Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Multi-Agent Systems Technology Research (UAV MASTER) Lab

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Multi-Agent Systems Technology Research (UAV MASTER) Lab is a cooperative effort between the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering departments that focus on Unmanned Aerial Systems. The UAV Master Lab focuses on the areas of:

  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Robotics
  • Multiple Robot Coordination and Control
  • Intelligent Systems
  • System Identification
Research and Projects Facilities and Capabilities

Mission

The UAV Master Lab at the University of Cincinnati educates and trains undergraduates and graduate students in the contemporary aerospace and mechanical engineering disciplines of synthesis, analysis, experimentation, and design of unmanned systems through meaningful research projects.

Expertise

  • Multi-rotor UAV Conceptual Design
  • Dynamic Modeling using System Identification
  • Auto-Pilot Design and Optimization
  • GPS based Waypoint Navigation
  • Navigation in a GPS Denied Environment
  • Path Planning and Obstacle Avoidance
  • Sense and Avoid Systems
  • Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) system simulation
  • Genetic Fuzzy UAS Collaborative Control
  • Situational Awareness and Resource Allocation
  • Additive Manufacturing for Rapid Prototyping
  • Fault Tolerance Flight Control

Applications

  • Disaster Management
  • Infrastructure Inspection
  • Emergency Response

Cooperative Labs

  • MOST-AERO Lab
  • CDS Lab

News

Partnerships

Government

Universities

  • University of Bordeaux

Industry

  • Psibernetix

University of Cincinnati

  • Most-Aero Labs
  • Cooperative Distribution Systems Lab

Support

Faculty

Headshot of Kelly Cohen

Kelly Cohen

Brian H. Rowe Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering , CEAS - Aerospace Eng & Eng Mechanics

745 Baldwin Hall

Dr. Kelly Cohen, the Brian H. Rowe Endowed Chair in aerospace engineering, has been a faculty member since 2007 in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science. His career is marked by achievement in the field of aerospace engineering and education, including the UC Faculty Career Award, SOCHE (Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education) Excellence Award, UC George Barbour Award for Good Faculty-Student Relations, UC Faculty Core Values Award, UC Dolly Cohen Award for Excellence in Teaching, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Outstanding Technical Contribution Application Award, the CEAS Distinguished Researcher Award and the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award, among many others. Dr. Kelly Cohen has been passionate about his mentoring of graduate students having graduated 12 PhD students and 33 MS students. His main expertise lies in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI), intelligent systems, UAVs and optimization. He has utilized genetic fuzzy logic-based machine-learning algorithms for control and decision-making applications in the area of autonomous collaborating robotics as well as predictive modeling for personalizing medical treatment in neurological disorders and more recently ensuring safety of workers in safety-critical plants/systems. During the past ten years, he has secured grants from NSF, NIH, USAF, DHS, DOT, ODOT, OFRN, and NASA to develop algorithms for UAV applications as well as AI. Since 2010, he has 167 peer-reviewed archival publications, 3 edited books, 75 book chapters, and another 410 conference papers/presentations and invited seminars.
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Headshot of Manish Kumar

Manish Kumar

Professor, CEAS - Mechanical Eng

629 Rhodes Hall

Cooperative Distributed Systems Lab
UAV MASTER Lab
Dr. Manish Kumar directs Cooperative Distributed Systems (CDS) Laboratory, Collaboratory for Medical Innovation and Implementation, and co-directs UAV MASTER Lab. His research interests include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, robotics, decision-making and control in complex systems, multi-sensor data fusion, swarm systems, and multiple robot coordination and control. His research has been supported by funding obtained from National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Department of Higher Education, and several industry. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He has served as the Chair of the Robotics Technical Committee of the ASME’s Dynamic Systems and Control Division, and as an Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurements and Control.
 
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Headshot of George (Tom) T Black

George (Tom) T Black

Associate Professor of Practice Emeritus

George "Tom" Black is a Assistant Professor - Practice.  He teaches undergraduate classes in systems engineering, classical control theory and flight mechanics, and a senior/graduate class in flight test engineering.  He retired from his first career - an aerospace engineer at Wright-Patterson AFB - in December 2011 after 34 years, specializing in aircraft flying qualities and flight controls.  During that time he was lead flying qualities engineer for the development of the F-22, lead flight sciences engineer for the X-45 UCAV/J-UCAS program, lead flight systems engineer for the KC-X and T-6A/B programs and chief engineer for the Combat Systems Division.  He has also worked in AFRL and in technical intelligence, as an aerodynamics and flight test engineer for Beech Aircraft, and as an instructor, a flight instructor and research test pilot for the Ohio State University.

Tom has a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati (1977) and an MS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the Ohio State University (1983).  He also has a Commercial Pilot's License with Single-Engine Land, Multi-Engine Land and Instrument Ratings.  He has logged over 1,000 flight hours and has flown 50 major types of aircraft, including T-38, P-51, B-26 and Ford Tri-motor.  He also has a Remote Pilot License with Small UAS rating.  He is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Experimental Aircraft Association, Warbirds of America, and is an Associate Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.  His research and teaching interests include aircraft flying qualities, air and space vehicle dynamics and controls, and air and space vehicle flight testing.
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Graduate Students

Headshot of Reza Radmanesh

Reza Radmanesh

PhD Mechanical Engineering

414 Old Chemistry

Headshot of Mohammad Sarim

Mohammad Sarim

PhD Mechanical Engineering

414 Old Chemistry

Headshot of Brandon Cook

Brandon Cook

PhD Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Nathaniel Richards

Nathaniel Richards

MS Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Shraddha Barawkar

Shraddha Barawkar

MS Mechanical Engineering

414 Old Chemistry

Headshot of Nicklas Stockton

Nicklas Stockton

MS Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Anthony Lamping

Anthony Lamping

MEng Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Justin Ouwerkerk

Justin Ouwerkerk

MS Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Rumit Kumar

Rumit Kumar

MS Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Timothy Arnett

Timothy Arnett

PhD Aerospace Engineering

Undergraduate Students

Headshot of Austin Wessels

Austin Wessels

Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Nicholas Little

Nicholas Little

Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Nick DeGroote

Nick DeGroote

Aerospace Engineering

Notable Alumni

Headshot of Anoop Sathyan

Anoop Sathyan

PhD Aerospace Engineering

Headshot of Alireza Nemati

Alireza Nemati

Mechanical Engineering