Nonlinear control of electrostatic MEMS with applications to optical systems

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Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the field, the development of MEMS requires that joint efforts be deployed in many scientific and engineering domains. The proposed program will focus on developing control strategies for high performance and high functionality MEMS applications, in particular the control of electrostatically actuated devices and their applications to adaptive optics (AO) and scanning micro-mirrors.     Control of MEMS involves serious challenges due to inherent system nonlinearity, uncertainties, time-varying properties, and disturbances. Addressing such control problems is vital for future advancement and the advent of new applications of MEMS technology. In our previous work, nonlinear control techniques have been introduced to the design of MEMS control systems. It is demonstrated through concrete applications that the performance of addressed systems can be drastically improved.     In the proposed program, we will continue to work on the nonlinear control of individual micro-devices, but emphasize the output feedback control schemes, closed-loop system analysis, and algorithms for avoiding the singularity related to the uncontrollability in some particular points. The research work will then focus on the control of interconnected MEMS array, which is the model of typical AO systems. The technique of distributed control of spatially distributed systems will be employed and issues like system architecture, controller synthesis, optimality, computational efficiency, control task scheduling, and synchronization will be addressed.     The developed systems will be tested using software simulations. For this purpose, more realistic modeling will be addressed and software packages ANSYS, CoventorWare, and COMSOL (previously FEMLAB) will be used to simulate MEMS devices. Hardware-in-the-loop simulations and real-time experimental implementations will also be used for control system verification and validation. The ultimate goal is to integrate the control system with AO systems in the context of practical applications, e.g. free space laser communication systems.