control, vol. 29, no. 3, 2005, pp. 680-694, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
- I. Sz´aszi, A. Marcos, G.J. Balas and J. Bokor, 2005, LPV detection alter design for a Boeing 747-100/200 aircraft, AIAA Journal of Guidance, Dynamics and Control, vol. 28, no. 3, 2005, pp. 461-470, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Honors and Fellowships
- Distinguished McKnight Fellowship, 2007
- Background
- O. Hugo Schuck Best Paper Award, 2006
- Background
- IEEE Control System Society 2005-2006 Fellow
- Background
- Institute of Technology George Taylor Distinguished Research Award, 2003
- Background
- Outstanding Young Investigator Award, 1999
- Background
- McKnight-Land Grant Professorship, 1993-1995
- Background
- Hughes Aircraft Undergraduate Student Fellowship, 1980-82
Current Courses
Subjects and Courses Taught
- Undergraduate
- EE 4231 -- Linear Control Systems: Designed by Input/Output Methods
- Graduate
- EE 5235 -- Robust Control System Design
- AEM 5495 -- Topics in Aerospace Systems
- AEM 8400 -- Research Seminar in Dynamics and Controls
- AEM 8401 -- Modern Feedback Control
- AEM 8421 -- Robust Multivariable Control Design
- AEM 8495 -- Selected Topics in Dynamical Systems and Controls
- CSDY 8899 -- Control Science Seminar
| Curriculum Vitae | Brief Biographical Sketch |
Last Modified: Friday, 19-Sep-2008 12:46:22 CDT