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Workshops

Control Systems

Introduction



Control Systems Workshop

Ever wondered how a pilot manages to fly an aircraft in stormy weather conditions? Has the ability of a surgical robot to make precise incisions in human muscles ever fascinated you? Lets get down to something even more basic - Have you ever thought about the processes that take place when we ride a bicycle?

If these questions have intrigued you - The control systems workshop at SHAASTRA - 2008 is a chance for you to get yourself started on answering these questions.

A control system is a device or a computer program or even a biological system which manages, commands, or regulates the behavior of other devices or systems. [Source: Wikipedia]. To give an example of a control system, consider a device that controls the speed of a robot by controlling the current supply to the motor. This speed controller also receives feedback from the motor, in terms of the RPM. This is a very typical example of a closed loop control system.

The first significant work in automatic control was James Watt's centrifugal governor for the speed control of a steam engine in the 18th century. Over the years, control systems has evolved into a tool that can even be applied in biological, economic and socio-economic systems.

The workshop introduces the participants to the fundamental concepts of control systems so that by the end of the workshop they will be aware of all the important aspects of control systems. The workshop will emphasize on the practical and industrial applications of control systems with live demonstrations and interaction with industry personnel. The workshop will also give participants a broad idea of the scope of control systems in today's world and the future.

The workshop will consist of lectures, demonstrations and interaction with both academia and industry people. Participants will also get the opportunity to program and test a basic control system such as an inverted pendulum. This workshop is intended for undergraduate students who already have some basic idea about control systems, but have never actually worked with them. There will be a screening process after which participants will be selected for the workshop. Registration for the workshop will open soon.

FAQs

  • Do I have to pre-register to attend the lectures organized as part of the workshop?
       No, the lectures will be open to all.
  • Do I have to pre-register to attend the interactive sessions with the guest speakers?
       Yes. You have to register to attend this module of the workshop. This is being done so that we could have quality interactive sessions with the speakers.
  • Is there a screening process to select participants for the workshop?
       Yes, there is a screening process. All you have to do is answer a couple of simple questions that will be put up on the registration form for the workshop.
  • Are there any pre-requisites for the workshop?
       No. All you need is lots of enthusiasm.
  • What is the workshop going to comprise of?
       There will be 2 guest lectures, interactive sessions with the speakers and a couple of experimental demonstrations and 'hands on' sessions. Please note that the experimental demonstrations are only for registered participants of the workshop.

Speaker Info

Professor Ravi Banavar holds a BTech. degree from IIT Madras (July 86), a MS degree from Clemson University (May 88) and a PhD from the University of Texas, Austin (May 92). His research interests are in the fields of optimal control, geometric mechanics, nonlinear control, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics with applications to Robots, Aerospace launch vehicles and Electrical power system networks. He has executed several projects for organisations like the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indo-French Center for the promotion of Advanced Research. He has held faculty positions at the University of California, Los Angeles, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Laboratory for Signals and Systems, France. He is currently a Professor and core faculty member of the systems and control group at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B).

Topic of the Talk: ( The talk will be general and open to all). Control Systems - Past, Present and the Future.

Contact

For any further details or information please contact
controls@shaastra.org