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TZID:Asia/Kolkata
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DTSTART:20250101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250407T063952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250407T101249Z
UID:10000068-1744815600-1744822800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg): Behaviour Modelling of Non-Cooperative Space Objects and Strategies for Decision Support in Space Situational Awareness
DESCRIPTION:In this modern era\, Space is vital for a Nation’s prosperity and without space\, many critical functions would simply stop working. The increasing number of satellite launches in recent times\, is congesting the space environment. Space is also becoming an increasingly contested environment from the perspective of non-civilian applications of satellites. The civilian and non-civilian space applications mandatorily require a complete awareness of the space environment before taking any operational decisions. Space Situational Awareness [SSA] is the comprehensive knowledge of Resident Space Objects [RSOs] which may include satellites\, rocket bodies\, debris\, and the ability to track and understand their behaviour. Space objects can be majorly categorized into two broad types\, cooperative space objects and non-cooperative space objects. A noncooperative space object is defined as a non-friendly object in space and can be perceived as a threat if it performs anomalous maneuvers in space. Modelling pattern-of-life of non-cooperative space objects is an essential requirement of SSA. Maneuvers of non-cooperative satellites is an important event of interest in their life pattern. In this thesis\, we investigate the behaviour of various classes of satellites through data driven modelling. We also study the threat perception from non-cooperative space objects to space assets of our interest. There are four key areas\, in which the thesis has significantly contributed. The first area deals with investigating\, exploring and modelling pattern-of-life of non-cooperative space objects. We have crafted data-driven solution methodologies from time series analysis\, machine learning\, deep learning to suit specific requirements. The second area pertains to the maneuvers of non-cooperative space objects. Identifying them\, helps in analyzing their behaviour. Since there may be numerous non-cooperative space objects and not all maneuvers of non-cooperative space objects may be threatening in nature\, it is essential to segregate routine maneuvers needed by a satellite to maintain its orbit from anomalous and abnormal maneuvers which may be perceived as threat. In this thesis\, we designed an approach to segregate benign and regular pattern-of-life maneuvers of non-cooperative space objects from their orbital data . The routine pattern-of-life maneuvers of satellites are events of interest\, but are infrequent and hence the non-maneuver class was observed to be far more numerous than the maneuver class label in the dataset. Through this thesis work\, we have applied Synthetic Minority Oversampling Techniques (SMOTE) and its variants to handle the imbalance in dataset available for classification. Different missions of cooperative civilian satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space regime were evaluated to prove the efficacy of the approach. The third area of contribution is in developing methodologies to estimate the threat perception for Geostationary Orbit (GEO) space regime. Modelling pattern-of-life of non-cooperative GEO satellites helps to identify anomalous behaviour and is essential for SSA. Additionally\, given a satellite of interest\, an assessment of the area of influence of neighbourhood satellite operations is critical for assessment of threat. Nearest neighbour search is a fundamental problem in computational geometry and we studied two major concepts of computational geometry \, the Voronoi diagram and the Delaunay triangulation in detail and crafted algorithms to assess threat in the GEO space regime. The last area of contribution is with scheduling the limited and costly ground based sensors to monitor the large number of space objects. There exists a problem of gaps in the available orbital data of noncooperative satellites. Moreover\, the satellite maneuver (event of interest) occurrence information of some samples may be lost\, due to noise in the ground sensor observations or due to observation window limits or losing tracks. Conventional machine learning regression methods are not suited to be able to include both the event and time aspects as the outcome. The conventional models are also are not equipped to handle censored examples (incomplete data due to non-observability). Therefore\, in this thesis\, we devised a solution methodology by applying Time-to-Event data analysis (survival analysis) techniques to assess whether a satellite maneuvered\, that is whether the event of interest occurred or not\, and also estimate when the next maneuver would occur. We have explored a variety of approaches including Cox proportional hazards model\, Weibull distribution model\, Kaplan-Meier model\, Nelson-Aalen model\, Random survival forest\, Survival Support Vector Machines\, Gradient boosted survival analysis and Deep learning based survival analysis. Detailed experimental results based on real life satellite orbital datasets are presented to bring out the effectiveness of the solution methodology. To summarize\, the thesis contributes by developing a space situational awareness system to achieve behavioural modelling\, classification and characterization of space objects of interest\, maneuver classification\, anomaly detection and threat assessment through data driven methodologies. \n  \nSpeaker: Shiv Shankar S  \n  \nResearch Supervisor: Debasish Ghose
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-behaviour-modelling-of-non-cooperative-space-objects-and-strategies-for-decision-support-in-space-situational-awareness/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SHIV-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T153000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250416T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250416T051419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250416T051419Z
UID:10000070-1744817400-1744822800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Miniaturised technologies for potential applications in space research
DESCRIPTION:Miniaturised technologies\, due to their portability\, rapid responses\, low powers and ability of multi-component integration\, have received an ever-growing interest in areas like healthcare\, air quality\, and space research. This talk will provide an overview of my research in 3 domains of miniaturised technologies: a) microfluidics\, b) MEMS sensors and c) nanoaerosol instruments. I will also highlight areas of space research where this work is potentially relevant. \nI will begin my talk with my work in microfluidic particle enrichment and gene therapy devices. Enrichment devices\, when integrated with a downstream sensor for target particle detection\, can significantly improve the sensor sensitivity. I will cover my work in developing enrichment devices and mitigation of some undesirable effects that can limit their reliability. I will also introduce my work in commercial-scale microfluidic mixers for gene therapy. The work in this theme is highly relevant to healthcare in manned space missions and CubeSats to understand in-space behaviour of bio-species. \nI will next cover my work in thin film MEMS mass sensors\, which offer several advantages over conventional sensors like QCMs thanks to their portability\, high sensitivities and excellent compatibility with semiconductor technology. This talk will cover my work towards enhancing their capabilities in areas of biosensing and simultaneous detection of multiple parameters. This work has a promising applicability in controlling ambient conditions inside spacecrafts\, and healthcare in manned space missions. \nI will conclude with my work in 2 miniaturised nano-aerosol technologies\, namely a) an instrument that can produce a constant number concentration of charged nanoaerosols\, a need unmet in aerosol instrumentation until now\, and b) a sensor that can both count and map the global distribution of airborne ultrafine particles\, a requirement crucial for the upcoming WHO air quality guidelines. The work in this theme has enormous significance in simulating cosmic dust conditions and satellite-based remote sensing of particulate matter distribution near the earth’s surface. \n  \nSpeaker: Dr. Akshay Shridhar Kale \nBiography: \nDr. Akshay Shridhar Kale is a senior postdoctoral affiliate at Trinity College and a teaching assistant at the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge\, UK. He is also an Honorary Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at COEP Technological University in Pune. His research interests lie in the development of miniaturised technologies and possesses a track record in the areas of microfluidic devices\, MEMS / acoustic devices and nanoaerosol instrumentation. He is also highly active in industry-oriented research and has completed several industrial consultancy projects in his areas of interest. His recent work on integration of miniaturisation principles with nanoaerosol instruments has won him grant funding awards that have partially supported the early stages of commercialisation of a portable nanoaerosol counter in collaboration with a spin-out company from his research group. At COEP\, he is actively involved in developing microfluidics research programs and a proposed centre of excellence in micro- and nano- manufacturing. Along with research and development\, he regularly teaches thermal and fluid science courses at Trinity College\, and has co-guided several undergraduate and Masters students through his research projects across Cambridge and COEP. Dr. Kale earned his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering at COEP\, followed by an MS and a PhD in thermal and fluid systems from Clemson University\, USA
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/miniaturised-technologies-for-potential-applications-in-space-research/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Akshay-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250423T100000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250423T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250422T055303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250422T055303Z
UID:10000071-1745402400-1745413200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg): Navigation of Autonomous Vehicles using Event Cameras and Modified RRT Methods
DESCRIPTION:Autonomous vehicles\, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)\, are at the forefront of technological innovation and are widely used across various applications. As these vehicles become more agile and operate primarily in unstructured environments\, the components of the navigation pipeline must function in real time while optimizing limited onboard computing and memory resources. The challenges faced by a fast-moving vehicle in indoor environments differ significantly from those encountered by outdoor systems. This thesis focuses on autonomous vehicles operating in indoor\, GPS-denied\, and unstructured environments. The algorithms presented address these specific challenges and contribute to the growing body of research on real-time navigation solutions for such scenarios. In this thesis\, we have investigated and addressed various aspects of the autonomous vehicle navigation pipeline. A key focus throughout the work is ensuring real-time performance on edge computing systems. Inspired by the emergence of bio-inspired event cameras\, which offer potential solutions to the limitations of current state-of-the-art algorithms\, the first part of the thesis explores the use of these sensors for perception tasks such as localization and obstacle avoidance. Event cameras provide several advantages\, including motion blur-free data output\, a high dynamic range\, and enhanced low-light sensitivity. These features make them particularly suitable for improving Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) systems over traditional frame-based cameras. However\, the sparse and asynchronous nature of event data poses challenges for conventional computer vision algorithms. Existing approaches often convert event streams into image-like representations\, limiting the full potential of event cameras. To overcome these challenges\, asynchronous (data-driven) methods are essential for event-camera-based VIO solutions. The work here introduces an end-to-end data-driven event camera-based Visual-Inertial Odometry (AeVIO) algorithm that updates the system state based on camera velocity. The algorithm performs event feature detection and tracking asynchronously from the event stream and integrates these measurements with IMU data using a structureless Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to refine state estimates. Given that the data rate of event cameras depends on the scene texture and the relative motion between the object and the camera\, we also explore their application for high-speed obstacle avoidance. Time-to-contact (TTC) is a critical measure estimating the time before collision if the current motion remains unchanged. While event cameras excel at capturing small\, rapid changes\, they lack the detailed scene information that depth cameras provide. We present a novel approach to fuse the low temporal resolution data from a depth camera with the high-speed output of an event camera to compute TTC with obstacles. The proposed algorithm is integrated into the AirSim simulator and evaluated across various dynamic obstacle scenarios\, demonstrating its effectiveness in collision avoidance. The second part of this thesis focuses on the path planning component of the autonomous navigation pipeline. Effective navigation for AMRs and UAVs requires advanced path planning that accounts for kinematic constraints and enables smooth trajectory execution in complex\, cluttered environments. We investigate a probabilistic framework based on the Rapidly Exploring Random Tree (RRT) algorithm\, which incorporates vehicle kinematics to identify the most likely direction for the next node generation. This approach utilizes Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs) to improve node generation efficiency while addressing optimization challenges in both 2D and 3D spaces. This acts as dynamic bias in the algorithm. Additionally\, we introduce a next-node selection heuristic that directs the search tree expansion toward the goal while avoiding obstacles. To enhance convergence\, we explore methods to discretize both the action and search spaces. Initially\, the method is applied to AMRs and is subsequently extended to the more complex task of 3D path planning for UAVs. In summary\, this thesis contributes to the navigation pipeline by developing simple\, computationally efficient algorithms that leverage event sensors and probabilistic methods. These algorithms are designed to operate in real-time on modern UAVs and AMRs while preserving their agility\, enabling operation in indoor GPS-denied environments\, and accommodating limited onboard computing resources. \n  \nSpeaker: Ankit Gupta \nResearch Supervisor: Debasish Ghose
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-navigation-of-autonomous-vehicles-using-event-cameras-and-modified-rrt-methods/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ankit-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250429T170000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250429T183000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250424T044437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250424T044437Z
UID:10000072-1745946000-1745951400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Eulerian-Lagrangian Modeling of Flash-boiling Injection Processes in Internal Combustion Engines
DESCRIPTION:Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector\, especially carbon dioxide\, is one of the main global challenges to achieve a more sustainable future. Developing internal combustion engines with advanced injection and combustion concepts that improve efficiency and decrease pollutant emissions are essential steps towards reducing their environmental impact. Over the past decades\, flash-boiling injection has become a promising alternative to generate a much finer spray compared to high-pressure injection. The rapid phase-change phenomenon during flash-boiling injection occurs due to the superheating of the liquid fuel upon entering the combustion chamber\, resulting in tiny droplets due to the abrupt disintegration of the liquid jet\, which in turn enhances the mixture homogeneity between air and fuel by increasing the vaporization rate\, widening the spray plume due to the increased radial expansion via bubble growth\, and reducing the droplet velocities\, thus leading to shorter penetrations. A detailed understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the flash-boiling process\, such as nucleation of vapor bubbles\, bubble growth\, and finally jet burst\, at a microscopic droplet level is necessary to accurately quantify its effect on the macroscopic spray structure. In this talk\, I will first discuss the modeling of single-droplet flash-boiling behavior using a Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) technique. Following this\, a novel reduced-order Lagrangian model will be introduced to accurately capture the vapor bubble growth in superheated microdroplets\, accounting for interaction among multiple bubbles. Next\, a simplified nondimensional semi-analytical solution for bubble growth\, based on dimensional analysis of the modified Rayleigh-Plesset equation\, will be presented. This solution offers accurate predictions of bubble growth considering bubble interactions using larger time step sizes\, making it effective for simulating large-scale superheated sprays with numerous droplets under varied conditions. Finally\, a three-dimensional two-way coupled large-eddy simulation of superheated spray case will be discussed\, incorporating the newly developed bubble growth model within the LPT framework. \nSpeaker : Dr. Avijit Saha \nBiography: \nDr.-Ing. Avijit Saha is a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Aeromechanics Research\, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics\, The University of Texas at Austin\, USA. His current research primarily focuses on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) for the characterization of plasma properties\, including electron density and collision frequency. In addition to his experimental work\, he is developing a novel Bayesian framework for quantifying uncertainties in measurement data\, with the goal of enhancing the reliability and interpretability of spectroscopic diagnostics. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University in September 2023\, making him the youngest individual to receive the doctorate degree from ITV. His dissertation focused on the physics based reduced-order modeling of flash-boiling injection processes in internal combustion engines. Prior to this\, he completed his B.Tech. (Hons.) and M.Tech. in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He was the first recipient of the distinguished ASME IGTI Student Scholarship in the Aerospace department. His research interests span experimental fluid dynamics\, optical diagnostics\, multiphase flow modeling (DNS\, LES\, reduced-order models)\, combustion instabilities\, high-performance computing\, and their applications in aerospace propulsion systems. He has authored numerous publications in leading international journals and conferences\, earning recognition through several prestigious awards. Among his accolades are the Jang Young Sil Post-doctoral Research Fellowship from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in 2024\, Post-doctoral fellowship from MIT in 2025\, and his role as Principal Investigator for a high-impact compute-time research project under National High-Performance Computing Center for Computational Engineering Science (NHR4CES)\, Germany. Dr. Saha also serves as a reviewer for several notable journals like Nuclear Technology\, Physics of Fluids\, Proceedings of Combustion Institute\, Atomization and Sprays\, and SAE International Journals.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/eulerian-lagrangian-modeling-of-flash-boiling-injection-processes-in-internal-combustion-engines/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Avijit-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250430T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250430T123000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250429T092155Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250429T092155Z
UID:10000073-1746010800-1746016200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Electrographic Seizure Detection and Forecasting for People with Epilepsy
DESCRIPTION:About fifty million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy\, a neurological disorder marked by sudden\, recurrent episodes of abnormal electrical activity in the brain\, potentially causing sensory disturbances\, convulsions and/or loss of consciousness. Seizure diaries that record the start and end times of each seizure\, along with associated information are important in the management of the disease. However\, video electroencephalogram (EEG) systems available in epilepsy monitoring units and at home ambulatory monitoring units are bulky and unwieldy for continuously monitoring patients during activities of their everyday life. In this talk\, I will describe ongoing efforts to address this issue by utilizing single channel\, wireless and wearable EEG sensors\, and a machine learning approach to continuously monitor persons with epilepsy to detect and characterize electrographic seizures. In addition to explaining the basic approach to automated seizure analysis\, I will discuss: (1) an approach to generalizing the method so that systems trained on one set of patients can be used to monitor other patients; (2) an approach to enhancing the training of the machine learning system when sufficient amount of data is not available; (3) a probabilistic method for determining the type of seizure; (4) our approaches to converting intermediate\, segment-level decisions to seizure event-level decisions; and (5) a personalized algorithm for seizure forecasting to warn patients of impending seizures. I will illustrate the viability of our algorithms using data collected in a multi-center study. \n  \nSpeaker : V John Mathews \nBiography :  \nV John Mathews is a professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Oregon State University and Prof. Satish Dhawan (IoE) Visiting Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science\, Bangalore. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Iowa\, Iowa City\, Iowa in 1984 and 1981\, respectively\, and the B.E. (Hons.) degree in electronics and communication engineering from the Regional Engineering College (now National Institute of Technology)\, Tiruchirappalli\, India in 1980. \nHis research interests are in nonlinear and adaptive signal processing and application of signal processing and machine learning techniques in neural engineering\, biomedicine\, and structural health management. Mathews is a Fellow of the IEEE. He has served in many leadership positions of the IEEE Signal Processing Society.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/electrographic-seizure-detection-and-forecasting-for-people-with-epilepsy/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Poster-distinguished-lecture-1_page-0001.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250520T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250520T120000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250515T052853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250515T052853Z
UID:10000074-1747737000-1747742400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Nonlinear saturation of Mack modes in a hypersonic boundary layer
DESCRIPTION:Some decades ago J. T. Stuart formulated a theory for nonlinear saturation of hydrodynamically unstable modes. He proposed that an unstable mode\, upon gaining sufficient energy\, distorts the mean flow. This mean flow distortion reduces the shear\, thus reducing the inviscid energy production mechanism which eventually results in a saturation of instability. In a hypersonic boundary layer\, Mack modes\, which have an acoustic as well as a vortical structure\, saturate with a different mechanism. In this talk I will present the Mack mode instability saturation mechanism using parallel flow DNS and models. I will also give a brief overview of the other ongoing research activity in my group at IIT Delhi. \n  \nSpeaker: Dr. Prateek Gupta \n  \nBiography : \nDr. Gupta is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Applied Mechanics\, IIT Delhi. He completed his BTech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi in 2015 and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University in 2019. He performed theoretical and numerical investigations of nonlinearities in thermoacoustic systems for this PhD thesis. He later joined the Mechanical and Process Engineering Department at ETH Zurich as a Postdoctoral Fellow\, where he worked on theoretical and computational modeling of non-equilibrium thermodynamics in crystalline materials. He joined the faculty of his alma mater in 2021. Dr. Gupta’s broad research interests span fundamentals and applications of fluid mechanics\, statistical mechanics\, and thermodynamics. \n 
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/nonlinear-saturation-of-mack-modes-in-a-hypersonic-boundary-layer/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AE-Seminar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250603T113000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250603T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250527T091724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250527T091724Z
UID:10000077-1748950200-1748955600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Space Domain Awareness in the Artemis Era
DESCRIPTION:Since the Apollo era\, space has become an increasingly valuable domain for national security due to diplomatic\, informational\, and economic reasons. The last few years have seen exponential growth in the launch of space objects and there is an increased interest in having a permanent cislunar presence through the Artemis program. The understanding of motion of a spacecraft in multi-body environment is essential to transit between different regions in the cislunar space and to forecast and track objects in the cislunar space. The perturbed two-body restrictive framework has led to extensive modeling\, analysis\, and analytical solutions to study spacecraft motion in orbits around the Earth. However\, beyond GEO (XGEO) the dynamical environment shifts\, and the structure of fundamental behaviors can be radically different. The primary challenge that limits the transferability of tools and techniques from the GEO to XGEO region is non-Keplerian dynamics\, data sparsity from limited coverage and availability of sensors. The process of orbit determination and forecasting the path for an object based on short time arc observations is not trivial. This talk will introduce novel tools to track spacecraft motion in cislunar space and transfers between different regions in cislunar space. These tools make use of dynamical system theory in combination with advances in optimal control theory to provide a better understanding of transport mechanisms in cislunar space. Local orbit elements will be discussed to characterize the trajectories in the cislunar space.\n\nSpeaker : Dr. Puneet Singla\n\nBiography:\n\nDr. Puneet Singla is a Harry and Arlene Schell Professor of the Aerospace engineering at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU). Dr. Singla’s research focus pertains to uncertainty propagation through nonlinear systems\, data driven modelling and control of autonomous systems. His research related honours include the IEEE AESS’s Judith A. Resnik Award\, NSF CAREER award\, the AFOSR Young Investigator award\, the University at Buffalo’s “Exceptional Scholar” Young Investigator Award and the Texas A&M University’s Young Aerospace Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his scholarly activities. He is a fellow of American Astronautical Society (AAS) and an associate fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/space-domain-awareness-in-the-artemis-era/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Puneet-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250607T090000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250607T173000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250603T101338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250604T063640Z
UID:10000078-1749286800-1749317400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Onboard Trajectory Optimization for System Autonomy on Saturday
DESCRIPTION:Onboard trajectory optimization lies at the heart of true system autonomy\, including UAVs\, Robots\, spacecrafts\, launch vehicles\, missiles\, and so on. Onboard trajectory optimization in real time (optimal guidance) can be generally viewed as a difficult problem. However\, it holds great promise for true system autonomy. The complex interplay between autonomy and onboard decision support systems introduces new vulnerabilities that are extremely hard to predict with most existing guidance and control tools. In this tutorial workshop\, the basic background behind trajectory optimization and computational guidance will be reviewed first. Next\, some recent advances in stabilized continuation techniques for solving two-point boundary value problems with convergence and compute guarantees will be discussed. These concepts further extend for applications to broad classes of trajectory guidance applications for aerospace flight systems including the accommodation of higher-fidelity models through bootstrapping techniques. These technical foundations will be highlighted through illustrative examples for optimal trajectory guidance inside dynamic and uncertain environments. The topics covered will also include an overview of optimal computational guidance with its relevance for challenging aerospace missions. \nLectures:\n1.Overview of Trajectory Optimization (Optimal Control)\n2.Stabilized Continuation for Onboard Trajectory Optimization\n3.Computational Guidance for Aerospace Missions\n4.Bootstrapping Techniques for Onboard Trajectory Optimization \n  \n 
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/onboard-trajectory-optimization-for-system-autonomy-on-saturday/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:Workshops / Conferences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/slide_for_display-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250609
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250610
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250605T085302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250608T033519Z
UID:10000079-1749427200-1749513599@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Koushalya Krushi: Tantra Gnyanada Satva Tatva Workshop
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/koushalya-krushi-tantra-gnyanada-satva-tatva-workshop/
LOCATION:IISc \, Faculty Hall (Main Building)
CATEGORIES:Workshops / Conferences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AE-Webiste-agri-tech-workshop.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250619T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250619T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250616T090019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250616T090019Z
UID:10000080-1750345200-1750352400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg): Compressive behavior of continuous fiber polymer composites in the presence of process-induced defects
DESCRIPTION:The current work examines how process-induced defects influence the compressive behavior of composite structures. The defects analyzed include wrinkles at the macroscale and fiber misalignment at the microscale. Uni-directional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites with intentionally created wrinkles were produced by strategically positioning laminate strips. Through comprehensive experimental characterization\, the research thoroughly investigates the impact of wrinkle characteristics and their locations on compressive strength and failure modes. Furthermore\, the study explores how these wrinkle features affect the final kink bandwidth\, angle\, and inclination. Fractographic analysis of the failed specimens identified several damage modes across different length scales\, such as kinking\, delamination\, buckle delamination\, crushing\, fiber pullout\, matrix cracking or failure\, and fiber failure. These findings highlight the importance of considering the geometry of the wrinkles and the various damage modes at different scales when creating a numerical model to accurately predict the compressive behavior of the composite.\nUtilizing the damage modes identified through experimentation\, a three-dimensional repeating unit cell framework is used to investigate how various competing damage mechanisms—such as fiber failure\, matrix plasticity and cracking\, and fiber/matrix debonding—impact the compressive behavior of the composite material. A series of parametric studies is performed to evaluate the effects of factors like fiber volume fraction\, fiber misalignment\, and interfacial properties (including strength\, fracture energies\, and friction) on compressive performance. The results reveal a strong correlation between compressive strength and kink band characteristics with fiber volume fraction\, fiber misalignment\, interfacial shear strength\, interfacial friction\, and matrix cracking. This highlights the necessity of accurately characterizing the mechanical properties and geometric features of the composite constituents.\nTo account for the impact of realistic microstructures on compressive behavior\, a two-step homogenization process has been proposed to reduce computational demands and improve the efficiency of the numerical model. In the first step\, the model captures the homogenized elastic properties and longitudinal compressive behavior. These properties are then used as inputs for a model that consists of multiple domains discretized with Voronoi polygons\, each assigned a specific initial fiber misalignment angle based on a statistical distribution. The homogenized compressive behavior has been validated against previous studies and shows strong agreement. Additionally\, the proposed method has the potential to develop into a multiscale modeling strategy that predicts compressive behavior by considering variations in realistic microstructural characteristics. \nSpeaker:  Shashidhar K \nResearch Supervisor : Prof. Kartik Venkatraman (on behalf of Prof Suhasini Gururaja)
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-compressive-behavior-of-continuous-fiber-polymer-composites-in-the-presence-of-process-induced-defects/
LOCATION:AE Auditorium
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shashidhar-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250630T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250630T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250630T060101Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250630T060101Z
UID:10000081-1751299200-1751302800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Nature of Phase Kinetics and Memory in Shape Memory Alloys
DESCRIPTION:Shape Memory phenomenon in some intermetallics like NiTi is well known. However\, during arbitrary thermomechanical loading\, these materials exhibit several other interesting\, yet less-understood phenomena. In this talk\, Thermal Arrest Memory and associated effects during interrupted phase transformations in shape memory alloys are discussed and some fascinating underpinnings in the associated martensitic transformations are highlighted.\nThe research talk will be followed by a presentation by the speaker about potential Research and Teaching initiatives and future directions toward collaborative activities at the department. This will include a brief overview of the R&D experience of the speaker over 3 decades\, and a strategy to pursue Research and Development of allied Aerospace technologies and engage with relevant organizations. A brief overview of proposed elective courses like Advanced Aerospace Materials\, and Life-Cycle Analysis and Design of Aerospace systems and components is provided. These are aimed at enhancing the academic level of the students of the department and making them more contemporary. \nSpeaker : Dr. Vidyashankar Buravalla \nBiography :  \nDr. Vidyashankar Buravalla obtained his Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from IISc in 1998. He has worked in National\, International\, and Multinational R&D entities over the last 3 decades. His areas of expertise include Smart materials and systems\, composite materials and structures\, continuum mechanics\, thermodynamics\, fracture mechanics\, vibration and damping\, NDE and turbomachinery.  He recently superannuated as a Principal Engineer from GE Global Research Center in Bangalore where he worked for nearly 13 years. Prior to that\, he worked in GM R&D for nearly 10 years\, in ADA for 3 years\, and in Rolls-Royce Technology Center in Sheffield UK for 3 years as a Research Fellow. He has 24 Journal and 13 Conference publications and more than 35 technical internal reports. He has 15 patents awarded and more than 30 patent applications under review/processing. He has received several awards in his R&D career and also served as an Adjunct Faculty at IIT-Kanpur between 2008 and 2012. He is associated with several professional bodies and recently served as Hon. President of the Institute of Smart Structures and Systems (ISSS).
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/nature-of-phase-kinetics-and-memory-in-shape-memory-alloys/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Vidyashankar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250716T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250716T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250715T041029Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250715T041029Z
UID:10000083-1752663600-1752670800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Investigation of flow instabilities in high-speed impinging jets using dual-time velocity measurements
DESCRIPTION:Motivated by applications in the aerospace propulsion industry as well as other energy systems\, the fundamental study of phase-locked shear-layer instabilities in high-speed impinging jets\, has been of research interest for a long time.  The study of instabilities is usually conducted with time derivatives of velocity field. However\, time-resolved experimental data acquisition using particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques has its challenges for high-speed flows due to the requirements of high spatial and temporal resolution. In this talk\, I will introduce an alternate approach of utilizing time-unresolved dual-time PIV measurements for investigation of the flow instabilities in supersonic impinging jets and illustrate the valuable information about the flow dynamics that can be extracted using the same. \nSpeaker : Dr. Tushar Sikroria \nBiography: \nTushar Sikroria obtained his B.Tech.-M.Tech. Dual Degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kanpur\, Uttar Pradesh\, India\, in 2013. Then he worked for more than two years in John F. Welch Technology Centre\, General Electric (GE)\, Bangalore\, India. Thereafter\, he carried out research work as a Project Engineer in Propulsion Laboratory\, IIT Kanpur\, in 2016\, and later went to pursue his doctoral study from the University of Melbourne\, Australia. He was awarded PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Melbourne\, in December 2021. He pursued post-doctoral research in the Turbomachinery & Propulsion Department\, von Karman Institute\, Belgium and then joined IIT Kanpur as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in January 2024.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/investigation-of-flow-instabilities-in-high-speed-impinging-jets-using-dual-time-velocity-measurements/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tushar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250718T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250718T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250715T045641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250715T045641Z
UID:10000084-1752850800-1752858000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg): ON HIGH-SPEED CURVED COMPRESSION RAMP AIR INTAKES
DESCRIPTION:A scramjet\, i.e.\, a supersonic combustion ramjet\, is an air-breathing engine that enables sustained atmospheric flight in the hypersonic regime. It consists broadly of four key components: the air intake\, isolator\, combustor\, and nozzle. The air intake and the isolator collectively comprise the compression system\, which captures and conditions the freestream flow to suit the operational requirements of the combustor positioned downstream. The general set of attributes sought in a high-speed air intake is: low structural weight; low drag; low aero-thermal loads; started flow with high thermodynamic efficiency and high compression ratio; operational robustness to back-pressure fluctuations arising from the combustor; and stable engine operation over a wide flight envelope. The intake flow characteristics and performance are primarily governed by its geometric shape. High-speed air intakes with a curved compression ramp (CCR) are a class of rectangular intakes wherein the compression ramp comprises a curved surface followed by a planar surface tangential to the trailing end of the curved surface. A CCR intake compresses the flow through a combination of a curved ramp shock wave and a series of compression waves. These intake geometries can provide improvements in compression ratio\, pressure recovery\, and allow for a shorter length intake section in comparison to conventional multi-step intake geometries.\nThe present effort consists of the development of a novel analytical framework to model the CCR intake flow and estimate the intake performance parameters at design and off-design operating conditions\, and wind tunnel experiments with a model CCR air intake at Mach 6 to obtain a detailed understanding of the flow dynamics. The analytical framework builds on the principles of mass conservation and the compressible flow theory to model the inviscid flow structure in the intake without any empiricism. A modified Kantrowitz criterion is proposed to examine the ability of a given fixed-geometry CCR intake to spontaneously self-start at the design Mach number. The framework provides a simple\, fast\, and low-cost tool to develop an effective first-cut design of a self-starting hypersonic CCR air intake for any specified set of operating conditions and performance parameters of interest\, such as the startability\, compression efficiency\, and compression ratio. Inviscid flow numerical experiments of intake starting were carried out to preliminarily verify the starting characteristics predicted by the analytical model.\nThe analytical framework was then employed to identify a suitable geometric design point for the experimental CCR air intake model. A self-starting intake test model was designed following the strong shock design principle\, and built for experimentation in the Roddam Narasimha Hypersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach 6 freestream flow conditions. Time-resolved pressure measurements and high-speed schlieren flow visualization were conducted to understand in detail the flow features internal and external to the intake model\, including the dynamics of shock-shock and shock-boundary layer interactions at the cowl and inside the isolator. Performance assessment at design operating conditions involved evaluating the intake’s ability to spontaneously self-start\, in addition to examining pressure recovery and compression ratio of the started intake. At off-design operating conditions\, the intake dynamics were studied by experimentally varying two parameters: intake back-pressure and angle-of-attack (𝛼). In order to mimic combustor-induced isolator back-pressure variations\, a sliding plate was introduced at the isolator exit; the motion of the sliding plate varies the isolator exit area (blockage) and thereby changes the back-pressure. Experimental results showed that the intake auto-reverts to the started state on realizing suitable pressure values at the isolator exit. Coherent flow oscillations with certain characteristic frequencies were observed in the isolator section during the intermediate state of operation (between started and unstarted states). The angle-of-attack (AoA) studies\, in the 𝛼 range of -70 to 20.70\, show that the relatively gradual distribution of adverse pressure along the compression ramp mitigates the risk of large-scale boundary layer separation\, even at very large AoAs. The model intake was found to satisfy shock-on-lip condition and operate in the started state between 𝛼 = 00 and 𝛼 = 100\, and supersonic flow was sustained in the isolator section up to 𝛼 = 20.70. Overall\, the experimental results were found to validate predictions made by the analytical model. The experiments also allowed for a careful examination of flow during various stages of intake operation\, including intake unstart and restart\, and quantification of operational margins (in terms of pressure) for the model intake. In addition to aiding performance assessment\, these results can also form the basis for the design of a practical early-warning system for preventing engine unstart.\nIn summary\, this work offers a clear experimental demonstration of the advantages offered by CCR air intakes\, and an analytical framework that serves as a good starting point for a design exercise. In practical terms\, this work exhibits the promise held by CCR air intake in providing a wide flight envelope for an air-breathing hypersonic flight vehicle. \nSpeaker : Sushmitha Janakiram \nResearch Supervisor : Duvvuri Subrahmanyam
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-on-high-speed-curved-compression-ramp-air-intakes/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Sushmitha-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250721T090000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250725T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250401T052629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T052629Z
UID:10000066-1753088400-1753462800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:CISM-IISc Workshop
DESCRIPTION:CISM-IISc Workshop \non \nEmerging Topics in Architectured & Multiscale Materials\, Soft Robotics\,\nand Data-Driven Model Discovery\nDates: July 21–25\, 2025 \nLocation: Aerospace Engineering Auditorium\, Indian Institute of Science\, Bangalore \nAbout the workshop\n\nThe International Centre for Mechanical Sciences (CISM)\, Italy\, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)\, Bangalore\, are delighted to announce their first-ever collaboration with the launch of a Joint Advanced Workshop\, marking the beginning of what is envisioned to be an annual series of events. The inaugural workshop\, titled “Emerging Topics in Architectured & Multiscale Materials\, Soft Robotics\, and Data-Driven Model Discovery\,” will be held at IISc. This pioneering event will convene leading researchers\, graduate students\, and professionals from across the globe to explore the latest advancements in the topic. Featuring expert-led sessions\, interactive discussions\, and networking opportunities\, the workshop is designed to foster innovation\, collaboration\, and knowledge exchange\, laying a robust foundation for future editions. We invite you to join us in this exciting partnership as we collectively shape the future of science and engineering. \nFeatured Discussions: \n\nStatic and Dynamic Properties of Architectured Materials\nMultiscale Modeling Through Magnetic Materials\nSlender Structures and Their Applications in Soft Robotics\nData-Driven Material Modeling\n\nLecturers: \n\nAntonio De Simone (The BioRobotics Institute\, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna\, Italy and Structural Mechanics\, SISSA)\nLaura De Lorenzis (Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering\, ETH Zürich\, Switzerland)\nDiego Misseroni (Department of Civil\, Environmental\, and Mechanical Engineering\, University of Trento\, Italy)\nAkshay Joshi (Department of Mechanical Engineering\, Indian Institute of Science\, Bangalore\, India)\nRajesh Chaunsali (Department of Aerospace Engineering\, Indian Institute of Science\, Bangalore\, India)\nVivekanand Dabade (Department of Aerospace Engineering\, Indian Institute of Science\, Bangalore\, India)
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/cism-iisc-workshop/
LOCATION:AE Auditorium
CATEGORIES:Workshops / Conferences
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/CISM-IISc.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250723T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250723T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250723T033046Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250824T142259Z
UID:10000085-1753268400-1753275600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg): Development of Approaches for Optimal Shared Utilization of Spatially Distributed Resources Under Sparse Connectivity in Energy Internet
DESCRIPTION:The global shift towards sustainable power generation has led to a significant rise in distributed energy resources (DERs)\, particularly from renewable sources. These localized generation systems\, when combined with energy storage\, form microgrids—self-contained units capable of managing generation and consumption. While energy storage enables time-shifted usage of intermittent renewable power\, limitations in storage capacity and dynamic load variations still result in curtailment of generated energy. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) power trading among geographically adjacent prosumers offers a more energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative to grid feed-in. P2P trading enhances local energy utilization\, optimizes resource use\, and improves resilience in interconnected communities of microgrids. However\, achieving full connectivity among all peers is infrastructure-intensive\, while relying on sparse connectivity with indirect power exchange through intermediaries—facilitated via an Energy Internet (EI)—presents a scalable and feasible alternative. Within this context\, the challenge becomes the optimal utilization of spatially distributed generation under connectivity constraints.\nThis thesis addresses this challenge by modelling realistic microgrid behaviour using multiple real-world electrical load datasets. Initially\, internal power scheduling within a grid connected microgrid equipped with solar generation and storage is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear optimization problem\, later relaxed to a mixed-integer linear formulation to reduce computational complexity. Predictive scheduling is employed to enable time-shifted energy usage. The resulting surplus and deficit data form the basis for simulating P2P power exchange within a connected community. To evaluate trading under constrained infrastructure\, the thesis introduces the Connectivity and Preference-constrained Hop-regulated P2P Trading (CPHPT) approach. CPHPT models P2P trading as a linear optimization problem that schedules energy exchange along shortest paths while respecting capacity and predefined hop limits. The internal microgrid scheduling and inter-microgrid trading are coordinated using a distributed control architecture\, enhancing scalability and preserving data privacy. Graph theory is leveraged to avoid explicit route computation during hop-constrained scheduling. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that while full connectivity maximizes P2P power transfer\, increasing the allowable hop count in sparsely connected communities enables near-optimal performance\, albeit with higher routing complexity.\nBuilding on this\, the Optimal Multi-Path Power Routing (OMPR) algorithm is developed. OMPR uses graph-theoretic principles to determine the connectivity structure and identifies all feasible routes between peers deterministically. The power scheduling among the routes is formulated and solved as both a linear and nonlinear multi-path power scheduling optimization problem. The OMPR approach divides each multi-hop P2P exchange into multiple individual hop exchanges and solves each step-by-step. While routing multiple concurrent P2P exchanges\, the order in which each P2P exchange is routed affects the optimal solution\, as each route increases the power flow routing constraints. To overcome this limitation\, a Hop Optimized Multi-Exchange Routing and Scheduling (HOMERS) algorithm that solves all concurrent multi-hop P2P exchanges simultaneously to obtain the optimal routing paths has been developed. HOMERS formulates the routing and scheduling of all concurrent P2P exchanges into a single-step mixed-integer nonlinear programming optimization problem. This approach efficiently identifies all feasible routes and schedules each power exchange\, ensuring conflict-free power flow from the source to the destination in the predetermined number of hops.\nRecognizing the limitations of assuming uniform node distribution and connectivity in the CPHPT and random connectivity for OMPR\, and HOMERS models—the thesis proposes a more realistic framework named as a Spatial and Renewable resource Distribution Informed Network for Energy exchange (SRDINE). SRDINE accounts for non-homogeneous node spacing and variable power generation capabilities across the community. It identifies optimal connectivity topologies based on geographic and resource distribution\, yielding improved connectivity efficiency. The resulting community specific connectivity model from SRDINE is shown to have better connectivity utilization and has improved efficiency compared to the ideal full connectivity. Through the development of CPHPT\, OMPR\, HOMERS\, and STRIDE\, this thesis makes substantial contributions to the field of distributed energy systems and P2P power trading. The integration of predictive scheduling\, hop-constrained routing\, and spatial-connectivity modelling offers a comprehensive and scalable framework for the future deployment of Energy Internet architectures. The research establishes a practical and theoretically grounded foundation for resilient\, intelligent\, and energy-efficient microgrid communities.\nSpeaker :  Neethu M \nResearch Supervisor : Prof Suresh Sundaram
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-development-of-approaches-for-optimal-shared-utilization-of-spatially-distributed-resources-under-sparse-connectivity-in-energy-internet/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Neethu-M.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250821T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20250821T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20250819T054916Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250820T112000Z
UID:10000086-1755777600-1755781200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Development of Control Law for MALE UAV with Autonomous Take-off and Landing
DESCRIPTION:This seminar presents a systematic methodology for the design of flight control laws for Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV operating at high altitudes\, including the development of control law for fully autonomous take-off and landing operations. The process begins by developing a detailed model of the aircraft\, incorporating parameters such as mass\, inertia\, aerodynamic characteristics\, centre of gravity variation\, and propulsion data. These models are employed for both linear and nonlinear analyses\, including trim calculations across\nthe entire flight envelope up to 30\,000 ft. They also account for endurance at moderate altitudes exceeding 20 hours\, incorporating engine performance degradation above 23\,000 ft. To ensure practical performance\, the model includes a lumped delay\, actuator dynamics\, and sensor model. Control laws are then designed around central and extreme trim conditions\, following military-grade stability margins. The control law design involves the adaptation of classical proportional derivative and integral (PID) control and the proposal of decoupled incremental nonlinear dynamic inversion (DINDI) as a modern alternative. The control law is tested through various simulation stages. These include model-in-the-loop (MIL) testing and Monte Carlo simulations with disturbances like turbulence and wind gusts. Once verified\, the controller is tested as hardware in a hardware-in-the-loop simulation\, followed by flight trials. This workflow ensures the resulting control laws are both reliable and adaptable\, making them suitable for modern UAV missions in dynamic\, real conditions. In the future\, the control system undergoes flight envelope expansion\n\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Salahudden\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering\, Punjab Engineering College\, Chandigarh\n\nBiography:\nDr. Salahudden is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Aerospace Engineering (AE) at Punjab Engineering College\, Chandigarh\, India. Prior to this\, he was the Deputy Manager in Flight Controls Department at TATA Aerospace and Defence. Before that\, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Auburn University in the AE Department\, United States.\nHe earned a Ph.D. in AE from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)\, India\, in 2022. He received a M.Tech in AE from IIT Kanpur in 2018 and a B.Tech in AE from SRM University Chennai\, India in 2016. His research interests include the areas of flight mechanics\, high angle of attack aircraft dynamics\, aircraft design\, control law design for flight vehicles and autopilot\ndesign. He published numerous reputable journals and conferences based on his research. He is also serving as a reviewer for several reputed journals. He has received many academic and\nresearch awards (Outstanding PhD Thesis Award\, Excellent Undergraduate Project Award\,\nOutstanding Academic Performance Award\, to name a few)
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/development-of-control-law-for-male-uav-with-autonomous-take-off-and-landing/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Sahahudden-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251006T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251006T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251016T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251016T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251022T153000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251022T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20251021T110651Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251021T110651Z
UID:10000091-1761147000-1761152400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D.(Engg):Elastic Wave Propagation in Textured Polycrystalline Media
DESCRIPTION:The performance and reliability of structural components in advanced engineering applications\, such as turbine discs in aeroengines\, are critically influenced by their microstructural characteristics\, particularly the crystallographic texture. Texture controls the mechanical response of a material and ultimately governs the safe life of a component. Ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques offer a powerful way to routinely monitor such materials volumetrically; however\, interpreting wave measurements in polycrystalline media is challenging due to structural noise\, wave reflections and mode conversion. While numerical approaches enable the near-experimental exploration of elastic waves in such media\, they are often computationally expensive.\nThis work addresses this challenge by developing a computationally efficient and experimentally supported simulation-driven framework to study elastic wave propagation in textured polycrystalline media and to recover intrinsic material properties\, such as stiffness () and density ()\, from measured group velocities (). The work is structured in two major parts:\nFirst\, forward simulations: Synthetic polycrystalline volume elements (PVE) were generated using DREAM.3D\, subsequently embedded in COMSOL Multiphysics\, where wave propagation studies were conducted on PVEs with controlled texture intensities (e.g.\, Cube {001} <100> and Copper {112} <111>)\, as well as with the experimentally informed microstructures. The results reveal that increasing texture intensity leads to more anisotropic group velocity and reduced wave scattering. To efficiently incorporate large experimental orientation datasets obtained from deformation and annealing textures\, a reduced microstructural strategy was developed that preserves the texture information while significantly reducing computational cost. This approach provides experimental support for the small-sized PVEs\, demonstrating their reliability in capturing the sense of the wave velocity governed by crystallographic texture.\nBuilding upon the methodology developed\, an application-based study was conducted on the dual-microstructure of the turbine disc to investigate the combined effects of grain size and grain orientation on wave velocity. The results showed the dominance of grain orientation over grain size\, establishing texture as a crucial microstructural feature that governs elastic wave propagation and is also a prime indicator of the operational reliability of a component.\nSecond\, inverse property identification: A frequency-domain inversion framework based on spectral finite element method (SFEM)\, and nonlinear least square optimization was formulated to estimate elastic stiffness () and density () directly from the measured wave responses. This approach bypasses time-domain complexities and avoids dependence on prior material data\, achieving accurate recovery of intrinsic properties even in the presence of scattering noise.\nThe inversely predicted data () were validated for both synthetic and experimentally informed microstructures using a wave-independent methodology () that displays an excellent agreement within  4 % deviations. The results reveal how texture information can be inferred using uncertainty limits  and \, which are strongly influenced by microstructural scattering.\nOverall\, the work establishes a computationally efficient and experimentally supported pathway for texture-sensitive applications\, offering a rapid property identification in components where destructive methods are not feasible. These contributions enhance our understanding of wave-microstructure interactions and support the development of routine non-destructive evaluation of structural materials in aerospace and other critical engineering sectors.\n\nSpeaker :  Himanshu Gupta\n\nResearch Supervisors : Prof. S. Gopalakrishnan & Prof. Satyam Suwas
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-enggelastic-wave-propagation-in-textured-polycrystalline-media/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Himanshu.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251022T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251022T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251027T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251027T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251027T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251027T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251110T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251110T170000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251113T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251113T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20251112T061505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T061505Z
UID:10000094-1763031600-1763038800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg): Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Low Observable Air Intake Duct : A Gerlach Inspiration
DESCRIPTION:Air intake system supplying air to the aircraft’s propulsion system is an important part of the aircraft. In modern military aircraft\, air intake ducts are bent due to stealth and layout considerations. Due to significant contribution from rotating jet engine components to Radar Cross Section\, need to inhibit direct line of sight of the Engine Face from RADAR’s eye is required and this leads to aggressively turning ducts. Owing to large pressure loss happening due to the secondary flows and consequent flow separation arising out of centrifugal forces or its gradients during flow turns\, total pressure recovery at Engine Face is likely to suffer. This thesis addresses this concern\, specifically for a top mounted serpentine intake duct of flying wing configuration.\n\nA shaping technique called “Gerlach Shaping” proposed by C. R. Gerlach and E. C. Shroeder to minimise secondary flows and subsequent losses forms the core of this thesis. An important feature of the shaping concept is the use of ideal flow assumptions for a flow known to be viscosity driven. As a part of the current research\, formulation and implementation of Gerlach shaping is subject to detailed analysis. Gerlach shaping principles are extended\, opening further possibilities for low loss bend designs. Radial pressure gradients and secondary flow mixing are managed more efficiently leading to smooth flow with reduced flow separation and pressure drops. Superiority of newer designs called “Gerlach Inspired Bend Designs” are proven on a square elbow and RAE M 2129 S-duct. It may be surprising to note that the losses encountered in one of the 90◦ bend designs is even lower than that of a straight duct.\n\nA new methodology called “Gerlach Inspired Duct Optimization” for aerodynamic shape optimization of low observable air intake duct design driven by conflicting aerodynamics and stealth requirements is developed. Understanding of Gerlach shaping principles gained during the evolution of design methodology for low loss bends is a stepping stone to the optimization process. Keeping the spirit of Gerlach Shaping alive\, the highlight of this process is the use of low fidelity inviscid CFD tool for a problem considered to be highly viscous. The step is crucial as integrating CFD simulations with Gerlach Shaping as against ideal flow assumptions would considerably improve the accuracy of the flow field description and enhance the duct design. Moreover\, integration of an inviscid solver facilitates robust\, fast generation of flow field and a large number of candidate designs could be analysed. A completely automated Genetic Algorithm based optimization framework integrated with Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations to realize this methodology inspired by\nGerlach Shaping gives substantial performance enhancement as compared to Reference Duct (designed using conventional design methodology) and Gerlach Duct (generated by morphing the reference duct as per Gerlach shaping).\n\nSpeaker : V Valliammai\n\nResearch Supervisor : N. Balakrishnan
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-aerodynamic-shape-optimization-of-low-observable-air-intake-duct-a-gerlach-inspiration/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/v.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251121T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251121T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251128T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251128T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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:20251201T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251201T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
CREATED:20251201T040004Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T040004Z
UID:10000097-1764586800-1764594000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg) : Autorotation of Single-Winged Spinning Samaras
DESCRIPTION:Nature has consistently served as a powerful source of innovation\, offering elegant and sustainable solutions to complex engineering problems. Among these\, the spinning samara seed stands out as a biologically efficient system for passive aerial transport. Samaras\, such as those from mahogany and Buddha coconut trees\, exhibit stable autorotative descent\, making them strong candidates for biomimicry in aerial delivery systems. Understanding and replicating the flight mechanics of samaras requires accurate analytical modelling. The dynamics of a single-winged spinning samara can be described using Newton’s laws and Euler’s rigid‐body equations\, while the aerodynamic forces acting on the wing can be derived from the Navier–Stokes equations or using Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT). Together\, these frameworks provide a foundation for predicting its motion\, thrust generation\, and stability in samara-inspired designs. Building on this theoretical basis\, the present thesis delivers a comprehensive experimental study on the bioinspired engineering of single-winged spinning samaras\, focusing on their aerodynamic behavior\, kinematic characteristics\, structural morphology\, and wake dynamics. To investigate the kinematics\, a custom-designed drop rig was developed to capture high-resolution visual data of the steady-state descent. Parameters such as descent velocity\, coning angle\, wingtip trajectory\, and precession were extracted and analyzed. The results revealed a complex motion involving coupled coning and precession\, challenging simplified theoretical models that typically assume a steady\, non-precessing descent. Parallel morphological studies using high-resolution 3D scanning of natural samaras highlighted spanwise variations in chord length\, camber\, and sweep\, which contribute significantly to aerodynamic performance. Five 3D printed models incorporating geometric variations were fabricated to evaluate their aerodynamic efficiency. Experimental observations showed that models featuring variable chord\, sweep\, and anhedral/dihedral configurations achieved the lowest descent velocities\, underscoring the importance of structural morphology in enhancing autorotative performance. To examine local flow physics in detail\, a custom low-Reynolds-number vertical wind tunnel was developed and characterized. Flat-plate airfoils were studied using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) across a wide range of angles of attack and Reynolds numbers\, revealing flow regimes ranging from steady attached flow to unsteady vortex shedding. Wake flow physics of samaras were further captured within a transparent glass chamber using seeded PIV\, revealing stable wingtip vortices extending several diameters downstream and confirming the presence of a windmill-brake state analogous to helicopter autorotation. Induced velocities computed using Momentum Theory showed close agreement with theoretical predictions. To evaluate practical feasibility\, a bioinspired delivery system was designed and tested through drone-based release experiments. Six models (FR01 to FR06) were fabricated and deployed under varying payloads and wind conditions. All models demonstrated successful autorotation and stable descent\, confirming the viability of samara-inspired mechanisms for passive aerial delivery. This research advances the understanding of samara aerodynamics and opens pathways for bioinspired applications in unmanned aerial systems. Future work should explore 3D motion capture\, high-fidelity simulations\, and optimization of geometries and materials. The insights from this thesis provide a strong foundation for future innovations in samara-inspired flight technologies. \nSpeaker :  G.YOGESHWARAN \n  \nResearch Supervisor: Gopalan Jagadeesh \nCo-Research Supervisor: Srisha Rao M V
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-autorotation-of-single-winged-spinning-samaras/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/YOGESHWARAN.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251204T120000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251204T130000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251211T030000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251211T160000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251215T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20251215T120000
DTSTAMP:20260517T034635
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
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END:VCALENDAR