Dynamics and Control Group

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🛠️💡 Research is Fun with Us! 🔍🎓research

Dynamics and Control Group students listed below conduct research on design, analysis and control of mechanical systems.

you did itProjects include but are not limited to:

  • Design, development, modeling, and control of compliant (flexible) mechanisms and soft robots
  • 3D-Printed Lab Equipment design for engineering courses
  • Development of  Virtual Labs in MATLAb Simscape for engineering courses

Accomplishments

  • First Runner-Up award at the 2023 Fall Symposium, Connor Talley, Lucas Schwenck, and Britt Walker.
  • 2023 SCUDEM Outstanding Presentation Award, Connor Talley, Lucas Schwenck, and Yusuf Tekes.
  • 2023 SPSU Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, Kevin Tran.
  • 2022 SPSU Outstanding Graduate Research Award, Andrea Contreras Esquen.
  • 2022 SPSU Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, Ethan Schneider.
  • 2021 SPSU Outstanding Graduate Research Award, Martin Garcia.

Spring 2024 Outstanding Students: Connor Talley (PhD), Lucas Schwenck, Vanessa Young, Britt Walker, Raul Lozeno, Vincent Nguyen, Fahim Dorsey, Maddie Bishop, Majazz Allah, Aaron Grann, Oreoluwa Dawodu, William Thompson, Jenn Price, Matthew Woodbine and Kory Frierson.

Fall 2023 Outstanding Students: Connor Talley, Anthony Delaughter, Parker Woods, Mammy Seck,  Lucas Scwenck, Sungchan Cho, Britt Walker, Vanessa Young,  Raul Lozano, Majazz Allah, Fahim Dorsey, Kian Brown, Aaron Grann, Casey Tran, Vincent Nguyen, Galilea Rosas Guzman,  Matthew Woodbine, Matthew Bishop, Emily Smith, Theresa Washington, Oreoluwa Dawodu, William Thompson, and Carlos Quintero.

Summer 2023 Outstanding Students: Andrea Contreras Esquen, Kevin Tran, Connor Talley, Anthony Delaughter, Lucas Scwenck, Majazz Allah, Luke Ezzel, and Casey Tran.

Spring 2023 Outstanding Students: Andrea Contreras Esquen, Kevin Tran, Connor Talley, Anthony Delaughter, Parker Woods, Rafael Juarez, Ulysses Lupercio, Mammy Seck,  Lucas Scwenck, Sungchan Cho, Britt Walker, Matthew Woodbine, Galilea Rosas Guzman, Richard Woods, Catherine Wilson, Nathan Jones, Vijay Shah, Majazz Allah, Christian Lopez Iturbide, Gavin McGuire, Ethan Kessie, Luke Ezzel, and Spencer Cline.

Summer 2021 Outstanding Students: Martin Garcia (GRA), Andrea Esquen (GRA), Tinh Tran, Thuong Tran, Ricardo Ramirez, Pt Angel Tran, Nikhil Pai, Alex Roman, Vincent Nguyen, Josh Kelly, Kareeno Oun, Jennifer Ni, Maria Cervantes, Cody Hein.

Spring 2021 Outstanding Research Students: Martin Garcia (GRA), Andrea Esquen,Bryce Cinaciotto, Josh Lewis, Benjamin Estrada, Ciaphus Rouse, Sahil Pitre, Jose Martinez, Bryan Curtin, Christian Schneider.

Fall 2020 Outstanding Research Students: Martin Garcia (Graduate Research Assistant), Paul Pena (Honors Research Assistant), Ciaphus Rouse (Research/Grading Assistant), Kiera Elston , Andrea Conteras Esquen, Will Caldwell, Lukas Korn, Cynthia Carriles, Dean Bickham, Jisoo Song, Seifeddin Mohammed, Carolina Ponce

Spring 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Students: Martin Garcia (Lab and Research Assisstant ), Niko Giannakakos, Joshua Hooper (Directed Study), Paul Pena, Joan McDuffie (Directed Study), Rafael Barreto Gutierrez, Myles Williams, Hanseul Kim (Directed Study), Aaron Mcclellan (Directed Study), Courtney Long (Directed Study), Ciaphus Rouse, Nathaniel Anderson, Jackson Kirchner, Kiera Elston, Dillon Loupe, Xavier Padilla

Fall 2019 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Students: Martin Garcia (Lab and Research Assisstant ), Niko Giannakakos (Lead on compliant swashplate and knee joint), Joshua Hooper (compliant swimming robot), Andy Houghton (Compliant swimming robot), Mason Mccune, Nathaniel Anderson (Freshman), Aaron Mccallen, Jackson Kirchner, Ayo Ayaji (compliant knee joint), Nathan Ellis (Electrical Engineering student), Boris Jerkovic (Electrical Engineering student), Joan McDuffie (compliant gripper), Courtney Long (compliant gripper), Land Yang (compliant gripper), Paul Pena (honors student, modeling in Matlab simscape), Rafael Barreto Gutierrez, Myles Williams

 

12/6/219: End of Semester Party: Kudos to my team for their hard work! Also, congratulations to our new grdauates: Andy Houghton, Jonathan Kitchel and Land Yang! You will be missed!

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11/5/19 : Martin Garcia and Boris presented their research @ ASME IMECE 2019 Conference!

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11/6/19: Congratulations to Joshua Hooper, Andy Houghton and Niko Giannakakos for presenting their research at GURC 2019 Conference! Same day, Martin Garcia presented his research at ECTC 2019 Conference!

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10/17/19: Research is so much fun with undergraduates! We comprehend and grow together as I am proud of my Dynamics and Control Research Team! 6 papers at ASME IMECE 2019 Conference and 3 journals in one year! And more on the way:)

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10/15/19: Kudos to my former undergraduate research student Tyler Johns! Our paper entitled as "Demonstration of Vibration Control Using a Compliant Parallel Arm Mechanism" has recently been accepted from International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education!

I've had the most pleasure supervising outstanding undergraduates in my Dynamics and Control Research Group at Kennesaw State University since 2016. Way to go my team:)

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9/29/19: Our paper submitted to ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control is accepted!!! Congratulations to Hongkuan Lin!

Title: Design, Analysis, Experimentation and Control of a Partially Compliant Bistable Mechanism

Abstract: This study presents the design, analysis and development of a novel partially compliant bistable mechanism. Motion behavior dependence on links and relative angles are analyzed, lumped parameter model is derived, mechanism parts including the compliant members are 3D printed and a state feedback controller is implemented so that the slider follows a well-defined trajectory if designed as an actuator. The proposed mechanism consists of initially straight, large deflecting fixed-pinned compliant links, rigid links and a sliding mass. Dynamic response of the mechanism is studied using elliptic integral solutions, pseudo rigid body model (PRBM), vector closure loop equations and Elliptic integrals. Nonlinear model is simulated in MATLAB Simulink using 4th order Runge Kutta algorithms. The research emphasizes on the realization and dynamic response of the mechanism and the trajectory control of the slider so that the slider can be kept constant at specified distances resulting a dwell motion if designed as a linear actuator.

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9/18/19 GURC Conference: We submitted 5 abstracts to GURC 2019 Conference. My students will have a great experience by sharing their research results with many others.

8/19/2019: My recent graduates, Hongkuan Lin and Kyle Horner made my day so special with their visit. Hongkuan starting his masters program at University of Washington and Kyle starting in nuclear company. Wishing you the best of all. May the power be with you:)

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First Group Meeting (8/16/2019): We are ready as a strong team to accomplish all our goals!

Ongoing Projects: meetingSwimming Robot, Compliant Swashplate, Isolation of 2 DOF resonator using energy harvesting, compliant gripper, compliant five bar and portable lab equipment design

Looking forward to a wonderful semester with my outstanding undergraduates!

 

 

Summer 2019

  • Niko Giannakakos (ME)
  • Martin Garcia (ME + Lab Assistant)
  • Yoseph Woldemeriam (ME Student, Directed Study)
  • Abram Rowell (ME, Directed Study)
  • Ian Clark (ME, Directed Study)
  • Nathan Ellis (EE, Directed Study)
  • Boris Jerkovic (EE, Directed Study)
  • Bryce Atchley (ME)
  • Mason Mccune (ME)

Spring 2019

  • Hongkuan Lin (ME student + lab assistant + directed study)
  • Niko Giannakakos (ME student)
  • Trevor Warnix (ME student + directed study)
  • Julia Ortiz (ME student)
  • Yoseph Woldermeriam (ME student + directed study)
  • Benjamin Agaoglu (ME student)
  • Jason Quach (ME student)
  • Kelfi Morales (ME student + directed study)
  • Uy Ngo (ME student)
  • Borris Jerkovic (EE student)
  • Kyle Horner (ME student)
  • Martin Garcia (ME student)
  • Ian Clark (ME student)
  • Abram Rowell (ME student)

Fall 2018

  • Zach Marr
  • Michael Weitzel
  • Hongkuan Lin (Lab Assistant)
  • Julia Ortiz
  • Kyle Horner
  • Niko Giannakakos
  • Trevor Warnix
  • Zikora Agbapu
  • Amal Jacob
  • Matthew Leiner
  • Hunter Merrigan
  • Tyler Johns
  • Birhanu Amera
  • Youseph Woldemariam

 


 

Please see our paper entitled as "Design, modelling and experimentation of a novel compliant translational dwell mechanism" recently published at Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology (7_11_2019): Congratulations to my awesome student Hongkuan Lin!

https://rdcu.be/bJI1T


 

Great news (6_23_2019):

  • 6 papers are accepted to be presented and published @ASME IMECE 2019 Conference. Way to go my team!
  • Journal paper is accepted from Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology! Congratulations Hongkuan Lin! 
  • Hongkuan Lin is starting @University of Washington to study his masters degree!

 

Undergraduate research always mean lots of fun and learning altogether! (March, 2019)

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NCUR 2019: 4 oral presentations by Niko Giannakakos and Trevor Warnix, Hongkuan Lin, Julia Ortiz and Yoseph Woldemeriam and Benjamin Agaoglu. Couldn't be prouder!

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Two of my outstanding undergraduate students: Trevor Warnix and Niko Giannakakos, presented their research @ GURC on 3-27-2019!!!

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Ready to record Hongkuan Lin's Monolithic Compliant Translational Mechanism video. Thanks to all my students (3-25-2019)!

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Thanks to our department for supporting my Dynamics and Control Group with two new 3D printers! We are excited to build our proposed novel Compliant Mechanisms! (3-21-2019)

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We are proud to be on the cover page on kennesaw.edu\research website:

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From Yesterday (2/12/2019) seeing them assembly their mechanisms made my day: Hands-on learning is fun! Learning from others, helping each other and creating our very own innovated designs in our small lab! Currently working on: compliant rotational bistable mechanism (Hongkuan and Uy), compliant five bar (Trevor), adjustable load-deflection test bench (Kelfi), lab equipment design (Yoseph and Jason), compliant knee joint design (Trevor and Hongkuan) and also a senior design group. Way to go Dynamics and Control research Group!

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We are live at KSU News: https://news.kennesaw.edu/stories/2019/engineering-helicopter-design.php

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Working with outstanding undergraduate research students make our projects real! Thank you Trevor and Niko!

 

End of Semester Party for Fall 2018!

I'd like to take a moment and congratulate 6 of my research students who graduated this semester: Michael Weitzel, Zach Marr, Tyler Johns, Matthew Leiner, Cameron Wilson and Cody Delarosa. They've worked really hard and made things happen with their keen desire to complete tasks on time. All my students engaged in research listed above have succesfully developed their systems and inspired many other students! I wish the best to my graduates in their new adventure and looking forward to work with ones!

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5 teams of my students: Michael Weitzel, Niko Giannakakos, Hongkuan Lin, Zach Marr and Kyle Horner attended ASME IMECE 2018 Undergraduate Student Research Competition and presented their studies! They made us proud and did a great job by explaining and answering challenging questions. As the attendees commented, "They are such a unique team!" Thanks to all participated in research studies and made it happen and also big thank you to my department for funding my awesome undergraduates!

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Thanks to Kyle Horner for working really hard to complete his compliant folded arm mechanism even after work!

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Julia Ortiz and Sergio Franco Canchola presented two papers at ECTC 2018 Conference! I am very proud of my undergraduates!

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Love my hard-working students! Good job on your new idea on actuating translational mechanism, Michael! Impressive!

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Students in action: Niko and Trevor. You made it! We are ready for ASME IMECE 2018 Undergraduate Student Research Expo!

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Special Thanks to my awesome research student, Tyler Johns, for a great lecture and presentation on his new mechanism: Compliant Resonator/Isolator. 

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We are live at KSU Website: Research That Resonates!!! 

http://news.kennesaw.edu/stories/2018/engineering_3d_printing.php

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My former graduate student, Jacques Ezechiel Nguessan, currently working as a design engineer at ASML visited our lab and talked about the importance of compliant flexure in flexible electronics design. It was great seeing you Jacques! 

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Experiment @ Gatech on 8/24/2018 with Michael and Zach

Gatech Experiment  

Summer 2018

  • Zach Marr
  • Niko Giannakakos
  • Hongkuan Lin (+ lab assistant)
  • Sergio Franco Canchola
  • Cody Delarosa
  • Drew Farms
  • Kyle Horner
  • Julia Ortiz
  • Michael Weitzel
  • Zikora Agbapu

Summer 2018 First Meeting              URCA 

First Meeting  (May 2018): Kyle, Julia, Zach, Sergio, Cody, Niko and Michael (from left to right)

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End of Summer 2018 Semester Celebration   

Spring 2018

  • Franklin Woods (+ lab assistant)
  • Alexander Bryant
  • Kevin Van der Horn
  • Zach Marr
  • Chong Tian
  • Niko Gannakakos
  • Megan Master
  • Hongkuan Lin

setup           presentation           End of spring 2018

Franklin and Alex                      Kevin, Zach and Chong's presentation             End of Spring 2018

 

 

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