MRI: Acquisition of dSPACE Real-Time Development System and Electromechanical Apparatuses for Research in Smart Control Systems

在塔斯基吉大学电气工程系，PI和三名学生(两名毕业生和一名本科生)正在进行智能控制系统领域的研究。以下两个项目正在进行中：使用递归动态神经网络的鲁棒最优控制和使用神经网络的非线性系统的全局反馈线性化控制补偿。然而，这些研究活动仅限于使用MathWorks公司的MatLab/Simulink软件对计算机仿真系统模型进行理论研究和应用。目前还没有可用的物理装置和相应的实时实现软件来测试智能控制算法和改进算法。所需的仪器包括DSPACE公司的ACE1103PX4CLP原型系统，该系统包含用于开发实时控制系统的强大硬件和综合软件工具。为了将dSPACE产品应用于实际工厂，我们还要求从ECP购买下列机电设备，ECP是用于控制研究的机构的领先制造商：直线型质量/弹簧/阻尼器(ECP型号210)、工业工厂仿真器(ECP型号220)、倒立摆(ECP型号505)、磁悬浮器(ECP型号730)和控制力矩陀螺仪(ECP型号750)。获得的仪器将有助于极大地推进上述研究项目，因为它提供了在DSPACE硬件上实现当前的MatLab/Simulink代码和神经控制器模型，并将其应用于实际机电设备的实时测试以及在存在噪声和干扰的情况下检查神经控制器的鲁棒性。从各种神经算法的实际实施中获得的反馈将有助于显著评估、改进和改进智能控制器设计。这项提议的智力优势在于，如果获得资金，塔斯基吉大学的智能控制研究将得到极大的加强，这反过来将影响到全球人工智能和控制领域的研究界，因为到目前为止，这项研究已经产生了几篇新闻和会议出版物，如果获得了仪器，将产生更多更高质量的出版物。所要求的仪器的广泛影响包括在塔斯基吉大学引入一门新的高级控制设计研究生课程，这是一所HBCU，致力于对非裔美国学生进行高质量的教育。此外，收购的设备将提高研究水平和研究人员的积极性和学习经验，并有助于吸引对智能控制系统领域感兴趣的新研究生到塔斯基吉大学学习。这一领域的发展预计将由于所要求的仪器而发生，这将产生吸引行业和政府机构研究资金的额外影响。此外，学生使用dSPACE产品的经验将对他们未来的职业生涯非常有益，因为这些产品用于世界各地的主要行业。最后，购买的设备将通过向航空航天、化学、电气和机械工程系的教职员工和学生提供平等的机会，鼓励塔斯基吉大学建筑、工程和物理学院的多学科趋势，这些系都提供控制系统课程。

In the department of Electrical Engineering at Tuskegee University, the PI and three students(two graduates and one undergraduate) are conducting research in the area of Smart ControlSystems. The following two projects are underway: robust optimal control using a recurrentdynamic neural network, and compensation of global feedback linearization control of nonlinearsystems using neural networks. However, these research activities are confined to theoreticalinvestigations and applications to computer simulated system models using Matlab/Simulinksoftware from the MathWorks Inc. No physical plants and corresponding real-timeimplementation software are currently available to test the smart control algorithms and refinethem.The requested instrumentation to be acquired includes the ACE1103PX4CLP prototypingsystem from dSPACE Inc., which contains powerful hardware and comprehensive software toolsfor development of real-time control systems. In order to apply the dSPACE products to actualplants, we are in addition requesting the acquisition of the following electromechanicalapparatuses from ECP, a leading manufacturer of mechanisms for research in control: theRectilinear Mass/Spring/Damper (ECP Model 210), the Industrial Plant Emulator (ECP Model220), the Inverted Pendulum (ECP Model 505), the Magnetic Levitator (ECP Model 730), andthe Control Moment Gyroscope (ECP Model 750).The acquired instrumentation will contribute to greatly advancing the above-listed researchprojects by providing the possibility of implementing the current Matlab/Simulink codes andmodels of the neural controllers on dSPACE hardware, and testing them in real-time as appliedto actual electromechanical apparatuses, as well as checking the robustness of the neuralcontrollers in the presence of noise and disturbances. The feedback obtained from the actualimplementation of the various neural algorithms will contribute to significantly evaluating,refining, and improving the smart controllers design.The intellectual merit of this proposal resides in the fact that, if funded, the smart controlresearch at Tuskegee University would be greatly enhanced, which in turn would affect theglobal research community in the area of artificial intelligence and control, since several journaland conference publications have resulted thus far from this research, and more would resultwith higher quality if the instrumentation is acquired.Broader impacts of the requested instrumentation include introduction of a new graduatecourse in Advanced Control Design at Tuskegee University, which is an HBCU committed to thehigh quality education of African-American students. Moreover, the acquired equipment willboost the research level and researchers motivation and learning experience and contribute toattracting new graduate students to Tuskegee University that are interested in the area of smartcontrol systems. The development of this area that is expected to occur due to the requestedinstrumentation will have the additional impact of attracting research funding from industry andgovernment agencies. Furthermore, the experience that students will have with dSPACEproducts will be very beneficial for their future career, since these products are used in majorindustries worldwide. Finally the acquired equipment will encourage the multidisciplinary trendin the College of Architecture, Engineering, and Physical Sciences at Tuskegee University bybeing made equally available to the faculty and students of the Aerospace, Chemical, Electrical,and Mechanical Engineering departments, which all offer courses in control systems.