Functionalized nanomaterials

Biomaterials and devices

Multifunctional material systems

Multiscale Modeling

Intelligent systems

Education and outreach

Participants and sponsors

Intelligent Systems

Modeling and controlling hierarchical adaptive systems with distributed sensing, actuation and intelligence at different length scales.

Birds have long inspired the development of aircraft, but our present man-made vehicles are primitive compared to Mother Nature's flying counterparts. To achieve the goal of flying like a bird, the first set of challenges — material science advances in strength-to-weight ratios, reconfigurability, integration of sensing and actuation — is the main focus of TiiMS.

The second set of challenges — engineering advanced control systems to enable intelligence, agility and adaptability of aerospace vehicles made from these materials — constitutes the secondary research focus of the institute.

Research goals:

• Modeling and control of hierarchical adaptive systems
• Distributed sensing, actuation and intelligence
• Applications at different length scales

Team Leader: (click name for contact info)

David C. Zimmerman
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Houston

Adaptive Control Team Members: (click name for contact info)

Karolos M. Grigoriadis
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Houston

John L. Junkins
Chief Engineer, TiiMS
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University

Andrew J. Meade
Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Rice University

Satish Nagarajaiah
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Rice University

Systems Integration Team Members: (click name for contact info)

Shield B. Lin
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Prairie View A&M University

Othon Rediniotis
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University

John Valasek
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A&M University