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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Department of Aerospace Engineering
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TZID:Asia/Kolkata
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0530
TZOFFSETTO:+0530
TZNAME:IST
DTSTART:20260101T000000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260427T090000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260427T140000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260424T050026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260425T074230Z
UID:10000120-1777280400-1777298400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:TAAI – Trust for Advancement of Aerodynamics in India
DESCRIPTION:Bringing together the minds transforming emerging aerospace technologies into operational reality \n  \nFeatured Talks \n\n The Stratospheric Challenges for a High-Altitude Platform\n\nDr. L Venkatrakrishnan\, Chief Scientist and Program Director – HAP \nHigh Altitude Platforms (HAP) or High Altitude Pseudo Satellites which are unmanned aerial vehicles in the stratosphere are the next big challenge with applications including disaster monitoring\, telecommunication\, and military reconnaissance. The requirement for persistence demands endurance far beyond conventional aircraft leading to extremely high aspect ratios and low wing loading resulting in lightweight structures. The result is a flexible wing structure with wingtip deflection to semi-span ratio likely to exceed 10% during flight thereby impacting flight dynamics of the aircraft. Additionally the low Reynolds number regime poses significant aerodynamic challenges for both wing as well as propeller design. The talk will visit recent efforts presently underway at CSIR-NAL to address the challenges in the design and development of a HAP. \n  \n\n Next-Generation UCAVs and Loitering Munitions: Enabling Technologies\, Indigenous Development\, and Operational Integration Pathways\n\nDr. Shanmugadas K.P.\, Assistant Professor\, Mechanical Engg\, IIT Jammu \nThis talk presents a comprehensive overview of emerging technological trends shaping next-generation UCAVs and loitering munition systems\, with particular emphasis on indigenous development pathways aligned with Indian operational requirements. The discussion will cover system-level design considerations including propulsion selection\, aerodynamic configurations\, endurance–range trade-offs\, and mission optimization for contested environments. \nA key focus of the presentation will be on technology development initiatives being pursued through academia–startup–user collaboration frameworks\, highlighting ongoing research and prototyping efforts conducted in close interaction with the Indian Army and associated defence stakeholders. \n\n New Generation Aircraft Technologies for the Fourth Revolution in Aerospace\n\nDr. Rakshith Raghavan Belur\, Head of Flight Physics\, Airbus \nThe aerospace industry is entering its fourth major revolution – sustainability. Following the breakthroughs of enabling human flight\, ensuring safety\, and driving affordability\, the focus has now shifted to fundamentally reimagining aviation for a sustainable future. Airbus is at the forefront of this transformation\, pioneering new technologies\, aircraft configurations\, and design paradigms to meet ambitious environmental goals while sustaining operational excellence. \nThis talk will provide a glimpse into some of the critical technologies and innovations being developed at Airbus\, and how they are shaping the next era of aviation. \nYou need to register for the event at https://www.taai.org.in/ and registration is free. \nFor More Details Visit: www.taai.org.in \n 
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/taai-trust-for-advancement-of-aerodynamics-in-india/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-18-at-07.46.32.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260428T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260428T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260424T080555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260426T092339Z
UID:10000122-1777374000-1777381200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Experiments on a fluidic pinball: wake dynamics in the chaotic regime
DESCRIPTION:Over the past decade\, the fluidic pinball has become a valuable benchmarkfor studying flow control strategies. The configuration consists of three independently rotating cylinders positioned at the vertices of an equilateral triangle\, with the flow directed perpendicularly to one of its sides. The cylinder rotation rates serve as the control inputs\, while velocity sensors located in the wake provide the outputs. Despite its geometric simplicity\, the wake behind the fluidic pinball displays complex interactions of multiple frequencies and nonlinear dynamics\, making it an excellent test case for the development and evaluation of control laws. While numerous studies have been performed numerically at low Reynolds numbers\, experimental literature is limited\, mainly due to the associated engineering challenges. \nThis study presents the findings from wind tunnel experiments on a fluidic pinball in the chaotic regime (1333 ≤ Re ≤ 3333). Planar two-component particle image velocimetry (PIV) is employed to capture the velocity field while the velocity time traces are obtained from hot-wire anemometry and laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). The stochastic bistable dynamics in the wake is characterized and its sensitivity to external disturbances is demonstrated. Coherent structures in the wake along with the associated temporal dynamics and their physical implications are analyzed for both the stationary pinball and the flow with steady\, open-loop forcing. The effect of blockage and evolution of 3D structures in the forced wake is discussed. A brief overview of the architecture set up for real-time control is also presented. \nSpeaker : Dr. Aditya Desai \nBiography : \nDr. Aditya Desai is a post-doctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Numerical Sciences (LISN)- CNRS\, Orsay\,France working towards Reinforcement Learning-based control of a fluidic pinball. He completed his Master’s and PhD from the Department of Aerospace Engineering\, IIT Kanpur. His research interests are in the domain of experimental aerodynamics\, reduced order modelling and flow control\,  wakes\, vortex induce vibration and sports aerodynamics. He completed his BTech in Aerospace Engineering at IITK in 2009. \n  \n 
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/xperiments-on-a-fluidic-pinball-wake-dynamics-in-the-chaotic-regime/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Aditya.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260429T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260429T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260424T045758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260426T090236Z
UID:10000121-1777460400-1777467600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Precision in Flow: Advances in PIV\, Hematology\, and High-Heat Flux Cooling for Power Dense Electronics
DESCRIPTION:This talk presents a comprehensive overview of advanced fluidic and thermal management strategies across biomedical and defense applications. We begin with a systematic evaluation of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)\, specifically addressing the challenges of simultaneous velocity and particle size measurement. By analyzing Gaussian intensity variations across the light sheet and the optical system’s depth of field\, we propose a balanced methodology for achieving consistent\, high-fidelity size estimates.\nBuilding on these measurement techniques\, we discuss phase-locked PIV studies conducted within a pulsatile flow loop of a ‘mitral’ model bileaflet mechanical heart valve (MHV). The localized jets\, steep velocity gradients\, and vortex recirculation zones identified in vitro provide critical correlations to in-vivo platelet aggregation\, highlighting the intersection of fluid mechanics and clinical pathology.\nThe discussion then shifts to the pivotal role of fluidic design in next-generation whole blood cell analyzers\, utilizing hydrodynamic focusing and sheath flow to optimize optical flow cell performance for hematology. Finally\, we conclude with a high-level summary of mission-critical work in energy storage and high-heat flux cooling. These technologies are essential for the thermal management of power-dense electronics and 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI)\, ensuring reliability in the next frontier of microelectronic architecture.\n\nSpeaker : Dr. Ganesh Subramanian\n\n Biography:\nDr. Ganesh Subramanian is a technical leader and program/functional manager with over 20 years of experience bridging fundamental research and mission-critical engineering. An IISc Aerospace PhD and certified PMP/Agile professional\, he has led a diverse portfolio of high-priority energy storage and thermal management programs funded by the U.S. DoD and DARPA\, while at Teledyne Technologies. He has had a decade-long tenure\, each at Abbott and BD Biosciences\, developing fluidic and thermal subsystems for hematology instruments and flow cytometers. His career is grounded in high-impact fluid dynamics research working jointly with NASA and the Cleveland Clinic\, combining academic rigor with a proven track record of leadership in highly regulated defense and medical sectors.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/precision-in-flow-advances-in-piv-hematology-and-high-heat-flux-cooling-for-power-dense-electronics/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AE-Seminar-Ganesh-S-29April2026.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260507T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260507T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260505T050440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T050440Z
UID:10000123-1778166000-1778173200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:On Rayleigh Waves in Elastic Lattices
DESCRIPTION:A mathematical framework is presented to guide the search for Rayleigh waves in lattice materials based on periodic structure theory and the Bloch theorem. Architected materials with a periodic microstructure are distinguished from crystals in continuum anisotropic elasticity by the presence of at least one length scale and a band structure with partial and complete gaps for Bloch wave propagation. Non-affine bending deformations at or below the characteristic cell size are included by considering the unit cell as a framework of Timoshenko beams. We show that a quadratic eigenvalue problem\, with a Hermitian palindrome structure\, emerges from the force equilibrium and displacement compatibility relations for a propagating Bloch wave along any chosen orientation of the free edge/surface. Waves propagating along the free edge and penetrating to a finite depth into the medium are a partial set of eigensolutions of the nonlinear eigenproblem\, or its linearized symplectic form. These partial eigenwaves are used as the basis vectors to expand any arbitrary boundary displacements and force vectors\, which then constitute a complex asymmetric semi-infinite dynamic stiffness matrix. Surface and Rayleigh waves exist in its null space. Traction-free boundary conditions are used to show that the secular equation for Rayleigh waves is a real polynomial equation\, consistent with Stroh’s formulation for a length-scale independent anisotropic continuum crystal elasticity. Significant differences arising from the periodic structure are highlighted. Computational issues in the numerical solution of the structured eigenvalue problem for surface waves in lattices are addressed. Our formulation is applicable to any arbitrary lattice with complex unit cells and material architectures. Surface waves in a planar square lattice are found to emerge from the gaps for bulk waves in the band structure of the bulk waves. This research is a collaboration with Prof. N.A. Fleck of Cambridge University\, United Kingdom. \nSpeaker: Prof. Anasavarapu Srikantha Phani \nBiography: \nSrikanth is a tenured full professor at the University of British Columbia\, Vancouver\, Canada. He received a PhD from Cambridge University in the Dynamics and Applied Mechanics group under the supervision of Prof. Woodhouse and there he pursued postdoctoral work with Prof. Fleck in the Cambridge Center for Micromechanics. His principal research interests include\, Dynamics and Vibrations\, Mechanics of advanced materials\, and their applications in engineering and cardiovascular medicine. At UBC\, he held a Tier 2 Canada Research chair\, and received Killam Teaching prize.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/on-rayleigh-waves-in-elastic-lattices/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/On-Rayleigh-Waves-in-Elastic-Lattices2-1_page-0001.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260518T040000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260518T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260514T081933Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T082153Z
UID:10000124-1779076800-1779123600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg) : Mechanical Characterization and Non-linear Analysis of Woven Hyperelastic Composite Laminate using Variational Asymptotic Method.
DESCRIPTION:The increasing demand for lightweight\, multifunctional structures in aerospace and civil engineering applications has driven significant interest in hyperelastic composite laminates. These materials\, capable of undergoing large deformations while maintaining structural integrity\, are particularly suited for deployable space structures\, high altitude airships\, inflatable antennas\, and tensile fabric architectures. However\, accurate prediction of their mechanical behavior requires rigorous constitutive modeling coupled with mathematically consistent dimensional-reduction techniques that make no ad hoc assumptions.\n\nThis thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the constitutive modeling and asymptotic analysis of hyperelastic composite laminates for high-altitude airship and other inflatable structure applications. Through an extensive literature survey\, Kapton HN® and Nomex® were identified as promising candidate materials for multifunctional membrane structures due to their desirable properties\, including UV resistance\, thermal stability\, helium retention capability\, and mechanical strength. A composite laminate was fabricated using the vacuum bagging technique with Nomex® sandwiched between Kapton HN® layers on the top and bottom\, employing the hand lay-up technique with aerospace-grade epoxy.\n\nAll three constituent materials—Kapton HN®\, Nomex®\, and the fabricated composite laminate—were mechanically characterized through uniaxial tensile tests conducted until failure. The anisotropic nature of Nomex® was further investigated by evaluating micro-fiber angles using image processing of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images taken at 1770× resolution. Incompressible hyperelastic material models were proposed to fit the experimental data for these materials\, subject to constraints from continuum mechanics and the Baker-Eriksen inequalities.\n\nThe isotropic Kapton HN® was accurately represented by the incompressible vYeoh model\, while Nomex® required a modified version of the Holzapfel-Gasser-Ogden (HGO) model to capture its fiber-reinforced characteristics. Notably\, the modified HGO model could estimate fiber angles using an error-optimization algorithm\, and these estimates were validated against fiber angles measured directly from SEM image analysis.\n\nFor the composite laminate\, a superposition-of-energies approach—referred to in the literature as the Rule of Mixtures model—was proposed and mechanically characterized in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The model demonstrated excellent agreement with experimental observations.\n\nBuilding upon the constitutive characterization\, the three material systems were modeled within a geometrically exact kinematic framework for plates. Using the Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM)\, dimensionally reduced\, asymptotically correct models were derived for each material up to first order. This mathematically rigorous approach makes no ad hoc assumptions and systematically accounts for the small parameters inherent in thin structures. The warping functions\, which capture the through-thickness deformation patterns\, were systematically solved as intermediate results for all three materials up to zeroth and first order. The two-dimensional nonlinear constitutive laws were evaluated\, and the mechanical coupling responses were clearly elucidated.\n\nFinally\, a nonlinear finite element analysis was performed to model plates fabricated from these materials under various loading conditions. The VAM-based models were successfully validated against experimental data\, demonstrating the accuracy and predictive capability of the asymptotically derived constitutive laws. This work establishes a rigorous framework for analyzing hyperelastic composite laminates and provides valuable insights for the design of next-generation membrane structures for aerospace and civil engineering applications.\n\nSpeaker: Shaikbepari Mohmmed Khajamoinuddin\n\nResearch Supervisors: Dineshkumar Harursampath  & MR Bhat
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-mechanical-characterization-and-non-linear-analysis-of-woven-hyperelastic-composite-laminate-using-variational-asymptotic-method/
LOCATION:Conference Hall\, 1st Floor\, CVH\, IISc
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Shaikbepar.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260521T113000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260521T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260508T043003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260522T102323Z
UID:10000127-1779363000-1779368400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Space Object Tracking\, Manoeuvre Estimation and Sensor Tasking for Space Situational Awareness
DESCRIPTION:Due to increased human activity in the last two decades\, near-earth space has become congested from functional/non-functional satellites and space debris. These space objects of human origin\, along with natural asteroids and space weather\, pose natural\, accidental\, or intentional threats to functional and expensive satellites. It is imperative to track space assets continuously as well as assess collision threats to take necessary actions\, which is termed Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Assessing the risk of collision of these space debris with active satellites requires estimation of the positions and velocities of both objects. While space object tracking is the primary task of an SSA system\, other related tasks are estimating the manoeuvre of the catalogued objects and managing the sensor networks for observations. In this talk\, we will discuss some recent advancements in space object tracking by repurposing radio telescopes\, and estimation of satellite manoeuvres\, where only the initial and final state information is available. We express the final state of the satellite as a function of the initial state and the manoeuvre and formulate an optimisation problem to estimate the manoeuvre time and Δ𝑉. We will discuss various strategies to solve this optimisation problem – including simultaneous and iterative estimation of manoeuvre time and Δ𝑉. We will then focus on managing a sensor network for SSA in terms of tasking the sensors to perform catalogue maintenance of space objects. We will discuss a time-invariant approach for optimally directing various ground stations to maximise the expected number of space objects visible by the sensor network.\n\n\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Sanat K. Biswas\n\n\nBiography:\n\nDr. Sanat K. Biswas is an Associate Professor of Electronics and Communication Engineering at IIIT Delhi\, and Head of IIIT Delhi Space Technology Centre (ISTC). He received his B.E. from Jadavpur University in 2010\, an MTech. in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2012\, and a PhD in computationally efficient Unscented Kalman filters for space vehicle navigation from the University of New South Wales (UNSW)\, Sydney\, in 2017. His research specializes in Space Domain Awareness\, GNSS-based navigation\, Position\, Navigation and Timing using LEO satellites. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE (2022)\, Associate Editor – IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems and serves on the technical committees for Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) and Space Traffic Management (STM) of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). His contributions have been recognized with the 2014 Emerging Space Leaders Grant\, the 2019 Early Career Research Award from the DST\, the 2020 and 2021 Young Scientist Awards from URSI\, and the 2020 Harry Rowe Mimno Award from the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society.\n\nTea/Coffee: 11:00 AM\n\nALL ARE WELCOME
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/space-object-tracking-manoeuvre-estimation-and-sensor-tasking-for-space-situational-awareness/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sanat.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260522T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260522T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260514T043230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T083650Z
UID:10000126-1779447600-1779454800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Fluid dynamics across scales: Insights from compressible turbulence and large-scale tropical atmospheric dynamics
DESCRIPTION:Fluid flows in nature and engineering exhibit a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This talk presents two problems across this range: compressible turbulence in channel flows and large-scale vorticity dynamics in the tropical atmosphere.\nThe first part of the talk focuses on compressible turbulence\, which plays a key role in many aerospace flows\, including supersonic and hypersonic flight\, shock-boundary layer interactions\, and scramjet combustion. In contrast to incompressible turbulence\, compressible turbulence is characterised by fluctuations in both thermodynamic variables of density\, temperature and pressure\, in addition to velocity. Using Lie symmetry theory\, we derive scaling laws for velocity and thermodynamic statistics in compressible channel flows. As a first step\, we derive a hierarchy of unclosed equations for the probability density function and its Fourier transform\, the characteristic function\, that accounts for both flow and thermodynamics statistics. Then\, the Lie point symmetries of the characteristic function hierarchy are derived. Finally\, the symmetry groups are used to obtain the scaling laws for channel flows\, and are verified against the data from direct numerical simulations.\nThe second part of the talk focuses on understanding the large-scale meridional structure of vertical vorticity in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)\, the near-equatorial region where the trade winds converge and produce a planetary-scale band of precipitation. We show that the vorticity away from the latitude of the ITCZ can be understood approximately through conservation of absolute vorticity\, whereas\, within the ITCZ\, vortex stretching plays a dominant role. As a result\, the relative vorticity in the ITCZ increases as the ITCZ moves poleward.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Divya Sri Praturi\n\nBiography :\nDivya Sri Praturi is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology\, Hamburg. She obtained her PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University\, College Station\, USA\, and Bachelors and Masters degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology\, Kharagpur. She was also a recipient of the Humboldt Fellowship for postdoctoral researchers and Amelia Earhart Fellowship for PhD students. Her research interests lie broadly in the areas of tropical atmospheric and climate dynamics\, stability and turbulence in conducting and non-conducting compressible shear flows. She employs pen-and-paper calculations\, group theoretical methods and high resolution numerical simulations to derive mechanistic insights into these flows.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/fluid-dynamics-across-scales-insights-from-compressible-turbulence-and-large-scale-tropical-atmospheric-dynamics/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Dr-Divya-May22-4.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260525T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260525T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260513T082319Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260519T083011Z
UID:10000125-1779721200-1779728400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Deception and Risk-Sensitive Behaviors in Games with Asymmetric Information: A Pursuit-Evasion Case Study
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Games with asymmetric information involve situations where one player possesses knowledge that the other player does not. This is particularly evident in military engagements\, where the “fog of war” plays a critical role in the decision-making process. In such scenarios\, two distinct behaviors can be observed. The more informed player tends to adopt deceptive strategies aimed at imposing losses on the opponent. Conversely\, the less informed player seeks to mitigate losses caused by the information disadvantage by adopting a risk-averse strategy.\nIn this talk\, we present a novel approach for the more informed player to incorporate deception in a two-agent differential game with asymmetric information. We propose sensitivity function-based risk estimates for the less informed player to effectively address the information disadvantage. The efficacy of the proposed techniques is demonstrated through a pursuit-evasion case study involving a pursuer\, an evader\, and a moving obstacle whose exact position and velocity are known only to one of the players (the evader in this case). Finally\, we explore the relevance of deception for the evader using the concept of dependent reachable sets. \nSpeaker : Dr. Venkata Ramana Makkapati \nBiography: \nDr. Venkata Ramana Makkapati is currently working at Honda Aircraft Company as an AFCS & Advanced Research Engineer. His research interests include optimal control and differential games\, with a focus on autonomous vehicles\, safe path planning\, and airspace security. He received his B.Tech. from IIT Madras in 2014 and M.Tech. from IIT Kanpur in 2016\, both in Aerospace Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and an M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology\, Atlanta\, USA. Ramana is an FAA-certified Private Pilot and holds the United States Parachute Association (USPA) A license. \n  \nLink: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/43166057134136?p=TqzW03cjZvsMTgCwMN\nMeeting ID: 431 660 571 341 36\nPasscode: Yw6Ab2NU
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/deception-and-risk-sensitive-behaviors-in-games-with-asymmetric-information-a-pursuit-evasion-case-study/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Venkata.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260525T160000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260525T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260525T043027Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260525T094140Z
UID:10000129-1779724800-1779728400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg) :VAM-Based Elastic and Thermo-elastic Micromechanics Models for Homogenization and a VAM2 Multi-scale Model for Composite Beam-Like Structures.
DESCRIPTION:In diverse domains of engineering and high-performance applications\, the use of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites (FRPMCs) and Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) has experienced rapid and sustained growth. This trend is primarily attributable to their high specific stiffness\, elevated strength-to-weight ratio\, low Coefficients of Thermal Expansion (CTE)\, and inherently lightweight characteristics\, coupled with the ability to tailor their properties to meet specific design requirements. The effective utilization of such advanced materials necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their structural response\, both at the global and constituent levels. In particular\, precise knowledge of homogenized material properties\, CTEs\, and spatially resolved local fields within the reinforcement and matrix phases is indispensable for predicting structural behavior\, conducting performance assessments\, and achieving optimal designs suited to demanding engineering applications. The growing demand for accelerated yet accurate design cycles further underscores the need for computationally efficient\, yet physically rigorous\, predictive models. \nConventional micro-mechanics and multi-scale modeling techniques are frequently constrained by restrictive kinematic assumptions\, such as pre-specified displacement or stress fields\, whose validity is not inherently guaranteed by the governing equations of three-dimensional elasticity\, and often employ oversimplified treatments of interface continuity conditions. Numerical approaches\, while flexible\, typically rely on computationally intensive discretization and may not rigorously satisfy all interface continuity requirements. These limitations collectively compromise the generality\, accuracy\, and physical fidelity of predicted material and structural responses. \nTo address these shortcomings\, this doctoral research develops a unified\, analytically rigorous\, and asymptotically consistent multi-scale modeling framework for the accurate prediction of homogenized elastic properties\, CTEs\, and fully three-dimensional local field distributions within the constituents of composite materials\, with particular emphasis on beam-like structural configurations. The first segment of the thesis introduces an asymptotically correct micromechanics formulation that eliminates arbitrary field assumptions\, deriving its governing equations directly from the stationary conditions of the total strain energy functional expressed in generalized strain measures. The Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM) is adopted as the mathematical foundation\, while the Hashin–Rosen Composite Cylinder Model (CCM) serves as the physical idealization for the composite Representative Unit Cell (RUC). This approach enables the derivation of closed-form expressions for homogenized elastic properties\, including elastic moduli\, shear moduli\, and Poisson’s ratios\, while rigorously enforcing displacement continuity and transverse stress equilibrium at the reinforcement–matrix interface. The resulting expressions are explicit functions of constituent material properties\, volume fractions\, and geometric parameters. \nThe formulation is subsequently extended to the thermo-elastic regime\, wherein the governing relations are derived from the stationary conditions of the Helmholtz free energy functional\, expressed in generalized strain measures and CTEs. This extension yields closed-form expressions for the effective longitudinal and transverse coefficients of thermal expansion. The predicted elastic moduli and CTEs are extensively validated against existing micro-mechanical solutions\, experimental results\, and literature data for a wide range of composite systems. \nBuilding upon this foundation\, the research advances a VAM2-based multi-scale analytical methodology in which the generalized micromechanics formulation is seamlessly integrated with a macro-scale structural model\, free from restrictive kinematic simplifications. The macro-scale solution prescribes traction boundary conditions to the micro-scale problem in a manner consistent with three-dimensional equilibrium\, while the micro-scale formulation rigorously enforces interface elasticity constraints. This enables the derivation of closed-form expressions for fully three-dimensional local displacement\, strain\, and stress fields in both reinforcement and matrix phases\, parameterized by one-dimensional strain measures\, curvature terms\, constituent properties\, and spatial coordinates. \nThe proposed multi-scale framework achieves computational accuracy comparable to concurrent multi-scale approaches\, while preserving the computational efficiency characteristic of hierarchical methods. Its predictive capability is validated through high-fidelity three-dimensional finite element simulations for arbitrary RUC locations on the beam cross-section\, under simultaneously applied multi-load conditions. \nOverall\, this research establishes a generalizable\, physically consistent\, analytically tractable\, and computationally efficient paradigm for predicting homogenized elastic properties\, CTEs\, and performing multi-scale structural analysis of composite materials. It represents a substantive advancement over prevailing micro-mechanical and multi-scale modeling strategies\, combining theoretical rigor with practical utility for the design and analysis of advanced composite structures. \nThis MS Teams Meeting Link is just for those unable to join pīrēśvarā\, Dr MVVS mūrti & me in-person@CVH Conference Hall\, IISc: AE PhD Colloquium: VAM2 Multiscale Model for Composite Beams & VAM-based Thermoelastic MicroMechanic Homogenization | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams : https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/45114276357578?p=KPgojv0HqsJhQKrSzd \n  \nSpeaker: śrī M. V. PEERESWARA RAO \nResearch Supervisors: Dineshkumar Harursampath & Dr MVVS Murthy\, Division Head\, Spacecraft Systems Engg. Group\, URSC\, ISRO
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-vam-based-elastic-and-thermo-elastic-micromechanics-models-for-homogenization-and-a-vam2-multi-scale-model-for-composite-beam-like-structures/
LOCATION:Conference Hall\, 1st Floor\, CVH\, IISc
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PEERESWARA.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260526T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260526T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260522T053523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260522T104121Z
UID:10000128-1779793200-1779800400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:"Astrodynamics Applications: Perspectives on Stretching Directions in Cislunar Space"
DESCRIPTION:The exploration of deep space relies on advanced astrodynamics techniques to navigate complex gravitational environments. This presentation examines key applications in space mission design\, with particular emphasis on the circular restricted three-body problem. Within the Earth–Moon system\, near rectilinear halo orbits (NRHOs) about the L1 and L2 Lagrange points have been proposed as long-duration trajectories for cislunar exploration\, including NASA’s upcoming Gateway mission. These orbits are stable or only weakly unstable and therefore lack clearly defined stable and unstable manifold structures. As a result\, traditional design and control approaches that rely on invariant manifolds become less effective for both transfer trajectory design and stationkeeping. To address this limitation\, this work investigates the use of stretching directions to characterize the flow of perturbations in the vicinity of a reference trajectory. These directions provide a framework for analyzing the effects of maneuvers in two fundamentally contrasting applications: transfer design and stationkeeping. Furthermore\, the presentation also highlights broader applications of nonlinear dynamical structures in cislunar space\, including proximity operations\, trajectory tracking\, and guidance and navigation considerations in multi-body environments. These topics are discussed in the context of the challenges and opportunities associated with current and future cislunar missions\, including NASA’s Lunar Gateway.\n  \nSpeaker : Dr. Vivek Muralidharan  \nBiography:\n\nDr. Vivek Muralidharan is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering in the Department of Aerospace\, Physics and Space Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology. He previously worked as a Flight Dynamics Engineer at ICEYE in Finland\, managing orbit control activities for a fleet of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites\, and as a Research Associate at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security\, Reliability and Trust (SnT)\, University of Luxembourg. Dr. Muralidharan graduated with a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK)\, India in 2015. He then received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University\, USA\, in 2017 and 2021\, respectively. While at Purdue University\, Dr. Muralidharan’s research focus includes orbital dynamics\, the circular-restricted three-body problem\, stationkeeping strategies\, orbit determination\, as well as guidance\, navigation and control. He has also contributed to projects at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram\, India\, and Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) in Massachusetts\, USA. Dr. Muralidharan featured in the 2022 list of “20 under 35” published by Space and Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) and was a finalist for the Luigi G. Napolitano Award at the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2022.\n\nTea/Coffee at 10:45 AM
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/astrodynamics-applications-perspectives-on-stretching-directions-in-cislunar-space/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Vivek.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260610T103000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260610T120000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260609T045550Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T100351Z
UID:10000130-1781087400-1781092800@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Ph.D. (Engg) : Distributed Artificial Intelligence Technology for Robotic Swarms: An Interpretable Online Learning Perspective
DESCRIPTION:Robotic swarms offer immense potential for critical operations such as search and rescue\, surveillance\, and environmental monitoring\, owing to their distributed nature and redundancy. However\, the operational reliability of swarms heavily depends on a continuous\, closed-loop process: extracting high-fidelity or accurate collective situational awareness from distributed observation\, and subsequently utilizing that awareness for cooperative decision control in non-stationary environments. To achieve reliable operation across unstructured and dynamic domains\, the robotic swarm must maintain resilience when subjected to adverse situations. For instance\, in real-world target searching and surrounding\, environmental hazards can cause physical sensors to degrade or fail\, leading to significant prediction biases\, communication link drops\, or a complete loss of ground truth. Further\, robots operating in such dynamically evolving situations are frequently tasked with conflicting spatial objectives\, such as aggressively pursuing an agile target while safely navigating dense clutter\, requiring intelligent control to manage limited actuation and actuator velocity saturation limits. To address these demands\, this thesis develops an online learning based Distributed Artificial Intelligence Technology (DAITy) for robotic swarms\, which establishes a collective Situational Awareness – Decision Control (SA-DC) loop capable of executing resilient swarm cooperation and coordination across unstructured and non-stationary environments. \nThis thesis first focuses on extracting high-fidelity collective situational awareness from distributed observation under severe sensory biases and intermittent communication failures\, enabling the robots to accurately determine own-location and predict target behavior. The Distributed Learning-based Decentralized Cooperative Localization (DL-DCL) and Distributed Online learning-based Multi-Estimate (DOME) fusion frameworks are proposed. These supervised loss-driven online learning frameworks dynamically learn an information fusion strategy to combine pose estimates (or target position predictions) from onboard sensors (or prediction algorithms) and neighboring robots. To handle dynamically evolving situations and recover target trajectories despite severe environmental interference\, both frameworks incorporate periodic reset mechanisms to shed historical inertia alongside bounded loss functions to prevent explosive estimation errors from faulty sensors. Theoretically\, both frameworks establish the convergence of the fusion weights to the optimal local or social estimate/prediction; while DL-DCL’s theoretical analysis involves deterministic communication network\, DOME’s analysis involves random network. Quantitative evaluations demonstrate that DL-DCL improves own-pose estimation performance by approximately 40% under severe sensor faults\, while DOME achieves up to a 74% reduction in target position prediction loss compared to baselines that include both covariance-based and online learning methods. \nWhile supervised online learning is effective when landmarks or leaders are available\, swarms often operate in unstructured\, GPS-denied environments entirely lacking such ground-truth supervisors. To tackle this challenge\, the second contribution of this thesis introduces a reward-driven online learning framework based on concepts of independent learning or self-learning. The Autonomous Online Learning (AOL) framework enables resilient cooperative target monitoring by a reward-driven weighted information fusion process extracting accurate target location from limited\, intermittent exteroception among the robots in the swarm. Three variants are developed\, introducing a novel perturbation-greedy reward design that facilitates exploration-exploitation in the fusion weight space. The AOL framework empowers the swarm to isolate faulty robots and prioritize reliable information dynamically in adverse situations. Through rigorous convergence analysis\, the framework theoretically guarantees that the fusion weights converge to prioritize the most accurate information source. The top-performing variant\, AOL-1P\, demonstrates a 182.2% to 652% improvement in target detection scores and a 94.7% to 150.4% improvement in tracking closeness across varying swarm sizes over established baselines\, ensuring robust monitoring even when 50% of the total swarm population is undergoing permanent sensor failures. \nWith a high-fidelity situational awareness established\, the swarm must execute distributed decision control in non-stationary environments. Standard online optimization methods are often ineffective or inefficient on physical robotic swarms due to the dual challenge of simultaneous multi-objective balancing and actuator descent-step saturation\, particularly when target maneuvers force the swarm into dense clutter requiring seamless transitions between target tracking\, pursuit\, and collision avoidance. As the third contribution\, this thesis proposes the Softmax-Adaptive Objective Balancing in Multi-Objective Online Gradient Descent (SAO-MOOGD) framework. SAO-MOOGD utilizes a bounded loss signal to update objective weights using a softmax function\, enabling dynamic weighted averaging of the objective gradients. This enables simultaneous\, real-time balancing of competing goals\, such as decoupled collision avoidance versus target tracking. Theoretical analysis reveals dynamic regret bounds that explicitly quantify the error induced by physical velocity saturation\, showing that sub-linear regret growth can be guaranteed when proportional velocity controllers are appropriately tuned. Further\, theoretical analysis proves the exponential decay of the aggregation gap regret under non-degenerate loss margins. Complementing these theoretical guarantees\, the approach leverages the 1/2-Lipschitz continuity of the softmax operator to ensure smooth physical trajectory blending\, effectively eliminating heuristic limit-cycling. Across extensive ROS-Gazebo evaluations using TurtleBot3s\, SAO-MOOGD achieves improved multi-objective performance. Compared to high-tracking heuristic baselines\, it exhibits up to 5.5% lower target tracking accuracy while reducing collisions by up to 67% and lowering control effort by 30%. Further\, it demonstrates improved resilience\, incurring a reduction of less than 1% in tracking accuracy even under 40% communication packet drops and severe Gaussian sensory noise. \nDuring real-world deployments\, maintaining precise geometric configurations under physical disturbances is crucial for the Situational Awareness – Decision Control Loop. As the final contribution\, this thesis introduces the Topological Online Learning for Displacement-based (TOLD) formation control framework. Unlike conventional robust controllers that regulate node-level inputs without modifying the interaction topology\, TOLD performs real-time edge-level adaptation to preserve the swarm’s structural integrity in dynamically evolving situations. Two strategies are proposed: Online Gradient Flow (OGF) with unconstrained weights\, and Online Exponential Gradient Flow (OExpGF) with non-negative convex weights. Theoretical analysis proves that under directed communication topologies\, the convex OExpGF strategy drives single-integrator agents to asymptotic consensus\, whereas the unconstrained OGF approach guarantees a bounded structural distortion. Evaluated in both simulation and physical hardware experiments using Crazyflie 2.0 quadrotors\, TOLD significantly reduces formation distortion. OGF achieves a 62% reduction and OExpGF over a 31.4% reduction in median formation distortion compared to static interaction topologies in hardware experiments. \nOverall\, this thesis develops Distributed Artificial Intelligence Technology (DAITy) for robotic swarms from an interpretable online learning perspective\, seamlessly connecting collective information to decentralized situational awareness and decision control. Extensive evaluations across theoretical domains\, high-fidelity simulations\, and real-world hardware testbeds confirm the effectiveness and practical applicability of the proposed frameworks in unstructured and dynamically evolving situations. \nSpeaker: Shubhankar Gupta \nResearch Supervisor: Prof. Suresh Sundaram \n  \nTeams Meeting Link: Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/48118742709693?p=5x8mXnmrvKS0j3tx9g\nMeeting ID: 481 187 427 096 93\nPasscode: 9JQ6Tg2d
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ph-d-engg-distributed-artificial-intelligence-technology-for-robotic-swarms-an-interpretable-online-learning-perspective/
LOCATION:STC Seminar Hall\, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Shubhankar.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260623T110000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260623T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260622T043524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T145229Z
UID:10000131-1782212400-1782219600@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:AE Seminar by Dr Sri Prakash Sarathy\, Northrop Grumman
DESCRIPTION:AI in general and Agentic AI Frameworks in particular have begun to appear in safety critical and mission critical application of autonomous systems. Assurance of their behavior lags behind in terms of principles\, tools and engineering practice. In this presentation I will cover some emerging approaches that are both powerful and practical\, and easily understood and implemented by average engineering graduate. This is extremely important since assuring systems with AI requires a holistic approach starting from the systems design engineering all the way to implementation\, deployment and maintenance. I present some of the more advanced research methods applicable to autonomous aircraft systems.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Prakash Sarathy\n\nBiography :\n\nDr. Prakash Sarathy is the Chief Engineer in the areas of advanced autonomy\, cyber assurance\, and systems engineering\, within the Research and Development division of NGAS. He has over 30 years of experience in various aspects of aerospace engineering\, providing technical and project/program management and oversight for advanced technology programs requiring accelerated risk burn down and rapid maturation. His technical expertise includes software for autonomous systems\, behavior assurance for safety and security of advanced vehicle configurations\, integration of hardware and software components in complex multi-physics application domains. This software engineering expertise coupled with his in-depth experience in linear and nonlinear dynamics of vehicle systems\, applied to guidance\, navigation and control of aircraft\, spacecraft and robots as well as of real-time and embedded simulations\, high fidelity modeling\, implementation\, VV&A and testing\, provide an excellent framework for the challenges of next generation autonomous aircraft systems and their assurance. He has provided technical and project/program management and oversight for advanced technology programs ( RTCF\, DARPA/OFW and USN/N-UCAS) requiring accelerated risk burn down and rapid maturation. He is experienced in many facets of hardware\, software and systems engineering process and practice as applied to R&D as well as production software across many application verticals. Expertise in SCM\, SQA\,  agile development\,  re-engineering and testing. He has deep expertise in linear and nonlinear dynamics of vehicle systems\, including flexible multi-vehicle interactions with particular emphasis to real-time simulation of vehicles.\, as well as guidance\, navigation and control of aircraft\, spacecraft and robots\, including flight mechanics\, handling qualities and aero-elasticity. He has spearheaded flight software safety in mixed critical domains under the AFRL MCAR program\, and  overseen software development under the DARPA/OFW (X-plane)\, DARPA/HURT and USN/UCAS-D programs.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/ae-seminar-by-dr-sri-prakash-sarathy-northrop-grumman/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Dr-Sri-Prakash-Sarathy.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260624T113000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260624T130000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260622T045426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260622T151648Z
UID:10000132-1782300600-1782306000@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:From Pilot Workload to Adverse Couplings: Understanding Human–Vehicle Interactions in Challenging Rotorcraft Operations
DESCRIPTION:As civil and military aircraft evolve toward increasingly complex designs and intelligent systems\, understanding pilot–vehicle interactions and their impact on safety and performance remains essential. Rotorcraft shipboard landing is among the most demanding flight operations\, requiring pilots to contend with degraded and rapidly changing visual cues\, deck motion\, and environmental disturbances\, often resulting in elevated workload. Yet\, pilot workload is traditionally assessed using subjective rating scales that interrupt operations\, provide only post-task measures\, and offer limited insight into how pilot effort evolves during a mission. This seminar presents research on objective pilot workload assessment using signal processing of pilot inceptor activity\, with helicopter shipboard landing serving as a representative high-workload task. The talk also examines adverse aircraft/rotorcraft–pilot couplings\, including pilot-induced and pilot-assisted oscillations\, which are difficult to predict\, can arise from nonlinear pilot–vehicle interactions\, and have the potential to compromise mission completion and flight safety. Methods for identifying and characterizing such coupling phenomena using pilot inceptor activity are discussed\, together with their implications for aircraft dynamics and control\, pilot assistance technologies\, and autonomous aerial vehicles. \nSpeaker: Dr. Vinodhini Comandur \nBiography:\nVinodhini Comandur is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. She completed her PhD in Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2025. Her research interests lie in flight dynamics and control\, handling qualities\, human factors engineering\, and the development of autonomy-enabled capabilities for rotorcraft applications. She received her B.Tech. (Hons.) in Mechanical Engineering from the IIT Kharagpur in 2014\, her M.Tech. in Aerospace Engineering from the IIT Kanpur in 2016\, and her M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2025.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/from-pilot-workload-to-adverse-couplings-understanding-human-vehicle-interactions-in-challenging-rotorcraft-operations/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vinodhini-Comandur.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260624T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260624T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260623T083955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260712T055011Z
UID:10000133-1782313200-1782320400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:MTech(Res): Characterization of Turbulent Spots near the onset of Transition in a Flat-plate Boundary Layer
DESCRIPTION:Boundary layer (BL) transition to turbulence occurs through the inception\, growth\, and merging of turbulent spots. Understanding these spots is vital for predicting aerodynamic performance in disturbance-dominated environments like gas turbines.\n\nHowever\, conventional spot identification has been limited by subjective\, manual thresholding. The first phase of this work introduces a novel\, threshold-free demarcation scheme combining a Pre-Multiplied Wavelet Energy (PMWE) detector—scaled with BL thickness and log-transformed to establish an objective criterion for detection— along with a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) as a classifier. The framework generates wall-normal and spanwise variations of intermittency to a good accuracy and is validated across Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and wind-tunnel datasets for multiple transition scenarios.\n\n​Using this detection framework\, we track the precursors of spots (velocity spikes) upstream. Analysis of the instantaneous energetics of the pre-transitional region reveals that while stable streaks exhibit positive production within their cores and weak dissipation along their interfaces\, localized streak breakdown is consistently preceded by a distinct patch of negative turbulence production (a counter-gradient energy transfer back to the mean flow) co-located with intense dissipation. Crucially\, velocity spikes lacking this negative production signature fail to convert into downstream turbulent spots. Thus the presence of negative production appears to be a necessary precursor to spot inception.\n\n​Furthermore\, we evaluate the statistics near the transition front using a new intermittency-based conditioning method. While conventional conditional averaging at fixed streamwise locations obscures the physics by blending spots at different developmental stages\, conditioning along surfaces of constant local intermittency aligns spots at equivalent evolutionary stages much better. This approach reveals that as the transition onset is approached from downstream\, local turbulence production and dissipation increase manyfold. The sharp rise in these quantities signifies an abrupt\, highly localized energy transfer during the inception of spots\, occurring even while the corresponding skin friction coefficient remains close to laminar values.\n\nSpeaker : Yash Naiwar\n\nResearch Supervisor : Sourabh Suhas Diwan
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/mtechres-characterization-of-turbulent-spots-near-the-onset-of-transition-in-a-flat-plate-boundary-layer/
CATEGORIES:Thesis Colloquium / Defence
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Yash.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260709T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260709T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260707T091903Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260712T062534Z
UID:10000135-1783609200-1783616400@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:Characterizing Dynamic Response of Structures and Materials under Extreme Loading Environments
DESCRIPTION:Protective structures and vessels used in marine and defense applications are increasingly required to withstand extreme dynamic loading caused by explosions in air and underwater. Designing lightweight yet resilient structures demands a fundamental understanding of shock-wave interactions with materials\, structural geometry\, and the surrounding medium. This seminar presents a series of experimental investigations that progressively examine these aspects using advanced diagnostics.\nThe seminar begins with a comparative study of circular composite plates subjected to planar shock loading in air and underwater. The experiments reveal how the loading medium governs structural deformation\, vibration characteristics\, and cavitation-induced secondary loading\, providing insights into shock–structure interaction.\nNext\, the influence of structural geometry is examined through blast experiments on curved polymeric sandwich composite panels. The effects of curvature and boundary conditions on structural response are investigated\, demonstrating that geometric tailoring can significantly enhance blast resistance and modify damage mechanisms.\nThe seminar concludes by exploring the complex interaction between near-field underwater explosions and sandwich composite structures. Experimental observations capture the coupled effects of shock waves\, gas-bubble oscillations\, surface cavitation\, and structural deformation. The results highlight the influence of explosive stand-off distance and core density on impulse transfer\, cavitation dynamics\, and failure mechanisms\, providing valuable insights into fluid–structure interaction under extreme underwater loading.\nTogether\, these experimental studies advance the understanding of the dynamic response of composite structures under extreme loading and provide guidance for the design of resilient lightweight structures for naval\, offshore\, and protective engineering applications.\n\nSpeaker: Dr. Akshay Pandey\n\nBiography:\nDr. Akash Pandey is currently working as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. He previously worked at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) before earning his Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island. His research focuses on the dynamic response of structures and materials subjected to extreme loading conditions\, including blast and impact
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/characterizing-dynamic-response-of-structures-and-materials-under-extreme-loading-environments/
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Dr.-Akshay-Pandey.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260716T150000
DTEND;TZID=Asia/Kolkata:20260716T170000
DTSTAMP:20260717T204002
CREATED:20260708T083450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260712T064148Z
UID:10000136-1784214000-1784221200@aero.iisc.ac.in
SUMMARY:FROM MOTION PLANNING TO MULTI-ROBOT AUTONOMY IN CONSTRAINED AND DISCONNECTED ENVIRONMENTS
DESCRIPTION:Autonomous robots operating in challenging environments must make reliable decisions under geometric\, dynamic\, and environmental constraints. In such settings\, motion planning plays a central role in enabling robots to move safely and efficiently through cluttered\, narrow\, disconnected or uncertain spaces\, while balancing feasibility\, robustness\, and computational efficiency. \nThis talk will focus on motion planning for quadrotors flight through constrained regions such as narrow windows and cluttered spaces. In the later part of the talk\, I will briefly broaden the discussion to autonomy problems beyond single-robot flight\, including hierarchical coverage path planning in disconnected regions and terrain-aware balanced area allocation for heterogeneous multi-robot systems. Together\, these works highlight how planning methods must scale from vehicle-level motion generation to higher-level coordination and task allocation in challenging operational environments. \nSpeaker: Dr. Saurabh Upadhyay \nBiography: \nSaurabh Upadhyay received B.E. degree from SSGMCE\, Shegaon in 2009\, M.Tech. degree from IIT Guwahati in 2012\, and Ph.D. degree from IISc Bengaluru in 2018. He is a Lecturer in Space Engineering at Cranfield University\, UK. His research interests lie in mobile robots for extreme environments\, with special focus on low onboard resources decision making and ISRU-enabled robot design. He has received A.K. Rao best PhD thesis medal 2018 in Aerospace Engineering at IISc Bengaluru\, and he is endorsed as a potential leader/exceptional promise by Royal Academy of Engineering in 2021. He is an IEEE senior member\, lifetime AIAA Senior member\, and fellow of HEA.
URL:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/event/from-motion-planning-to-multi-robot-autonomy-in-constrained-and-disconnected-environments/
LOCATION:Auditorium (AE 005)\, Department of Aerospace Engineering
CATEGORIES:AE Seminar
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aero.iisc.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Saurabh-Upadhyay-Talk.png
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END:VCALENDAR