The contact patch of the tire is responsible for all of the transmission of a vehicle's motion to the road surface. This small area is responsible for the acceleration, stopping and steering control of the vehicle. Throughout the development of vehicle safety and stability control systems, it is desirable to possess the exact forces and moments at the tire contact patch. The tire is a passive element in the system, supplying no explicit information to vehicle control systems. Current safety and stability algorithms use estimated forces at the tire contact patch to develop these control strategies. An "intelligent" tire that is capable of measuring and transmitting the instantaneous forces and moments at the contact patch to the control algorithms in real-time holds promise to improve vehicle safety and performance. Using the force and friction information measured at the contact patch, an anti-lock braking control strategy is developed using sliding mode control. This strategy is compared to the performance of a current commercial anti-lock braking system that has been optimized by performing a threshold sensitivity analysis. The results show a definite improvement in control system strategy having known information at the tire contact patch. / Master of Science

In Part I, the design of an ASIC control chip for a forward active clamp converter is presented. Integration of the control and drive circuit into one IC chip results in higher power density, higher reliability for the converter module. The designed ASIC control chip uses a 2.0 um N well Analog CMOS process, and is fabricated at MOSIS. The design procedures of the ASIC chip are explained, and experimental results are presented. Part II of the thesis focuses on the numerical investigation of several integratable lateral power devices. Lateral power devices are used in power IC designs because of their compatibility with analog & digital IC process. To obtain devices with high current density, large safe operating area, fast response and low cost is highly desirable for power ICs. In Part II of this thesis, several lateral power devices are discussed and simulated, including lateral IGBT, lateral MCT and double gate lateral MCTs. It is shown that lateral IGBT and lateral MCTs are good candidates for power IC applications. / Master of Science

As robotic systems grow in complexity, they inevitably undergo a process of specialization whereby they separate into an array of interconnected subsystems and individual processes. In order to function as a unified system, these processes rely heavily on interprocess communications (IPC) to transfer information between subsystems and various execution loops. This thesis presents the design, implementation, and validation of the Valor ROS Controller, a hybrid IPC interface layer and robot controller. The Valor ROS Controller connects the motion control system, implemented with the internally created Bifrost IPC, developed by Team VALOR for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) with the high level software developed by Team ViGIR that uses the Robot Operating System (ROS) IPC framework. The Valor ROS Controller also acts as a robot controller designed to run on THOR and ESCHER, and is configurable to use different control modes and controller implementations. By combining an IPC interface layer with controllers, the Valor ROS Controller enabled Team VALOR to use Team ViGIR's software capabilities at the DRC Finals. In addition to the qualitative validation of Team VALOR competing at the DRC Finals, this thesis studies the efficiency of the Valor ROS Controller by quantifying its computational resourceful utilization, message pathway latency, and joint controller tracking. Another contribution of this thesis is the quantification of end-effector pose error incurred by whole-body motions. This phenomenon has been observed on both THOR and ESCHER as one of their arms moves through a trajectory, however, it has never been studied in depth on either robot. The results demonstrate that the Valor ROS Controller adequately uses computational resources and has message latencies in the order of 50 ms. The results also indicate several avenues to improve arm tracking in Team VALOR's system. Whole-body motions account for approximately 5 cm of the end-effector pose error observed on hardware when an arm is at near full extension. / Master of Science

Visualization plays an important role in epidemic time series analysis and forecasting. Viewing time series data plotted on a graph can help researchers identify anomalies and unexpected trends that could be overlooked if the data were reviewed in tabular form. However,there are challenges in reviewing data sets from multiple data sources (data can be aggregated in different ways and measure different criteria which can make a direct comparison between time series difficult. In the face of an emerging epidemic, the ability to visualize time series from various sources and organizations and to reconcile these datasets based on different criteria could be key in developing accurate forecasts and identifying effective interventions. Many tools have been developed for visualizing temporal data; however, none yet supports all the functionality needed for easy collaborative visualization and analysis of epidemic data. In this thesis, we develop EpiViewer, a time series exploration dashboard where users can upload epidemiological time series data from a variety of sources and compare, organize, and track how data evolves as an epidemic progresses. EpiViewer provides an easy-to-use web interface for visualizing temporal datasets either as line charts or bar charts. The application provides enhanced features for visual analysis, such as hierarchical categorization, zooming, and filtering, to enable detailed inspection and comparison of multiple time series on a single canvas. Finally, EpiViewer provides a built-in statistical Epi-features module to help users interpret the epidemiological curves. / Master of Science / We present EpiViewer, a time series exploration dashboard where users can upload epidemiological time series data from a variety of sources and compare, organize, and track how data evolves as an epidemic progresses. EpiViewer is a single page web application that provides a framework for exploring, comparing, and organizing temporal datasets. It offers a variety of features for convenient filtering and analysis of epicurves based on meta-attribute tagging. EpiViewer also provides a platform for sharing data between groups for better comparison and analysis.

Good motion cueing in a flight simulator serves to enhance the overall simulation environment. However, poor motion cueing can greatly detract from the simulation and serve solely to distract the pilot. The latter was the case for Virginia Tech's three degree-of-freedom motion-base. The most common method of motion cueing is to use washout filters to produce the best motion cues within the physical limitations of the motion system. This algorithm is named the classical washout algorithm and its filters were studied first in this research, but initially yielded undesirable results. In efforts to greatly improve the acceleration response in the pitch axis, the concept of an acceleration feedback controller in conjunction with washout filters was investigated. In developing a mathematical model of the motion-base and its corresponding circuitry, corrections and modifications were made to the circuitry which served to improve the dynamic response of the motion-base and enhance motion sensations. Next, design and implementation of the acceleration feedback controller for the pitch axis was performed and tested using a pilot rating scale and time history responses. The parameters for the acceleration feedback algorithm and the classical washout algorithm were varied to find the most favorable algorithm and set of parameters. Results of this paper have demonstrated the successful implementation of acceleration feedback and that the motion system at Virginia Tech now serves to greatly enhance the simulation environment. / Master of Science

Traffic congestion negatively affects traveler mobility and air quality. Stop and go vehicular movements associated with traffic jams typically result in higher fuel consumption levels compared to cruising at a constant speed. The first objective in the dissertation is to investigate the spatial relationship between air quality and traffic flow patterns. We developed and applied a recursive Bayesian estimation algorithm to estimate the source location (associated with traffic jam) of an airborne contaminant (aerosol) in a simulation environment. This algorithm was compared to the gradient descent algorithm and an extended Kalman filter algorithm. Results suggest that Bayesian estimation is less sensitive to the choice of the initial state and to the plume dispersion model. Consequently, Bayesian estimation was implemented to identify the location (correlated with traffic flows) of the aerosol (soot) that can be attributed to traffic in the vicinity of the Old Dominion University campus, using data collected from a remote sensing system. Results show that the source location of soot pollution is located at congested intersections, which demonstrate that air quality is correlated with traffic flows and congestion caused by signalized intersections. Sustainable mobility can help reduce traffic congestion and vehicle emissions, and thus, optimizing the performance of available infrastructure via advanced traffic signal controllers has become increasingly appealing. The second objective in the dissertation is to develop a novel de-centralized traffic signal controller, achieved using a Nash bargaining game-theoretic framework, that operates a flexible phasing sequence and free cycle length to adapt to dynamic changes in traffic demand levels. The developed controller was implemented and tested in the INTEGRATION microscopic traffic assignment and simulation software. The proposed controller was compared to the operation of an optimum fixed-time coordinated plan, an actuated controller, a centralized adaptive phase split controller, a decentralized phase split and cycle length controller, and a fully coordinated adaptive phase split, cycle length, and offset optimization controller to evaluate its performance. Testing was initially conducted on an isolated intersection, showing a 77% reduction in queue length, a 17% reduction in vehicle emission levels, and a 64% reduction in total delay. In addition, the developed controller was tested on an arterial network producing statistically significant reductions in total delay ranging between 36% and 67% and vehicle emissions reductions ranging between 6% and 13%. Analysis of variance, Tukey, and pairwise comparison tests were conducted to establish the significance of the proposed controller. Moreover, the controller was tested on a network of 38 intersections producing significant reduction in the travel time by 23.6%, a reduction in the queue length by 37.6%, and a reduction in CO2 emissions by 10.4%. Finally, the controller was tested on the Los Angeles downtown network composed of 457 signalized intersections, producing a 35% reduction in travel time, a 54.7% reduction in queue length, and a 10% reduction in the CO2 emissions. The results demonstrate that the proposed decentralized controller produces major improvements over other state-of-the-art centralized and de-centralized controllers. The proposed controller is capable of alleviating congestion as well as reducing emissions and enhancing air quality. / PHD

Miniature Autonomous Underwater Vehicles are a major area of research and development today. Because of their size and agility, they are capable of exploring and operating in smaller bodies of water in addition to areas of the ocean that would be out of reach for a larger vehicle. Being autonomous requires that the system must be capable of performing without the need for human supervision, so use of external sensors such as sonar are needed to ensure the safety of the vehicle during missions. However, since all of the onboard instrumentation and external equipment must also be miniature in size, the implementation of a small sonar system is desirable. This thesis contains a brief introduction to sound and sonar, leading into a description of the design and development of a small, inexpensive sonar altimeter. Piezoelectric material is used for transduction in the sonar system while a PIC microcontroller processes the return signals from the water. This altimeter was made to be implemented on a miniature autonomous underwater vehicle developed by the Autonomous Systems and Controls Laboratory at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. In addition to being capable of reporting ocean depths, sonar systems can be used to aid in the navigation of underwater vehicles. A constant altitude controller based on sonar data has been designed, tested, and implemented on the autonomous underwater vehicle. Possibilities for an obstacle avoidance system involving sonar are also discussed in this thesis. / Master of Science

A digital controller was designed for a semiactive primary suspension for a class 8 highway truck. The controller used a skyhook policy (where the semiactive damper simulates a damper between the sprung mass and an inertial reference) to control magneto-rheological dampers placed on the truck 's primary suspension in response to measurements made by accelerometers placed on the axle and the truck frame. The completed system was then tested for both random noise (on highway driving) and impulse (speed bump) response. The test results showed that for the damping tuning and controller arrangements used in this study, semiactive dampers do not offer any significant benefits in reducing overall vibration levels at the truck frame or axles. The semiactive dampers, however, provided better control of the dynamic transients, such as roll and pitch induced by hitting speed bumps, as compared to passive dampers. Further assessment of the magneto-rheological damper's tuning and the skyhook control policy is needed to establish any definitive conclusions on the potential benefits of semiactive magneto-rheological suspensions for heavy trucks. / Master of Science

Yes / In advanced manufacturing systems, the production of complex and highly customisable products requires the preparation of many different product specifications and associated manufacturing process plans. The creation of these plans involves the search for the production resources (e.g. robots, machine tools, inspection devices) that are needed to implement the product specifications and how to orchestrate them. We present a model-based approach to the automatic generation of manufacturing process plans from the models of the target products and available resources. The modelling language is based on labelled transition systems, which are useful to represent sequences of operations that can be executed in parallel by multiple production resources. Some preliminary experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the presented approach. / This conference paper will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 19 May 2025.

Den här studien undersöker beskrivningar av controllerns roll och dess funktion under tre decennier i Europa. Studien utgår från en systematisk granskning av vetenskapligt granskade artiklar som publicerats i tolv ledande journaler under perioden 1990-2014. Begrepp och funktioner undersöks tillsammans med val av forskningens teoretiska ansatser och metoder. Resultatet i studien visar att det finns tydliga faser av forskningens beskrivningar av controllern, en tidig fas där rollen frigörs från tidigare föreställningar av en ekonom som hanterar redovisning och kassaflöden, en mellanfas där rollen påverkas av exempelvis nya tekniker som IT-stöd och affärssystem leder till att omdefinitioner av rollen anses vara viktiga samt en modern fas där tidigare rolluppdelningar ifrågasätts och fokus ligger på rollens makt i organisationen och möjligheter att skapa sin egen yrkesidentitet. Det finns ett relativt homogent mönster i val av teoretisk ansats gällande beskrivning av controllern. Majoriteten av artiklarna i urvalet utgår från ett sociologiskt perspektiv vilket pekar på att controllern har beskrivits utifrån den kontext controllern verkar i och därmed gett viktiga indikationer för en förståelse av just denna kontext. Studien visar att det framförallt uttrycks att det är organisationella faktorer som driver förändringarna av roll och rollfunktion. Varje organisation definierar vad controllern har för funktion och vilken påverkan denne ska ha på verksamheten. Den kunskapsbas som en controller bör ha, enligt beskrivningarna, visar att controllern behöver hantera fler områden än redovisning. Detta har rapporterats tidigare, men har beskrivits som att det handlar om en rollförändring och en uppdelning av roller. Resultatet i den här studien pekar snarare på att det är en naturlig process av förändring av rollen för ett företags vidare överlevnad. / This study examines the descriptions of the role of management accountants in Europe (available only in Swedish). The study is a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles, published in twelve leading journals during 1990-2014. The descriptions of the role are examined in relation to theoretical approaches and methods.   The result indicates that there are three distinct phases of the descriptions of management accountants, from a role that is released from the previous assumptions of an accountant as a bean-counter towards a phase where the role is affected by new technologies that leads to redefinitions of the role, up to today’s phase where previous role types are questioned with a focus on the power position of the role within the organization and opportunities to create a professional identity.   There is a relatively homogeneous pattern in the theoretical approach to the study of the management accountant. The vast majority of articles are based on a sociological perspective, which indicates that the management accountant has been described based on the context the management accountant operates in, given important indications for understanding this particular context.  The study indicates that it is primarily the organizational factors that are driving the changes and the function of the role. Each organization defines the function of a management accountant based on to what extent this function is linked to business. The knowledge base of a management accountant, according to the descriptions, illustrates that the management accountant requires managing more areas than accounting. This has been reported before, but has been explained as a role change and a variety of role types. The results of this study indicate that it is rather a natural process of change in relation to the further survival of a business.