vehicle and robotics engineering laboratory

Vehicle and Robotics Engineering Laboratory

Director: Prof. Vladimir V. Vantsevich

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Knowledge that will change your world

Vehicle and Robotics Engineering Laboratory

• The Vehicle and Robotics Engineering Laboratory (VREL) develops multi‐disciplined and multi‐domain systems engineering approach to engineer vehicleand robotic mechatronic systems in partnership with academia, industry,government research agencies, and Intergovernmental and Internationalorganizations.


VREL MISSION

• VREL provides conditions and equipment and facilities postgraduate, graduateand undergraduate research, works on contact projects with industry, anddevelops advanced academic and professional development courses andprogramsatall educational levels in theareaonvehicleand roboticmechatronicsystemsengineering.

• VREL provides an avenue for the new academic track in the Department ofMechanical Engineering: “Mechatronic Systems Engineering with application toVehicleandRobotics Engineering”


Conventional/unmanned ground vehicles•Agile and hyperactive vehicle/tire dynamics and control • Coupled/interactive dynamics and design of open architecture vehicle systems• Connectivity and automation for vehicle dynamics and powertrain control• Cyber‐protection of vehicle dynamics, intra‐ and inter‐vehicle systems •Mobility and survivability of terrain vehicle platoon/convoy •Vehicle energy and fuel efficiency •Vehicle performance and mission fulfillment optimization and controlVehicle driveline/propulsion systems: optimization, control, and design•Autonomous wheel power management systems•Multi‐wheel, hybrid‐electric, electric and hydraulic controllable drivelines• Limited slip and e‐locking differentials; transfer cases and drive axles•Wheeled amphibious propulsion systems Robotics•Mechanical design of robots•Dynamics and control with new expansion to Biomechatronics/Biorobotics (inverse approach)


Main R&D Directions in VREL

Student Participation in Research Work


. Student name Year of defense Institution Dissertation title

Jeremy P. Gray,US Army TARDEC

March2015

UAB UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE TERRAIN/ROADMOBILITY FOUNDATION AND ITS ALGORITHMICFORMALIZATION FOR WHEEL POWERMANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE LEADER ANDFOLLOWER CAPABILITIES

Mostafa Salama,Arab Academy for

Science and Technology and Maritime Transport

October2015

UAB

UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE DYNAMICS ANDENERGY EFFICIENCY CONTROL

Siyuan Zhang (Hunter)

December2019

UAB

UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE INTEGRATEDCONTROL OF OPERATIONAL PROPERTIES



Student name Year Student name Year

Blair Farley 2017 Siyuan Zhang (Hunter) 2016

Cheng Chang Lee 2012 Ogonna Ezeokoli 2016

Chris Grave 2014 Anvesh Loka 2016

Gabriel Judd 2014 Hillarion Arong 2017

NarithemMuthu 2014 Chantel Jordi 2017

Mourya Ruppa 2015 Bing Wang 2017



# Name Major Research Topic Year

1 Debbie Donaldson ME Honda Powertrain 2012

2 Blake Feltman ME Mobility 2012

3 Nick Bernard ME (Honor Program) Tire Slip and Tire Force Analysis and Sensors 2013

4 James Sketers ME Honda Powertrain 2013 – 2014

5 Scissum Kuni ECE UGV, Controller 2013 – 2014

6 Erin Pincombe ME Honda Powertrain; Tire Detection Monitor 2013 – 2015

7 Presley Libb ME Honda Powertrain 2013 – 2015

8 Ebrahim Zuaiter ME UGV, Controller 2013 – 2014

9 Nicholas Lannuzzi ME 6 6 Truck: Wheel Power Distribution 2015

10 Chris Graves ME Lab Development; Tire Detection Monitor 2015




11 Mark Parker ME Tire Detection Monitor 2014

12 Jason Pate ME DC motor design and control 2014

13 Andrew Hall ME UGV, Encoder 2015

14 Cole Hankins ME Teaching Assistant, ME 360 2015 – 2016

15 Lauren Symmes ME Teaching Assistant, ME 360 2015 – 2016

16 Anthony Ford ME (Honor Program) 4 4 Vehicles with four electric motors 2016

17 Samantha Westerhouse ME (Honor Program) Human Wrist Mechanics and Studying its Application to Robotics 2016

18 Chandra Yarlagadda ME (Honor Program) Mechatronics lab development 2016

19 Archit Patel ME (Honor Program) Mechatronics lab development 2016

20 Ryan Mohaimany ME DC motor design 2016




21 Emma Latham BME (Honor Program) DC motor control, Hall Effect sensor, Teaching Assistant, ME 360

2016 ‐2018

22 Rachana Kotapalli BME (Honor Program) DC motor control, Hall Effect sensor, Teaching Assistant, ME 360

2016‐2018

23 Beau Johnson ME (Honor Program) New gripper Design 2018

• Book = 1• Journal Papers = 7• Conference Papers = 47



LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT

• New Equipment to Demonstrate mechanical Engineering Principles in action –ME 461 Mechanical System

• Eight (8) New Experiments• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students

• Flyers and Posters in the Lab

# Name

1 Thread Efficiency Testing Equipment

2 Screw Tester

3 Vibration Measurement and Analysis: Cantilever Beam

4 Experimental Evaluation of Belt Drive Characteristics

5 Simple and Compound Gear Train Kinematics

6 Experimental Evaluation of Gear Efficiency

7 Dynamic Balancing Lab

8 Experimental Evaluation of Journal Bearing Friction

• New Equipment to Demonstrate Vehicle Dynamics and Engineering Principles in Action –ME 360 Intro to Mechatronics

• Five (5) New Experiments Developed• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students

• Four (4) New Experiments in Progress

# Name

1 Tactile Navigation with Whiskers

2 Light Sensitive Navigation with Photoresistors

3 Robot Control with Distance Detection

4 DC Motor on/off Control with NI myRIO

5 Hall‐Effect Sensor‐ DC motor on/off control with NI myRIO

In collaboration with National Instruments


• New Equipment to Demonstrate Vehicle Dynamics and Engineering Principles in Action –ME 430 Vehicle Dynamics

• Two (2) New Experiments Developed• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students

# Name

1 Tactile Navigation with Whiskers

2 Light Sensitive Navigation with Photoresistors

In collaboration with Honda Manufacturing of Alabama


• New Lecture Course and Equipment to Demonstrate Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Engineering Principles in action–ME 4XX/5XX Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Engineering

• Two (2) Computer Workshops Developed New Experiments Developed

• Five (5) New Experiments developed• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students

In collaboration with Southern Company Services, Inc., National Instruments, and CAAT

# Name

1 Lecture: Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Engineering

2 Electrical UGV: Tires/Terrain Interaction and Power Losses

3 DC Motors PID Control

4 Electrical and Mechanical Power in Electric Vehicles


• New Lecture course to Demonstrate Engineering Principles to Design Drivetrains –ME 490/590 Intro to Vehicle Drivetrain System

• Two (2) Computer Workshops Developed New Experiments Developed

• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students


Mechatronics – Vehicle – Robotics in BSME, MSME, and Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Engineering

BS and MS courses

Introduction to Mechatronics ME 360

Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines with ADAMS ME 370

Vehicle Dynamics ME 430/530

Mechanical Systems, Labs ME 461

Introduction to Vehicle Drivetrain Systems Engineering ME 490/590

Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Engineering ME 4XX/5XX

Energy Efficiency of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, Labs ME 4XX/5XX

Mechanical Design of Robots: Mechatronics Approach ME 4XX/5XX

Experimental Testing of Vehicles ME 4XX/5XX

Graduate Courses (PhD)

Advanced Dynamics ME 672/772

Dynamics and Mobility of Vehicles: Modeling and Simulation ME 673/773

Autonomous Wheel Power Management Systems: Theory and Design ME 674/774


International Engineering SymposiumAgile Ground Vehicle Dynamics, Energy Efficiency,

and Performance in Severe EnvironmentsSeptember 8-11, 2013, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

11 US States

8 Countries

17 Universities

18 Companies

Jointly organized by UAB, Barber Motorsports, Southern Company, and the International Society for Terrain Vehicle SystemJointly organized by UAB, Barber Motorsports, Southern Company, and the International Society for Terrain Vehicle System

NATO Advanced Study Institute

Jointly organized by

This activity is supported by: The NATO Science for Peace and

Security Programme

KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)

Coventry University (UK)

The University of Alabama (USA)

Dr. V. Vantsevich, Project Director

VREL DIRECTOR

Vladimir V. VantsevchScD, PhD, Dip.‐Eng.ASME FellowProfessor in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Departments

Editor‐of two book series

VREL DIRECTOR

Vladimir V. VantsevchScD, PhD, Dip.‐Eng.ASME FellowProfessor in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Departments

Editor‐in‐Chief

vehicle and robotics engineering laboratory

Documents