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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Department of Aerospace Engineering
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TZID:Asia/Kolkata
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TZOFFSETFROM:+0530
TZOFFSETTO:+0530
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DTSTART:20250101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260925T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260925T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260915T052755Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T052755Z
UID:10000150-1790348400-1790355600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Magneto-Active Solids for Adaptive Structures: Can Magnetic Fields Control Elastic Waves?
DESCRIPTION:Magneto-active solids couple their mechanical response to externally applied magnetic fields\, providing a promising route toward remotely tunable materials and structures. Such functionality is particularly attractive for aerospace applications involving vibration isolation\, adaptive structures\, sensing\, and elastic-wave control. However\, exploiting this coupling requires understanding a fundamental question: when does a magnetic field actually modify elastic-wave propagation\, and which wave modes are affected?\n\nIn this seminar\, Prof. Galich will present recent theoretical and experimental work on elastic waves in magneto-active solids. Starting from the incremental theory of nonlinear magnetoelasticity\, he will introduce the generalized acoustic tensor governing small-amplitude waves superimposed on a magnetically biased state. For compressible isotropic magneto-active polymers\, magnetic tunability is shown to be strongly dependent on wave polarization. In an undeformed material subjected to a magnetic field transverse to the propagation direction\, the shear wave polarized along the magnetic field is directly field-sensitive\, whereas the pressure wave and the orthogonally polarized shear wave remain essentially unaffected. These theoretical predictions are supported by ultrasonic experiments on 3D-printed iron-filled polymers.\n\nThe discussion will then extend from bulk waves to Rayleigh surface waves\, where the coupling between mechanics and magnetism introduces additional questions concerning constitutive modeling and stability. In particular\, physically consistent selection of magnetoelastic material parameters is essential: models that reproduce the magnetic permeability but violate the corresponding Maxwell-stress condition can predict artificially strong wave-speed changes and even surface instabilities.\n\nFinally\, the seminar will cover periodic magneto-active solids\, where magnetic fields\, finite deformation\, and material architecture can be combined to control elastic-wave dispersion and phononic bandgaps. These results illustrate both the opportunities and fundamental limitations of magnetic-field control of elastic waves and provide guidelines for the development of adaptive materials and structures for vibration manipulation.\n\nSpeaker :  Prof. Pavel I. Galich\n\nBiography:\n\nProf. Pavel I. Galich has been an Assistant Professor at The Stephen B. Klein Faculty of Aerospace Engineering\, Technion\, since 2020. He earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Technion in 2018 and served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Materials Science & NanoEngineering (MSNE) at Rice University from 2018 to 2020.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/magneto-active-solids-for-adaptive-structures-can-magnetic-fields-control-elastic-waves/
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Prof.-Pavel-I.-Galich.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260921T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260921T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260917T113043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T090942Z
UID:10000151-1789988400-1789995600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Illuminating Complex Flows: Optical Diagnostics for Aerospace Applications
DESCRIPTION:Hypersonic flight represents a major frontier in aerospace engineering\, with its realization requiring a fundamental understanding of coupled chemical and fluid dynamic processes across multiple environments. Of particular importance are the reacting flows within the propulsion systems that enable sustained hypersonic flight and the high-temperature\, chemically reacting flows that develop near vehicle surfaces at extreme speeds. Understanding the complex and strongly coupled phenomena governing these environments requires a synergistic combination of high-fidelity computation and carefully designed experiments. Experimental investigations\, however\, are inherently challenging\, often relying on sophisticated ground-based facilities equipped with advanced diagnostic capabilities to generate meaningful\, high-resolution data. Among these\, optical diagnostics have emerged as a powerful class of measurement tools\, offering significant advantages over conventional techniques. Their non-intrusive nature\, high temporal resolution\, and robustness under extreme conditions make them uniquely suited for probing high-speed\, high-enthalpy flows. Continued advances in optical diagnostics have enabled transformative progress across multiple domains of aerospace research\, including chemical kinetics\, aerodynamics\, and active flow control.\nThis talk will focus on a specific application of advanced optical diagnostics: elucidating the chemical kinetics of complex fuels such as jet fuels\, gasoline surrogates\, and rocket propellants under engine-relevant conditions. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of advanced laser-based diagnostics\, coupled with shock tube reactors\, in uncovering fundamental insights into the behavior of large hydrocarbons and their mixtures at elevated temperatures and pressures. These insights have enabled the development of the Low-Temperature Hybrid Chemistry (LT-HyChem) framework\, a methodology for constructing compact\, fuel-specific chemical kinetic models that remain valid across the full range of operating conditions relevant to modern and next-generation propulsion systems. The LT-HyChem approach is fuel-agnostic and produces models that are over two orders of magnitude more compact than those generated using conventional methodologies\, while simultaneously reducing predictive uncertainties by more than an order of magnitude. This combination of compactness and accuracy facilitates integration with computational fluid dynamics solvers\, significantly reducing the computational cost associated with combustor design\, analysis\, and optimization. The talk will conclude with a discussion of the broader implications of this work for rapid screening of sustainable aviation fuels and potential extensions to solid fuel systems.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Rishav Choudhary\n\nBiography:\nDr. Rishav Choudhary received his B.Tech. in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kanpur and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. His doctoral research focused on absorption-spectroscopy-based diagnostics for chemical kinetics under extreme conditions relevant to engine combustion\, hypersonic re-entry\, and other high-temperature environments. He subsequently worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan\, developing optical diagnostics for high-speed density fluctuations\, velocity measurements in supersonic flows\, and electron-density measurements in plasmas. He is currently an Engineer at Lam Research Corporation\, where his work involves optical diagnostics applied to multiphase flows and plasmas relevant to semiconductor manufacturing.\n\nNote: Dr. Rishav Choudhary is a faculty candidate in the Propulsion stream in the Department of Aerospace Engineering\, IISc. Faculty members are encouraged to attend the talk and interact with the candidate.\n\n\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/illuminating-complex-flows-optical-diagnostics-for-aerospace-applications/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Dr.-Rishav-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260901T140000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260901T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260825T054145Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260825T054307Z
UID:10000147-1788271200-1788282000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Taming Turbulence
DESCRIPTION:Turbulence remains one of the outstanding problems of classical physics\, and one that has challenged physicists and engineers alike for decades\, even centuries. The fusion of classical approaches and tools of the modern day – theoretical analysis of the Navier-Stokes equations\, state-of-the-art experimental observations\, data-driven methods and machine learning – has led to substantial progress towards understanding the mechanisms sustaining turbulence\, developing predictive capabilities and achieving the potentially revolutionary goal of harnessing or taming turbulence in large-scale (high Reynolds number) practical settings. In this talk\, I will describe some fundamental challenges posed by turbulence near walls\, the impact of this phenomenon on many of the world’s pressing scientific concerns\, and some recent advances.\n\n \nSpeaker : Prof. Beverley McKeon\n\nbiography:\n\nBeverley J. McKeon is Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. She received her B.A.\, M.A. and M.Eng. from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom\, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. She completed postdoctoral research and a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship at Imperial College London. Best known for her work pioneering resolvent analysis as an equation-driven tool to analyze and predict the dynamics of turbulent flow\, her research group has specialized in addressing its application to understand and modify wall turbulence in numerical data and via experiments with external forcing. Prof. McKeon is a Fellow of the APS and the AIAA and the recipient of a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship from the DoD in 2017\, the Presidential Early Career Award (PECASE) in 2009 and an NSF CAREER Award in 2008 as well as Caltech’s Shair Program Diversity Award\, Graduate Student Council Excellence in Mentoring Award and Northrop Grumman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. She currently serves as co-Lead Editor of Physical Review Fluids and on the editorial board of the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics.\n \nCoffee/tea will be served after the seminar at 3:30 pm.\n\nAt 4:00 pm\, Prof. McKeon will hold a special session on Physical Review Fluids\, one of the world’s leading research journals for fluid dynamics. Prof. McKeon is the co-Lead Editor of the journal. The session includes a short presentation on the journal’s history\, Q&A\, and a short tutorial on writing a successful submission.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/taming-turbulence/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/taming_turbulence_poster_16x9-4.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260901T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260901T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260831T045301Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T050250Z
UID:10000148-1788260400-1788267600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg):Effect of rotation on the flow organisation and instability of a slender spinning body across quiescent\, axial and compressible regimes
DESCRIPTION:A body of revolution spinning in a fluid drives an inherently three-dimensional boundary layer\, in which a centrifugally driven secondary circulation lifts the layer off the surface and a centrifugal instability carries it into transition. Most of what is known about this flow comes from single geometries (the rotating disk\, the isolated cone or cylinder) in an unbounded fluid\, and from diagnostics that resolve neither the secondary meridional circulation nor the three-component velocity of the vortices. This work instead resolves the rotation-driven layer with whole-field measurements on a composite\, finite cone–cylinder (half-cone angle 15°)\, and follows it across the settings in which such a layer arises in practice\, of relevance to spin-stabilised flight and rotating machinery: a still fluid with and without confining walls\, the transient establishment from rest\, an imposed axial stream\, and\, as a bounding case\, a compressible free stream.\nCombining planar (two-component) and time-resolved stereoscopic (three-component) particle image velocimetry in the meridional plane with a phase-locked acquisition and a proper-orthogonal decomposition of the fluctuating field\, the study shows how confinement changes the transition from a sharp two-branch switch to a smooth downstream migration coupled to a growing separation bubble; how the layer establishes advectively from rest in a single turnover\, some fifty times faster than viscous diffusion; and how the base rotation ratio Sᵇ = ωR/U∞ organises transition under axial inflow\, with onset at Sᵇ of order unity. As a bounding case\, a slender cone spun in a Mach 2 stream leaves the shock-dominated mean flow and the surface topology essentially unchanged\, adding only broadband unsteadiness with no tonal lock-in\, so that the rotation-driven layer\, though real\, is masked at supersonic speed. Taken together\, the studies trace a single rotation-driven\, centrifugally unstable boundary layer\, with its meridional lift-up and counter-rotating vortices\, reshaped in turn by confinement\, start-up\, axial inflow and compressibility. \nSpeaker : Rajkamal Sah \nResearch Supervisor : Prof. Gopalan Jagadeesh
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-enggeffect-of-rotation-on-the-flow-organisation-and-instability-of-a-slender-spinning-body-across-quiescent-axial-and-compressible-regimes/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Rajkamal-Sah.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260804T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260804T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260803T045933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260804T105424Z
UID:10000143-1785855600-1785862800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Multiphase Reactive Flows: From Dust Explosions to Metal-Fueled Detonations
DESCRIPTION:. \nExplosions in coal mines\, metal-processing facilities\, and other industrial settings occur with alarming regularity\, while reactive metal particles are being considered for energy-storage and propulsion applications. Despite a long history of research and its importance to safety and propulsion applications\, the physical mechanisms that govern the ignition\, combustion\, and detonation of reactive particles remain relatively unknown. Basic questions such as “How do particle size and thermal radiation affect dust-explosion propagation?”\, “What mechanisms govern the ignition and combustion of shock-dispersed metal powders?”\, and “How can reactive particles modify or sustain detonation waves?” remain unanswered. This presentation will discuss an ongoing numerical simulation effort aimed at answering these and other fundamental questions. This problem is addressed by solving a set of equations that couples a fully compressible reacting gas to a granular multiphase model that accounts for particle motion\, interphase drag and heat transfer\, and particle combustion. The results of these simulations indicate that shock propagation\, particle dispersal\, ignition\, combustion\, and thermal radiation are tightly coupled in a highly dynamic process. Results discussing the influence of particle diameter and thermal radiation on layered coal-dust explosions and the ignition and combustion of TNT-dispersed aluminum powder will be discussed. The presentation will close by discussing recent work exploring hybrid aluminum–hydrogen–air detonations\, including the role of particle size in extending detonation limits and modifying detonation structure. \n  \nSpeaker: Dr. Guhathakurta \nBiography:  \nDr. Guhathakurta received an M.Sc. degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi\, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida. He subsequently held a postdoctoral appointment at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Dr. Guhathakurta is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on a wide range of topics in multiphase reactive flows\, combustion\, and numerical simulation\, including dust explosions\, hybrid detonations\, thermal-radiation effects\, metal-particle combustion\, and high-speed propulsion.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/multiphase-reactive-flows-from-dust-explosions-to-metal-fueled-detonations/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Dr-RD-Seminar-Aug-6.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260731T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260731T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260724T101000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260802T104845Z
UID:10000140-1785499200-1785502800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:AstroNav: Autonomy for Navigating Deep Space and Beyond
DESCRIPTION:Autonomous navigation is becoming a critical capability for modern deep space exploration\, planetary defense\, and commercial space ventures. Traditional spacecraft navigation relies heavily on ground-based radio contact to collect two-way radiometric Doppler and range measurements. However\, this structural dependency introduces significant communication latency and places a heavy burden on oversubscribed ground antenna networks. For cutting-edge applications—such as navigating through the active plumes of Enceladus or executing precise planetary defense maneuvers like ion beam deflection and gravity tractoring—the turnaround time of ground-based loops is simply too slow. Furthermore\, legacy onboard solutions present severe limitations in modularity or applicability.\n\nThis talk addresses these challenges by highlighting the critical need for autonomous navigation within the rapidly expanding modern space economy. We begin with a historical review of autonomous deep space navigation\, tracking its evolution from the pioneering AutoNav software developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for Deep Space 1 through its critical successes on the Stardust and Deep Impact comet missions. The presentation then provides a comprehensive overview of AstroNav\, the next-generation successor designed to overcome legacy limitations. We will detail the specific architectural and algorithmic augmentations that advance AstroNav far beyond past technologies\, including its modular\, plug-and-play capability to ingest multi-source data. Finally\, we will present the concept of operations for AstroNav’s upcoming flight technology demonstration payload integrated onto the CAPSTONE-2 spacecraft\, scheduled for launch in mid-2027.\n\nSpeaker : Dr Swati Mohan\n\nBiography:\nDr Swati Mohan was born in Bengaluru\, India\, and emigrated to the United States of America with her parents when she was one year old. Dr. Mohan attended Cornell University and received her B.S. in 2004 in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.  After a brief stint working at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Cassini mission\, in 2004-2005\, she went on to graduate school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Aeronautics/Astronautics department.  She rejoined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2010 in the Guidance\, Navigation\, and Controls section.  Since then\, Swati has worked on a number of missions\, such as GRAIL\, OCO-3\, Mars 2020 Perseverance\, and Psyche. She is best known for being the voice of Entry\, Descent\, and Landing for Perseverance’s landing on February 18\, 2021.  She was the GNC lead and a Chief Engineer for the Psyche mission\, which launched on October 13\, 2023.  After launching Psyche\, Swati has transitioned to the Mars Sample Return mission.  She first served as Chief Engineer for the Mars Launch System\, then later as the Descent Command and Control Lead.  She is currently the Project Manager for AstroNav\, an autonomous celestial navigation payload.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/astronav-autonomy-for-navigating-deep-space-and-beyond/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Swati.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260716T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260716T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260708T083450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260712T064148Z
UID:10000136-1784214000-1784221200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:FROM MOTION PLANNING TO MULTI-ROBOT AUTONOMY IN CONSTRAINED AND DISCONNECTED ENVIRONMENTS
DESCRIPTION:Autonomous robots operating in challenging environments must make reliable decisions under geometric\, dynamic\, and environmental constraints. In such settings\, motion planning plays a central role in enabling robots to move safely and efficiently through cluttered\, narrow\, disconnected or uncertain spaces\, while balancing feasibility\, robustness\, and computational efficiency. \nThis talk will focus on motion planning for quadrotors flight through constrained regions such as narrow windows and cluttered spaces. In the later part of the talk\, I will briefly broaden the discussion to autonomy problems beyond single-robot flight\, including hierarchical coverage path planning in disconnected regions and terrain-aware balanced area allocation for heterogeneous multi-robot systems. Together\, these works highlight how planning methods must scale from vehicle-level motion generation to higher-level coordination and task allocation in challenging operational environments. \nSpeaker: Dr. Saurabh Upadhyay \nBiography: \nSaurabh Upadhyay received B.E. degree from SSGMCE\, Shegaon in 2009\, M.Tech. degree from IIT Guwahati in 2012\, and Ph.D. degree from IISc Bengaluru in 2018. He is a Lecturer in Space Engineering at Cranfield University\, UK. His research interests lie in mobile robots for extreme environments\, with special focus on low onboard resources decision making and ISRU-enabled robot design. He has received A.K. Rao best PhD thesis medal 2018 in Aerospace Engineering at IISc Bengaluru\, and he is endorsed as a potential leader/exceptional promise by Royal Academy of Engineering in 2021. He is an IEEE senior member\, lifetime AIAA Senior member\, and fellow of HEA.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/from-motion-planning-to-multi-robot-autonomy-in-constrained-and-disconnected-environments/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Saurabh-Upadhyay-Talk.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260709T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260709T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260707T091903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260712T062534Z
UID:10000135-1783609200-1783616400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Characterizing Dynamic Response of Structures and Materials under Extreme Loading Environments
DESCRIPTION:Protective structures and vessels used in marine and defense applications are increasingly required to withstand extreme dynamic loading caused by explosions in air and underwater. Designing lightweight yet resilient structures demands a fundamental understanding of shock-wave interactions with materials\, structural geometry\, and the surrounding medium. This seminar presents a series of experimental investigations that progressively examine these aspects using advanced diagnostics.\nThe seminar begins with a comparative study of circular composite plates subjected to planar shock loading in air and underwater. The experiments reveal how the loading medium governs structural deformation\, vibration characteristics\, and cavitation-induced secondary loading\, providing insights into shock–structure interaction.\nNext\, the influence of structural geometry is examined through blast experiments on curved polymeric sandwich composite panels. The effects of curvature and boundary conditions on structural response are investigated\, demonstrating that geometric tailoring can significantly enhance blast resistance and modify damage mechanisms.\nThe seminar concludes by exploring the complex interaction between near-field underwater explosions and sandwich composite structures. Experimental observations capture the coupled effects of shock waves\, gas-bubble oscillations\, surface cavitation\, and structural deformation. The results highlight the influence of explosive stand-off distance and core density on impulse transfer\, cavitation dynamics\, and failure mechanisms\, providing valuable insights into fluid–structure interaction under extreme underwater loading.\nTogether\, these experimental studies advance the understanding of the dynamic response of composite structures under extreme loading and provide guidance for the design of resilient lightweight structures for naval\, offshore\, and protective engineering applications.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Akshay Pandey\n\nBiography:\nDr. Akash Pandey is currently working as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. He previously worked at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) before earning his Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island. His research focuses on the dynamic response of structures and materials subjected to extreme loading conditions\, including blast and impact
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/characterizing-dynamic-response-of-structures-and-materials-under-extreme-loading-environments/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Dr.-Akshay-Pandey.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260624T113000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260624T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260622T045426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T151648Z
UID:10000132-1782300600-1782306000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:From Pilot Workload to Adverse Couplings: Understanding Human–Vehicle Interactions in Challenging Rotorcraft Operations
DESCRIPTION:As civil and military aircraft evolve toward increasingly complex designs and intelligent systems\, understanding pilot–vehicle interactions and their impact on safety and performance remains essential. Rotorcraft shipboard landing is among the most demanding flight operations\, requiring pilots to contend with degraded and rapidly changing visual cues\, deck motion\, and environmental disturbances\, often resulting in elevated workload. Yet\, pilot workload is traditionally assessed using subjective rating scales that interrupt operations\, provide only post-task measures\, and offer limited insight into how pilot effort evolves during a mission. This seminar presents research on objective pilot workload assessment using signal processing of pilot inceptor activity\, with helicopter shipboard landing serving as a representative high-workload task. The talk also examines adverse aircraft/rotorcraft–pilot couplings\, including pilot-induced and pilot-assisted oscillations\, which are difficult to predict\, can arise from nonlinear pilot–vehicle interactions\, and have the potential to compromise mission completion and flight safety. Methods for identifying and characterizing such coupling phenomena using pilot inceptor activity are discussed\, together with their implications for aircraft dynamics and control\, pilot assistance technologies\, and autonomous aerial vehicles. \nSpeaker: Dr. Vinodhini Comandur \nBiography:\nVinodhini Comandur is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. She completed her PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2025. Her research interests lie in flight dynamics and control\, handling qualities\, human factors engineering\, and the development of autonomy-enabled capabilities for rotorcraft applications. She received her B.Tech. (Hons.) in Mechanical Engineering from the IIT Kharagpur in 2014\, her M.Tech. in Aerospace Engineering from the IIT Kanpur in 2016\, and her M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2025.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/from-pilot-workload-to-adverse-couplings-understanding-human-vehicle-interactions-in-challenging-rotorcraft-operations/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vinodhini-Comandur.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260623T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260623T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260622T043524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T145229Z
UID:10000131-1782212400-1782219600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:AE Seminar by Dr Sri Prakash Sarathy\, Northrop Grumman
DESCRIPTION:AI in general and Agentic AI Frameworks in particular have begun to appear in safety critical and mission critical application of autonomous systems. Assurance of their behavior lags behind in terms of principles\, tools and engineering practice. In this presentation I will cover some emerging approaches that are both powerful and practical\, and easily understood and implemented by average engineering graduate. This is extremely important since assuring systems with AI requires a holistic approach starting from the systems design engineering all the way to implementation\, deployment and maintenance. I present some of the more advanced research methods applicable to autonomous aircraft systems.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Prakash Sarathy\n\nBiography :\n\nDr. Prakash Sarathy is the Chief Engineer in the areas of advanced autonomy\, cyber assurance\, and systems engineering\, within the Research and Development division of NGAS. He has over 30 years of experience in various aspects of aerospace engineering\, providing technical and project/program management and oversight for advanced technology programs requiring accelerated risk burn down and rapid maturation. His technical expertise includes software for autonomous systems\, behavior assurance for safety and security of advanced vehicle configurations\, integration of hardware and software components in complex multi-physics application domains. This software engineering expertise coupled with his in-depth experience in linear and nonlinear dynamics of vehicle systems\, applied to guidance\, navigation and control of aircraft\, spacecraft and robots as well as of real-time and embedded simulations\, high fidelity modeling\, implementation\, VV&A and testing\, provide an excellent framework for the challenges of next generation autonomous aircraft systems and their assurance. He has provided technical and project/program management and oversight for advanced technology programs ( RTCF\, DARPA/OFW and USN/N-UCAS) requiring accelerated risk burn down and rapid maturation. He is experienced in many facets of hardware\, software and systems engineering process and practice as applied to R&D as well as production software across many application verticals. Expertise in SCM\, SQA\,  agile development\,  re-engineering and testing. He has deep expertise in linear and nonlinear dynamics of vehicle systems\, including flexible multi-vehicle interactions with particular emphasis to real-time simulation of vehicles.\, as well as guidance\, navigation and control of aircraft\, spacecraft and robots\, including flight mechanics\, handling qualities and aero-elasticity. He has spearheaded flight software safety in mixed critical domains under the AFRL MCAR program\, and  overseen software development under the DARPA/OFW (X-plane)\, DARPA/HURT and USN/UCAS-D programs.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ae-seminar-by-dr-sri-prakash-sarathy-northrop-grumman/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Dr-Sri-Prakash-Sarathy.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260525T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260525T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260513T082319Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T083011Z
UID:10000125-1779721200-1779728400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Deception and Risk-Sensitive Behaviors in Games with Asymmetric Information: A Pursuit-Evasion Case Study
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Games with asymmetric information involve situations where one player possesses knowledge that the other player does not. This is particularly evident in military engagements\, where the “fog of war” plays a critical role in the decision-making process. In such scenarios\, two distinct behaviors can be observed. The more informed player tends to adopt deceptive strategies aimed at imposing losses on the opponent. Conversely\, the less informed player seeks to mitigate losses caused by the information disadvantage by adopting a risk-averse strategy.\nIn this talk\, we present a novel approach for the more informed player to incorporate deception in a two-agent differential game with asymmetric information. We propose sensitivity function-based risk estimates for the less informed player to effectively address the information disadvantage. The efficacy of the proposed techniques is demonstrated through a pursuit-evasion case study involving a pursuer\, an evader\, and a moving obstacle whose exact position and velocity are known only to one of the players (the evader in this case). Finally\, we explore the relevance of deception for the evader using the concept of dependent reachable sets. \nSpeaker : Dr. Venkata Ramana Makkapati \nBiography: \nDr. Venkata Ramana Makkapati is currently working at Honda Aircraft Company as an AFCS & Advanced Research Engineer. His research interests include optimal control and differential games\, with a focus on autonomous vehicles\, safe path planning\, and airspace security. He received his B.Tech. from IIT Madras in 2014 and M.Tech. from IIT Kanpur in 2016\, both in Aerospace Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and an M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology\, Atlanta\, USA. Ramana is an FAA-certified Private Pilot and holds the United States Parachute Association (USPA) A license. \n  \nLink: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/43166057134136?p=TqzW03cjZvsMTgCwMN\nMeeting ID: 431 660 571 341 36\nPasscode: Yw6Ab2NU
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/deception-and-risk-sensitive-behaviors-in-games-with-asymmetric-information-a-pursuit-evasion-case-study/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Venkata.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260522T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260522T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260514T043230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T083650Z
UID:10000126-1779447600-1779454800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Fluid dynamics across scales: Insights from compressible turbulence and large-scale tropical atmospheric dynamics
DESCRIPTION:Fluid flows in nature and engineering exhibit a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This talk presents two problems across this range: compressible turbulence in channel flows and large-scale vorticity dynamics in the tropical atmosphere.\nThe first part of the talk focuses on compressible turbulence\, which plays a key role in many aerospace flows\, including supersonic and hypersonic flight\, shock-boundary layer interactions\, and scramjet combustion. In contrast to incompressible turbulence\, compressible turbulence is characterised by fluctuations in both thermodynamic variables of density\, temperature and pressure\, in addition to velocity. Using Lie symmetry theory\, we derive scaling laws for velocity and thermodynamic statistics in compressible channel flows. As a first step\, we derive a hierarchy of unclosed equations for the probability density function and its Fourier transform\, the characteristic function\, that accounts for both flow and thermodynamics statistics. Then\, the Lie point symmetries of the characteristic function hierarchy are derived. Finally\, the symmetry groups are used to obtain the scaling laws for channel flows\, and are verified against the data from direct numerical simulations.\nThe second part of the talk focuses on understanding the large-scale meridional structure of vertical vorticity in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)\, the near-equatorial region where the trade winds converge and produce a planetary-scale band of precipitation. We show that the vorticity away from the latitude of the ITCZ can be understood approximately through conservation of absolute vorticity\, whereas\, within the ITCZ\, vortex stretching plays a dominant role. As a result\, the relative vorticity in the ITCZ increases as the ITCZ moves poleward.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Divya Sri Praturi\n\nBiography :\nDivya Sri Praturi is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology\, Hamburg. She obtained her PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University\, College Station\, USA\, and Bachelors and Masters degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology\, Kharagpur. She was also a recipient of the Humboldt Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers and Amelia Earhart Fellowship for PhD students. Her research interests lie broadly in the areas of tropical atmospheric and climate dynamics\, stability and turbulence in conducting and non-conducting compressible shear flows. She employs pen-and-paper calculations\, group theoretical methods and high resolution numerical simulations to derive mechanistic insights into these flows.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/fluid-dynamics-across-scales-insights-from-compressible-turbulence-and-large-scale-tropical-atmospheric-dynamics/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Dr-Divya-May22-4.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260507T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260507T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260505T050440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T050440Z
UID:10000123-1778166000-1778173200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:On Rayleigh Waves in Elastic Lattices
DESCRIPTION:A mathematical framework is presented to guide the search for Rayleigh waves in lattice materials based on periodic structure theory and the Bloch theorem. Architected materials with a periodic microstructure are distinguished from crystals in continuum anisotropic elasticity by the presence of at least one length scale and a band structure with partial and complete gaps for Bloch wave propagation. Non-affine bending deformations at or below the characteristic cell size are included by considering the unit cell as a framework of Timoshenko beams. We show that a quadratic eigenvalue problem\, with a Hermitian palindrome structure\, emerges from the force equilibrium and displacement compatibility relations for a propagating Bloch wave along any chosen orientation of the free edge/surface. Waves propagating along the free edge and penetrating to a finite depth into the medium are a partial set of eigensolutions of the nonlinear eigenproblem\, or its linearized symplectic form. These partial eigenwaves are used as the basis vectors to expand any arbitrary boundary displacements and force vectors\, which then constitute a complex asymmetric semi-infinite dynamic stiffness matrix. Surface and Rayleigh waves exist in its null space. Traction-free boundary conditions are used to show that the secular equation for Rayleigh waves is a real polynomial equation\, consistent with Stroh’s formulation for a length-scale independent anisotropic continuum crystal elasticity. Significant differences arising from the periodic structure are highlighted. Computational issues in the numerical solution of the structured eigenvalue problem for surface waves in lattices are addressed. Our formulation is applicable to any arbitrary lattice with complex unit cells and material architectures. Surface waves in a planar square lattice are found to emerge from the gaps for bulk waves in the band structure of the bulk waves. This research is a collaboration with Prof. N.A. Fleck of Cambridge University\, United Kingdom. \nSpeaker: Prof. Anasavarapu Srikantha Phani \nBiography: \nSrikanth is a tenured full professor at the University of British Columbia\, Vancouver\, Canada. He received a PhD from Cambridge University in the Dynamics and Applied Mechanics group under the supervision of Prof. Woodhouse and there he pursued postdoctoral work with Prof. Fleck in the Cambridge Center for Micromechanics. His principal research interests include\, Dynamics and Vibrations\, Mechanics of advanced materials\, and their applications in engineering and cardiovascular medicine. At UBC\, he held a Tier 2 Canada Research chair\, and received Killam Teaching prize.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/on-rayleigh-waves-in-elastic-lattices/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/On-Rayleigh-Waves-in-Elastic-Lattices2-1_page-0001.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260429T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260429T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260424T045758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260426T090236Z
UID:10000121-1777460400-1777467600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Precision in Flow: Advances in PIV\, Hematology\, and High-Heat Flux Cooling for Power Dense Electronics
DESCRIPTION:This talk presents a comprehensive overview of advanced fluidic and thermal management strategies across biomedical and defense applications. We begin with a systematic evaluation of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)\, specifically addressing the challenges of simultaneous velocity and particle size measurement. By analyzing Gaussian intensity variations across the light sheet and the optical system’s depth of field\, we propose a balanced methodology for achieving consistent\, high-fidelity size estimates.\nBuilding on these measurement techniques\, we discuss phase-locked PIV studies conducted within a pulsatile flow loop of a ‘mitral’ model bileaflet mechanical heart valve (MHV). The localized jets\, steep velocity gradients\, and vortex recirculation zones identified in vitro provide critical correlations to in-vivo platelet aggregation\, highlighting the intersection of fluid mechanics and clinical pathology.\nThe discussion then shifts to the pivotal role of fluidic design in next-generation whole blood cell analyzers\, utilizing hydrodynamic focusing and sheath flow to optimize optical flow cell performance for hematology. Finally\, we conclude with a high-level summary of mission-critical work in energy storage and high-heat flux cooling. These technologies are essential for the thermal management of power-dense electronics and 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI)\, ensuring reliability in the next frontier of microelectronic architecture.\n\nSpeaker : Dr. Ganesh Subramanian\n\n Biography:\nDr. Ganesh Subramanian is a technical leader and program/functional manager with over 20 years of experience bridging fundamental research and mission-critical engineering. An IISc Aerospace PhD and certified PMP/Agile professional\, he has led a diverse portfolio of high-priority energy storage and thermal management programs funded by the U.S. DoD and DARPA\, while at Teledyne Technologies. He has had a decade-long tenure\, each at Abbott and BD Biosciences\, developing fluidic and thermal subsystems for hematology instruments and flow cytometers. His career is grounded in high-impact fluid dynamics research working jointly with NASA and the Cleveland Clinic\, combining academic rigor with a proven track record of leadership in highly regulated defense and medical sectors.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/precision-in-flow-advances-in-piv-hematology-and-high-heat-flux-cooling-for-power-dense-electronics/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AE-Seminar-Ganesh-S-29April2026.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260428T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260428T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260424T080555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260426T092339Z
UID:10000122-1777374000-1777381200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Experiments on a fluidic pinball: wake dynamics in the chaotic regime
DESCRIPTION:Over the past decade\, the fluidic pinball has become a valuable benchmarkfor studying flow control strategies. The configuration consists of three independently rotating cylinders positioned at the vertices of an equilateral triangle\, with the flow directed perpendicularly to one of its sides. The cylinder rotation rates serve as the control inputs\, while velocity sensors located in the wake provide the outputs. Despite its geometric simplicity\, the wake behind the fluidic pinball displays complex interactions of multiple frequencies and nonlinear dynamics\, making it an excellent test case for the development and evaluation of control laws. While numerous studies have been performed numerically at low Reynolds numbers\, experimental literature is limited\, mainly due to the associated engineering challenges. \nThis study presents the findings from wind tunnel experiments on a fluidic pinball in the chaotic regime (1333 ≤ Re ≤ 3333). Planar two-component particle image velocimetry (PIV) is employed to capture the velocity field while the velocity time traces are obtained from hot-wire anemometry and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). The stochastic bistable dynamics in the wake is characterized and its sensitivity to external disturbances is demonstrated. Coherent structures in the wake along with the associated temporal dynamics and their physical implications are analyzed for both the stationary pinball and the flow with steady\, open-loop forcing. The effect of blockage and evolution of 3D structures in the forced wake is discussed. A brief overview of the architecture set up for real-time control is also presented. \nSpeaker : Dr. Aditya Desai \nBiography : \nDr. Aditya Desai is a post-doctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Numerical Sciences (LISN)- CNRS\, Orsay\,France working towards Reinforcement Learning-based control of a fluidic pinball. He completed his Master’s and PhD from the Department of Aerospace Engineering\, IIT Kanpur. His research interests are in the domain of experimental aerodynamics\, reduced order modelling and flow control\,  wakes\, vortex induce vibration and sports aerodynamics. He completed his BTech in Aerospace Engineering at IITK in 2009. \n  \n 
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/xperiments-on-a-fluidic-pinball-wake-dynamics-in-the-chaotic-regime/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Aditya.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260223T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260223T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260220T070846Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260220T070846Z
UID:10000116-1771862400-1771866000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:"Aerospace power as a critical tool of statecraft”
DESCRIPTION:Air Marshal TD Joseph examines aerospace power as a critical instrument of statecraft\, highlighting\nits strategic\, coercive\, and diplomatic roles in modern conflict and international relations. The latest\nexample is India itself choosing aerospace power as the first instrument of choice to punish the\nenemy as in ‘Op Sindoor’. Drawing on historical and contemporary examples from conflicts across\nthe globe and India’s own operations as well as humanitarian relief missions\, he explains how\nairpower shapes outcomes through compellance\, deterrence\, and soft power applications. Synergy\nbetween aerospace and surface forces\, and technological asymmetry are critical to success. Air\npower lends itself to dual use in both hard and soft diplomacy as well as in nation building.\nUltimately\, aerospace power emerges as a decisive yet complementary tool for achieving national\nobjectives. \nSpeaker : Air Marshal TD Joseph\n\nBiography :\n\nAir Marshal TD Joseph\, AVSM\, VM\, VSM (Retd) was commissioned as a Fighter Pilot in the IAF\non 29th December 1982. He has flown various fighter and trainer aircrafts accumulating over 3800 hours of\nflying. \n\nThe Air Marshal has commanded a frontline Fighter Squadron\, the prestigious Flying Instructors’ School\, and\nAir Force Station Hindan\, near Delhi. He has held important Command and Staff appointments across the\ncountry in field and headquarter organisations. His last appointment was as Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) of\nTraining Command where he was responsible for ab-initio and in-service training of officers\, airmen and noncombatants\nof the entire IAF. \n\nHe is a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor and an Instrument Rating Instructor & Examiner; alumnus\nNational Defence Academy\, Pune and DSSC Wellington. He attended Royal College of Defence Studies\,\nLondon\, has master’s Degrees from University of Madras and King’s College London\, and MPhil from\nUniversity of Madras. Besides graduating at the top of his Air Force Course\, the Air Marshal stood First in\nJungle & Snow Survival Course\, Instrument Rating Instructor &Examiner Course\, and Air Staff Course. \n\nAuthor of a book entitled “Winning India’s Next War” (2007)\, he has written chapters in edited books and other\npublished articles on air strategy and security. \n\nAir Marshal Joseph was conferred with the Presidential awards of Vayusena Medal in 2003\, Vishsisht Seva\nMedal in 2010 and Ati Vishsisht Seva Medal in 2021. The Air Marshal hung his blue uniform on 31st July 2021\nafter 38 ½ years of service. \n\nHe is married to Mrs Sophie Joseph\, an educator\, and they have two sons\, the elder one with the World Bank\,\nand the younger one\, an aviator with Indigo Airlines
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/aerospace-power-as-a-critical-tool-of-statecraft/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/9f8421c2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260112T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260112T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260109T053022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T112429Z
UID:10000110-1768233600-1768237200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg) : Compression & LVI of closed-cell metallic foam
DESCRIPTION:Innovative high-performance structural designs play a critical role in mitigating insecure events such as low-velocity and ballistic impacts. These events involve significant kinetic energies\, requiring structures that are lightweight\, safe\, and capable of absorbing energy effectively. Closed cell metallic foams have been widely adopted in aerospace\, marine\, civil\, mechanical\, and automotive industries due to their superior resistance to such impacts. Despite extensive research over the years\, further advancements are still required in the design of lightweight protective structures. In impact applications\, the impactor need not always strike perpendicular to the structure. Characterization of dissipation energies \, impact load histories\, and load–displacement curves under varying impact angles revealed\, Contact force intensity and penetration time decrease as the impact angle increases. Energy absorption increases while penetration time decreases with increasing impact angle. Contact force decreases and contact time increases as the angle decreases. Displacement under oblique impact increases with increasing angle. The study was extended to finite element simulations of low-velocity impact behaviour in silicon–aluminium composite foams using ABAQUS/Explicit®. Numerical estimations of both full and partial damage were carried out for different impactor shapes and velocities. Key parameters such as dissipation energies\, impact load histories\, and load–displacement behaviour under penetration were systematically reported. The numerical scheme was validated against available experimental results\, confirming the accuracy and reliability of the model. The following observations were made: Impact velocity effects: Contact force intensity and penetration time decrease with increasing impact velocity. Energy absorption increases while penetration time reduces as velocity increases. Impactor nose radius effects: Contact force reduces with smaller nose radii. Contact time is enhanced as the nose radius decreases. Impactor shape effects: The computed energy absorption effectiveness factor revealed that performance depends not only on material properties but is also strongly influenced by the geometry of the impactor. The study was further extended to numerical simulations of aluminium foam subjected to low velocity impacts. Both full and partial damage estimations were performed on foam samples across varying impact energies and thicknesses. Dissipated energy\, impact load histories\, and load–displacement responses were systematically reported under different penetration conditions. Foam samples with a thickness of 10 mm exhibited bending and global failure\, characteristic of thin plate behaviour. In contrast\, samples thicker than 10 mm underwent local failure\, displaying behaviour typical of thick plates. For partial penetration cases\, contact force\, dissipated energy\, deformation\, and penetration time all increased with rising impact energy. For fully penetrated samples\, contact force\, dissipated energy\, and deformation increased monotonically with impact energy\, while penetration time decreased significantly. Across all aluminium foam samples\, greater thickness led to monotonic increases in contact force\, dissipated energy\, deformation\, and contact time. These findings underscore the critical influence of plate thickness in governing the impact resistance of aluminium foam structures. Furthermore\, closed cell foam was modelled at the mesoscale to replicate the intrinsic geometry of real foam structures. LVT based 3-D models were employed to generate complex morphologies\, including irregular pore sizes\, uneven cell wall thicknesses & geometric variability. Morphological parameters such as equivalent diameter & sphericity factor were used to quantify pore size & irregularities. The influence of pore number & porosity on cell wall thickness was examined & the quasi-static compressive behaviour was assessed through load-displacement & stress-strain responses\, alongside energy absorption & plastic dissipated energies. Results revealed that plateau strength exhibited only a marginal increase with pore number\, while energy absorption showed a slight counterintuitive decline. Plastic dissipation energy increased monotonically with increasing pore number. Conversely\, increasing porosity led to a monotonic decrease in yield point\, energy absorption capacity & plastic dissipation energy. The study underscores that energy absorption capacity is strongly governed by porosity\, cell wall thickness & pore size. These parameters must be incorporated into the design of closed-cell foams to ensure safe & reliable performance in protective structural applications. \n  \nSpeaker: THIMMESH T \nResearch Supervisor: Dineshkumar Harursampath
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-compression-lvi-of-closed-cell-metallic-foam/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Thim.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260105T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260105T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20260102T070038Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T051847Z
UID:10000109-1767625200-1767632400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Constructive Role of Noise in Oscillator Networks
DESCRIPTION:he constructive role of temporal disorder (random noise) in facilitating responses of nonlinear systems will be explored in this talk\, through a combination of experimental and numerical investigations. In particular\, nonlinear oscillators and nonlinear oscillator arrays will be considered. These oscillator systems represent models of micro-scale and macro-scale systems and energy harvester systems. It is discussed how noise can be used to transition from one dynamic to another\, including transition from a chaotic state to a periodic state\, influence energy localization\, and realize synchronization.\n\nSpeaker: Prof. B. Balachandran\n\nBiography:\n\nDr. Balachandran received his B. Tech (Naval Architecture) from the Indian Institute of Technology\, Madras\, India\, M.S. (Aerospace Engineering) from Virginia Tech\, Blacksburg\, VA and Ph.D. (Engineering Mechanics) from Virginia Tech. Currently\, he is a Distinguished University Professor and a Minta Martin Professor at the University of Maryland\, where he has been since 1993. His research interests include applied physics\, applied mechanics\, applied mathematics\, nonlinear phenomena\, dynamics and vibrations\, and control. The publications that he has authored/co-authored include a Wiley textbook entitled “Applied Nonlinear Dynamics: Analytical\, Computational\, and Experimental Methods” (1995\, 2004)\, a Thomson/Cengage textbook (2004\, 2009) and a Cambridge University Press textbook (2019) entitled “Vibrations\,” and a co-edited Springer book entitled “Delay Differential Equations: Recent Advances and New Directions” (2009). He holds four U.S. patents and one Japan patent\, three related to fiber optic sensors and two related to atomic force microscopy. He has served as the Editor of the ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics\, a Contributing Editor of the International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics\, and a Deputy Editor of the AIAA Journal. He is an ASME Fellow\, an AIAA Fellow\, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society\, an ASA full member\, and an IEEE Senior Member. He is a recipient of the ASME Melville Medal\, the Thomas Caughey Dynamics Medal\, the Den Hartog Award\, & the Lyapunov Award\, the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute Robert Scanlan Medal\, and the AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award. He served as the Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland from May 2011 to December 2023 and ASME Applied Mechanics Division from 2018 to 2019.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/constructive-role-of-noise-in-oscillator-networks/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Balachandran.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251222T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251222T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251222T043040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251222T081958Z
UID:10000105-1766415600-1766422800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Digital Process Twins for Automated Manufacturing of Thermoplastic Composites: Challenges and Opportunities.
DESCRIPTION:Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is transforming the fabrication of high-performance thermoplastic composites by enabling precision layup of fiber tows with spatially controlled heating and compaction. Yet\, the interplay of radiative heating\, heat diffusion\, and material flow during AFP remains one of the least understood links between process parameters and structural performance. This seminar presents a unified experimental and modeling framework to unravel these coupled multi-scale multi-physics phenomena and advance the creation of digital process twins for advanced manufacturing of composites. \nThe discussion will begin with the design and thermal characterization of a Xenon-arc flash heating system developed for in-situ processing of CF-PAEK tows. High-resolution irradiance mapping and infrared thermography reveal the dynamic spatial nonuniformity of heat flux during laydown\, providing direct insights into tow heating and cooling behavior. These experimental results are coupled with a physics-based “plug-flow” thermal model that captures the motion of the tow\, its interaction with the roller and substrate\, and the resulting anisotropic heat transfer under realistic AFP conditions. \nThe resulting digital process twin quantitatively predicts temperature evolution\, nip-point bonding conditions\, and crystallinity gradients; key factors governing consolidation quality and defect formation. By linking measured irradiance fields with validated numerical simulations\, this framework offers a predictive capability for optimizing processing parameters to achieve consistent microstructure and interlayer adhesion. The seminar will conclude with perspectives on integrating these models with in-situ sensing and machine learning to enable smart\, autonomous\, defect-tolerant composite manufacturing. \nSpeaker : Dr. Paul Davidson \nBiography: \nDr. Paul Davidson is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington\, where he leads the Digital Design and Advanced Manufacturing of Composite Structures research though the Laboratory of Advanced Materials\, Manufacturing and Analysis (LAMMA). His research integrates experimental mechanics\, multiscale modeling\, and machine learning to develop digital twins for automated composite fabrication and structural performance prediction. His work is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)\, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)\, the National Science Foundation (NSF)\, and the University of Texas System.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/digital-process-twins-for-automated-manufacturing-of-thermoplastic-composites-challenges-and-opportunities/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Paul.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251215T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251215T120000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251210T103048Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251213T093321Z
UID:10000100-1765796400-1765800000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Flow-Aware Simulation Technique (FAST) for AI-Enabled\, Physics-Integrated Turbulence Computations
DESCRIPTION:Data-driven approaches have generated tremendous excitement in turbulence modeling\, but enthusiasm has often outpaced scientific rigor. Many current AI/ML turbulence models lack physical interpretability\, exhibit limited generalizability across flow regimes\, and do not reflect the true dynamical nature of turbulence. A new strategy is needed—one that leverages AI while remaining fully compliant with the physics of flow evolution. This talk proposes a flow-aware AI paradigm that integrates data-driven learning with physical constraints and local flow-regime awareness. Recognizing that turbulence spans a wide spectrum of coherent and stochastic behaviors\, we propose an adaptive framework that allows AI to dynamically select modeling pathways—switching between physics-based closures and selective scale resolution as conditions demand. This approach improves robustness in complex flow regimes\, enabling AI to enhance rather than replace traditional models. The presentation will clarify the limitations of current ML methods and illustrate how physics-aware hybridization can accelerate accurate and efficient turbulence simulations. The goal is not to abandon classical turbulence modeling\, but to augment it with AI-enabled predictive insight\, producing simulations that are consistently reliable\, interpretable\, and deployment-ready in unseen flows.  \nSpeaker : Prof. Sharath Girimaji \nBiography: \nDr. Sharath S. Girimaji is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Department Head of Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M University\, where he holds the Wofford Cain Chair position. His research expertise spans turbulence modeling\, computational fluid dynamics\, compressible and high-speed flows\, and complex fluid dynamics. Dr. Girimaji received his B.Tech from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (1983) and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University (1990). Before joining academia\, he spent nine years as a research scientist at NASA Langley Research Center. He has graduated 25 PhD students to date. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/flow-aware-simulation-technique-fast-for-ai-enabled-physics-integrated-turbulence-computations/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Sharath.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251211T030000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251211T160000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251210T063024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251213T092434Z
UID:10000099-1765422000-1765468800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Normal modes and manoeuvre analysis in a closed form aircraft dynamic model
DESCRIPTION: In this seminar\, I will first introduce an empirical four-parameter formula for lift and drag on an airfoil\, which shows good fits to experimental data. I will then use this formula to obtain a closed form nonlinear dynamical model of the longitudinal or pitch plane motions of an aircraft. The method of time scale separation applied to this model will yield the algebraic approximations of the short period and phugoid modes\, the limits on centre of mass position as well as an explicit relation between the horizontal stabilizer deflection and the trimmed airspeed. Next\, I will use the model to analyse two manoeuvres – an Immelmann turn and a landing. We will see a novel flaring technique\, called steady state flare\, which minimizes the probability of flotation and bounce\, and maximizes the probability of a greased touchdown\, thus increasing safety as well as improving traveller experience. I will conclude the seminar with a discussion of my future research plans.\n\nSpeaker : Dr. Shayak Bhattacharjee\n\nBiography :\n\nDr. Shayak Bhattacharjee obtained his Integrated Master of Science in Physics from IIT Kanpur in 2015 and his PhD from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering\, Cornell University in 2021. Following a three-year postdoctoral stint at the University of Maryland at College Park\, he returned to India and is currently working for LogiXair\, an aerospace startup incubated at IIT Hyderabad. HIs current research interests are in flight dynamics of piloted airplanes and UAVs\, as well as in propeller analysis and design. He has also worked on dynamical systems of other kinds such as infectious diseases\, violin strings and magnetic levitation devices.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/normal-modes-and-manoeuvre-analysis-in-a-closed-form-aircraft-dynamic-model/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Shayak.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251204T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251204T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251202T111559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T111559Z
UID:10000098-1764849600-1764853200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Towards Collaborative Autonomy in Multi-robot Systems: From Swarm Defense to Human-Robot Collaboration
DESCRIPTION:Multi-robot systems can significantly expand our ability to operate in complex and hazardous environments\, from disaster response and environmental monitoring to national security. Achieving this requires robotic teams that are scalable\, resilient\, and capable of safe collaboration with each other and with humans. In this talk\, I will present my research toward advancing such autonomous multi-robot systems. I begin with my research work on adversarial swarm defense\, where I developed a unified framework that enables defender robots to protect safety-critical areas against both risk-averse and risk-taking adversarial swarms. This framework leverages real-time monitoring of adversarial swarm behavior\, optimal task assignment\, and trajectory planning for coordinated defense\, combining herding and collision-aware interception to collaboratively mitigate a wide range of adversarial behaviors.\nI then highlight my broader efforts to enable reliable autonomy in real-world settings\, including human-multi-robot collaboration\, motion planning for tethered robots in extreme terrains\, and automated ROS2-based integration testing pipelines for PX4 UAVs. Together\, these contributions reflect a cohesive and ongoing research direction toward building reliable multi-robot systems that operate safely\, effectively\, and collaboratively amid uncertainty and real-world constraints. \nSpeaker : Vishnu S. Chipade \nBiography: \nVishnu S. Chipade is a Senior Researcher at the Secure Systems Research Center\, Technology Innovation Institute\, Abu Dhabi. He received his PhD and Master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan\, Ann Arbor\, USA and Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur\, India. His research focuses on developing scalable and reliable multi-robot systems that operate safely\, securely\, and collaboratively with robots and humans in complex real-world environments\, leveraging the best of classical and AI-driven approaches to autonomy. His research has been published in top venues such as T-RO\, TCNS\, ICRA\, IROS\, CDC\, etc.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/towards-collaborative-autonomy-in-multi-robot-systems-from-swarm-defense-to-human-robot-collaboration/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Vishnu.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251128T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251128T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251126T090534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251126T090534Z
UID:10000096-1764327600-1764334800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:From Flight Control to Multi-Agent Systems
DESCRIPTION:In this two-part talk\, I will present an overview of my research over the past ten years in the academia and the industry. In the first part\, I will talk about the use of articulated wings for rapid manoeuvring at high angles of attack\, particularly with application to landing in constrained spaces. I will present a first-principles analysis leading to design rules as well as guidelines for control design. In the second part\, I will talk about some recent work on the control of the emergent behaviour of large multi-agent systems. I will present motivating examples drawn from my recent research\, including in the industry. I will talk about the use of continuum methods for describing the dynamics of large systems and for designing compact control laws. I will wrap up by discussing interesting directions for future research on these topics. \nSpeaker : Aditya A. Paranjape \nBiography : \nAditya A. Paranjape received B.Tech and M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in 2007\, and PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011. After completing his post-doc in 2013 from the University of Illinois\, he held tenure-track academic positions\, most recently at Imperial College London\, before spending five years with TCS Research\, a division of Tata Consultancy Services\, in Pune\, India. He has been with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Monash University since April 2024. He is also Honorary Lecturer at Imperial College London and Visiting Associate Professor at IIT Bombay. His research interests are centred around flight dynamics\, control systems\, and multi-agent systems. He is a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of AIAA’s Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Technical Committee.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/from-flight-control-to-multi-agent-systems/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aditya.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251121T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251121T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251119T064621Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T064621Z
UID:10000095-1763721000-1763730000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Electrospinning Technology\, Applications and Advancements
DESCRIPTION:Electrospinning has emerged as one of the most versatile and impactful techniques for producing nanofibers in various applications\, including healthcare\, biotechnology\, filtration\, and advanced materials. This seminar offers a comprehensive overview of both the foundational science and the latest advancements that are shaping the future of the field. The talk will cover topics such as Fundamentals and principles of electrospinning; Materials\, polymers\, and process optimization; Advances in portable and clinical electrospinning systems; Electrospun materials for wound care & tissue regeneration; Applications in drug delivery\, filtration\, and protective materials; Case studies & commercialization pathways; Opportunities\, challenges\, and future trends. \nSpeaker : Dr. Claudia Barzilay \nBiography :\nDr. Claudia Barzilay is a leading scientist in electrospinning-based medical technologies and a key contributor to innovation at Nanomedic Technologies\, Israel — the company behind SpinCare™\, a revolutionary portable electrospinning system that creates personalized\, on-body wound dressings. She holds a PhD in biomaterials and nanotechnology\, where her research focused on advanced polymer systems and nanofiber-based solutions for clinical use. She later completed a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University\, specializing in translational biomaterials\, nanostructured polymers\, and medical technologies designed for real-world clinical impact. Dr. Barzilay’s work spans nanofiber engineering\, polymer science\, and medical device development. She collaborates closely with hospitals\, research institutions\, and industry partners worldwide\, contributing to the development of next-generation electrospinning platforms for wound healing\, regenerative medicine\, drug delivery\, and personalized healthcare applications.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/electrospinning-technology-applications-and-advancements/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Barzilay.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251110T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251110T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251107T053302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251107T053440Z
UID:10000093-1762790400-1762794000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:From Shock to Shield: Designing Materials for Space\, Defense\, and Beyond
DESCRIPTION:The next frontier of materials innovation lies in designing systems that not only survive but thrive under harsh environments. From hypersonic vehicles and next-generation defense systems to lunar construction and in-space manufacturing\, the demand for ultra-lightweight\, high-strength\, and resilient materials has never been greater. Yet\, our ability to understand and design materials that endure such conditions remains limited by slow\, expensive testing and computationally intensive models ultimately leading to a lack of physical understanding of mechanical response. In particular\, data describing how materials deform and fail under ultra-high strain-rate loading conditions which are typical of aerospace and defense structures—are exceptionally scarce. As a result\, materials development has relied on costly\, well-established systems; but the emergence of commercial space and reusable aerospace structures now demands a new generation of high-fidelity insights into material behavior under dynamic extremes.\n\nIn this talk\, I will introduce a new data intensive high-throughput experimental framework for probing material behavior under extreme dynamic loading. At its core is an automated laser-driven micro-plate impact platform that enables rapid\, cost-effective measurement of key material properties under shock loading. For the purpose of this talk we will in particular look at the Hugoniot Elastic Limit (the onset of plasticity under uniaxial strain loading) and spall strength (the threshold for dynamic fracture) of metals\, when subjected to ultra-high strain rate impacts (10^6 to  10^7 /s). Traditionally\, these properties required large-scale\, single-shot experiments; this new approach achieves them with statistical richness and precision\, dramatically accelerating the rate of materials discovery for extreme environments. Using this dataset\, I will discuss how loading kinetics\, microstructure\, and composition govern material performance\, and how transforming a data-scarce field into a data-rich one enables AI-driven approaches such as active learning and Bayesian optimization for autonomous extreme-mechanics experimentation.\n\nLooking ahead\, integrating this data-rich experimental capability with AI-driven modeling and automation opens a pathway toward physics-informed design principles for lightweight alloys\, ceramics\, and architected composites. In the near term\, this framework will shorten material certification cycles for hypersonics and spacecraft\, rapidly and cheaply explore a wide range of potential materials solutions; in the long term\, it will enable data-driven design of resilient materials for aerospace\, defense\, energy applications and beyond. By uniting experimental mechanics\, data science\, and materials design\, this work lays the foundation for a new era of adaptive\, high-performance materials engineered for extremes.\n\nSpeaker : Dr. Piyush Wanchoo\n\n\nBiography:\nDr. Piyush Wanchoo is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI). His research focuses on understanding how materials behave under extreme conditions such as shock\, impact\, and blast loading. He develops high-\nthroughput\, AI-integrated experimental platforms that enable rapid\, data-driven discovery of material solutions for aerospace\, defense\, and space applications.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/from-shock-to-shield-designing-materials-for-space-defense-and-beyond/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Piyush.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251027T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251027T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251015T064811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251015T064811Z
UID:10000088-1761562800-1761570000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Taming Waves through Non-Hermiticity: From Invisible Tunneling to Unidirectional Nonlinear Pulses
DESCRIPTION:Non-Hermitian wave dynamics challenge our conventional understanding of wave propagation\, revealing transport behaviors inaccessible in Hermitian systems. In this seminar\, I will present a few intriguing phenomena arising from these dynamics. In the first part\, I will show a counterintuitive tunneling effect at the interface of a non-Hermitian system sandwiched between two Hermitian ones. Here\, the non-Hermitian skin effect creates barriers at the boundaries\, yet under the right conditions\, a wave can tunnel through as if the interface were invisible. This phenomenon is explored in both quantum and classical regimes\, with experimental demonstrations using an active electric circuit platform. In the second part\, I turn focus to nonlinear systems\, addressing generation of unidirectional\, narrow pulses (solitons) that propagate without distortion in active mechanical setups. I present a theoretical model for generating stable unidirectional solitons by carefully balancing nonlinearity and nonreciprocity\, and show how these pulses are realized experimentally\, supported by analytical results and numerical simulations. \nReferences: \nInvisible tunneling through non-Hermitian barriers in nonreciprocal lattices. Sayan Jana\, Lea Sirota\, Physical Review B (Letter) 111 (10)\, L100301\, (2025).\nHarnessing Nonlinearity to Tame Wave Dynamics in Nonreciprocal Active Systems\, Sayan Jana et al.\, arXiv:2502.16216 (2025). \n  \nSpeaker :  Dr. Sayan Jana \nBiography:  \nDr. Sayan Jana is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Mechanical Engineering\, Tel Aviv University\, Israel. He obtained his PhD in Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics from the Institute of Physics\, Bhubaneswar\, India\, in 2022. His research is interdisciplinary\, integrating theoretical physics and engineering to emulate complex analogue quantum and high-energy phenomena using lab-scale platforms. One key finding includes the proposal and simulation of analogue gravitational lensing and Hawking radiation using mechanical networks. These studies provide accessible routes to investigate phenomena that are otherwise difficult to observe directly in the universe. Another major research direction focuses on non-Hermitian systems\, where non-conservation of energy gives rise to intriguing dynamics and interplay with topology and nonlinearity. Realizations in active metamaterials reveal novel wave phenomena and control mechanisms\, with significant potential for advanced wave manipulation and energy technologies.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/taming-waves-through-non-hermiticity-from-invisible-tunneling-to-unidirectional-nonlinear-pulses/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sayan.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251027T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251027T130000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251024T100127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T100127Z
UID:10000092-1761561000-1761570000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Advanced Fiber Laser Technologies and Applications from VPG Laserone: Integrating Industrial\, Medical\, and Scientific Innovations
DESCRIPTION:VPG Laserone\, a successor of IRE-Polus Ltd founded in 1991 by physicist Valentin P. Gapontsev\, represents over three decades of scientific leadership in high-power fiber laser technology. The company has established a vertically integrated manufacturing ecosystem in Russia—localizing 85 % of component production and dedicating 25 % of its investments to R&D—to design\, develop\, and industrialize advanced photonic systems for industrial\, medical\, and telecommunication applications. Its current portfolio spans continuous-wave\, quasi-continuous-wave\, nanosecond\, and picosecond fiber lasers\, with output powers reaching 60 kW and pulse energies exceeding 60 J. These sources power a range of industrial laser systems—including orbital pipe-welding (TongWELD)\, hydro-laser cutting (FL-HYDRO)\, laser cladding and hardening platforms (FL-CPM)\, robotic laser processing (LightBOT)\, and precision micro-machining systems (FL-MICRO). The company’s fiber-based laser cleaning and welding systems (LiteWELD\, LightCLEAN) demonstrate high beam quality\, energy efficiency > 40 %\, and operational reliability under continuous-duty cycles.\nBeyond manufacturing\, VPG Laserone extends photonics into biomedical and telecommunication domains. Its FiberLase CR and Urolase series of thulium-fiber medical lasers support clinical applications in tissue regeneration\, urology\, and surgery\, under ISO 13485:2016 certification. In telecom\, the HORIZON DWDM platform and KONUS optical transport systems enable ultra-long-reach optical communication networks with flexible topology and OTN switching.\nContinuous innovation in laser physics\, materials science\, and precision engineering underpins VPG Laserone’s mission to “fill reality with innovations.” By combining fundamental research with scalable industrialization\, the company aims to become a global benchmark in laser-based manufacturing and photonic integration by 2030—advancing scientific discovery and enabling transformative industrial applications across multiple sectors. \n  \nSpeaker :  Artur Andreev \, First Deputy CEO \, VPG Laserone LLC (formerly IRE-Polus Ltd)\nFryazino\, Moscow Region\, Russia
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/advanced-fiber-laser-technologies-and-applications-from-vpg-laserone-integrating-industrial-medical-and-scientific-innovations/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Artur-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251022T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251022T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251021T054808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T054808Z
UID:10000090-1761148800-1761152400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Experimental Studies and Control of Subsonic & Supersonic Flows Strategic Opportunities for Collaboration with Florida State University
DESCRIPTION:This talk will consist of parts: The first provides an overview of some interesting and challenging problems that have been studied over the past three decades by my research group. These studies span subsonic and supersonic flows and often involve developing or applying advanced diagnostics in difficult environments allowing us to peer into complex\, feature-rich flows and offering significant insight into the governing physics. I will highlight a few\, representative\, complex flows. The first problem involves subsonic flow around a cylinder with a slanted base—a canonical bluff body geometry analogous to an aircraft fuselage that is often dominated by strong unsteady-meandering vortices. The second consists of supersonic single and dual impinging jets – canonical models of flows that occur in VTOL/STOVL aircraft during hover. They often produce highly unsteady aeroacoustics that are resonance driven resulting in extremely high noise levels\, fatigue of structures and other issues. The third example is the three-dimensional flow field due to single and dual-fin generated swept shock wave/boundary layer interaction (SBLI). Such interactions are ubiquitous in supersonic-hypersonic air vehicles where they can impact internal and external aerodynamics. If time permits\, examples of implementing active flow control (AFC) for some of these problems will also be examined.\nThe research discussed herein is a very limited subset of the broad array of advanced research being conducted at Florida State University (FSU) by its faculty and students\, using many unique and cutting-edge facilities. An introduction to some of FSU’s core research strengths and capabilities is the focus of the second part of the talk. In addition to the STEM-focused fields\, FSU’s has many other areas of significant and emerging strength such as Health\, Business\, Entrepreneurship and Innovation-driven translation. As a result\, I hope to catalyze a dialogue between our institutions to identify a framework and paths for mutually beneficial partnerships. Such partnerships may include\, but are not limited to\, faculty exchanges\, joint research proposals and projects\, and student exchanges and residencies abroad\, with the goal of amplifying global exchange of ideas\, accelerating discovery and enhancing national and international impact. \nSpeaker: Farrukh Alvi \n  \nBiography :  \nFarrukh Alvi is the Don Fuqua Eminent Scholar and Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. He also serves as the Senior Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation at Florida State University\, where he helps drive major institutional projects and partnerships. Over the past two years in this role\, Farrukh has led strategic initiatives from the Provost’s Office that have strengthened FSU’s global engagement\, advanced institutional innovation\, and expanded collaborative research opportunities across disciplines. He recently completed an IPA assignment as the Director for Institutional Research Capacity and Strategic Growth at the Basic Research Office under the Office of Undersecretary of Defense (Research & Engineering). Previously\, Farrukh served as the Senior Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies at the FAMU- FSU College of Engineering for nearly 6 years including as the Interim Dean in 2022.  In 2023\, he co-led Florida State University’s development and funding of a landmark $160M+ proposal for the Institute for Strategic Partnerships\, Innovation\, Research\, and Education (InSPIRE)\, ultimately serving as its founding Executive Director. He also leads\, as principal investigator\, a multi-institutional NSF Engines proposal to create the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Engine (FLAME)\, which was selected as a semifinalist. His efforts overseeing InSPIRE and FLAME have catalyzed new models for institutional collaboration and innovation. He is the founding director of the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-propulsion (FCAAP)\, a multi-university\, state-wide research\, training and education center he helped establish in 2008. Farrukh received his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University. His research focuses on fundamental phenomenon\, primarily in compressible flows; active flow and noise control\, including the development and use of micro-fluidic actuators; and the development and use of advanced diagnostics. He holds numerous patents in his areas of research. His research has been funded by numerous US government entities(NSF\, AFOSR\, ONR\, DARPA\, ARO) and industry. He has mentored more than 60 PhD and MS students\, post-doctoral researchers and scientists. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society\, Fellow of ASME\, an Associate Fellow of AIAA and has served as an Associate Editor of the AIAA Journal.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/experimental-studies-and-control-of-subsonic-supersonic-flows-strategic-opportunities-for-collaboration-with-florida-state-university/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Farrukh.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251016T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251016T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251016T033002Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251016T053705Z
UID:10000089-1760626800-1760634000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Analysis and Design of Highly Flexible Morphing Structures
DESCRIPTION:Advancements in the aviation sector have consistently aimed to maximize efficiency through a multi-disciplinary approach\, focusing on optimizing both structural and aerodynamic performance. Although modern aerospace structures are engineering marvels\, they often lack or limit the flexibility observed in nature—such as the flexible\, flapping wings of birds. This contrast underscores a significant opportunity to enhance structural performance without compromising safety. A paradigm shift towards more flexible or morphing structures could open up a new realm of lightweight\, adaptive solutions. Rather than resisting sudden\, extreme loads\, flexible structures adapt by deforming and altering their stiffness characteristics\, thereby maintaining safety. Multistable composite laminates are promising candidates for morphing applications\, owing to their ability to switch between multiple stable states. By applying external energy\, these structures can transition\, or “snap through\,” from one stable shape to another\, a phenomenon extensively explored in aerospace research.\nTo advance this field\, this study proposes the computational analysis and design of small-scale morphing structures. The study introduces a novel morphing component based on multistable fiber-reinforced composites\, generated through thermally induced residual stresses. Surface-bonded piezoelectric composite actuators are employed to trigger the snap-through. The study presents refined semi-analytical and finite element techniques\, and the findings are validated by manufacturing and testing small-scale morphing elements. Results demonstrate that\, compared to conventional morphing structures\, the proposed design can reduce energy consumption significantly (more than 60% for the presented design). Looking ahead\, the focus has to shift toward extending these concepts for real applications\, with the goal of preventing failures while enabling large deformations under extreme loading conditions. Achieving this balance demands a novel approach\, integrating state-of-the-art computational and manufacturing technologies. Future efforts will aim to explore the structural design space of flexible stiffness switching structures (S³)\, unlocking the full potential of adaptive\, intelligent\, next-generation systems of the future.\n\n\nSpeaker : Dr. Anilkumar P. M.\n\nBiography\n\nDr. Anilkumar P. M. is a research group leader (postdoctoral researcher) in composite structures at the Institute of Structural Analysis\, Leibniz University Hannover\, Germany (since April 2023). He completed his PhD at IIT Madras (January 2023) in morphing structures\, supported by the PMRF and the DAAD binational PhD program with collaboration in Hannover\, along with exchange visits to the Bernal Composite Group\, University of Limerick. He holds an M.Tech. from IIT Madras and a B.Tech. from NIT Calicut. He has published extensively in morphing structures\, stability of composite structures\, and related areas. His research interests include composite materials and structures\, smart morphing structures\, and buckling/postbuckling analysis.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/analysis-and-design-of-highly-flexible-morphing-structures/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Anilkumar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251006T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251006T170000
DTSTAMP:20261001T144249
CREATED:20251006T063850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T063850Z
UID:10000087-1759762800-1759770000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Recent advancements in Machine Learning approaches for solid body mechanics
DESCRIPTION:Machine learning methods have attracted growing interest across many fields\, including solid mechanics. Constitutive artificial neural networks (CANNs) have shown high efficiency and accuracy for modeling hyperelastic materials\, while physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) provide a data-free alternative to conventional simulation techniques. However\, standard PINNs often require large\, complex networks and dense sampling in the simulation domain to achieve stable and accurate results. This presentation gives an overview of several current NN-based approaches for both constitutive modeling and simulation. It introduces extended ML-based constitutive models for cyclic plasticity\, concrete damage plasticity\, and magneto-active polymers. These approaches enable simplified and accelerated material characterization while maintaining high accuracy. An integrated framework for simulation and material characterization is also proposed. As an example\, a coupled CANN–DEM approach is presented: the material behavior is first learned from a limited set of complex experiments\, and the resulting model is then used to simulate new loading scenarios with promising accuracy and robustness. In addition\, the quadrature-based Deep Energy Method (Q-DEM) is discussed\, offering significant improvements in accuracy and stability. Finally\, oscillatory PINNs (oPINNs) are introduced for combined transient and modal analysis. By circumventing Dahlquist’s barriers\, oPINNs achieve substantial stability gains compared to traditional time-stepping schemes. \nSpeaker : Stefan Hildebrand \nBiography: \nStefan Hildebrand is a doctoral researcher at the Department of Structural and Computational Mechanics at Technische Universität Berlin. His work focuses on combining data-driven and physics-informed methods in solid mechanics\, with applications ranging from automated material characterization to digital twins. After studying Computational Engineering Sciences and working as a software engineer for the automotive multibody simulation software SIMDRIVE3D at CONTECS engineering services GmbH\, he has held guest research positions at IIT Bombay and Georgia Tech\, and received recognitions including a Junior-Fellowship by German Informatics Society and Forbes 30 Under 30.\n—
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/recent-advancements-in-machine-learning-approaches-for-solid-body-mechanics/
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Stefan.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR