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Simulation methods for plasmonic structures
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
In the recent years there has been a growing interest in studying electromagnetic wave propagation at the nanoscale. The interaction of light with metallic nanostructures produces a collective excitation of conduction ...
Angles-only navigation technique for maneuver-free spacecraft proximity operations
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
The technique of angles-only navigation consists of a single surveyor making line-of-sight observations of a target to deduce a relative navigation state from a sequence of angle measurements. Historically, angles-only ...
Electro-aerodynamic thrust for fixed-wing aircraft propulsion
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
Aviation operations negatively impact global climate, degrade surface air quality, and create noise. Towards mitigating these effects, this thesis considers electro-aerodynamic (EAD) propulsion, a form of in-atmosphere ...
Human-machine collaborative optimization via apprenticeship scheduling
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
I envision a future where intelligent service robots become integral members of human-robot teams in the workplace. Today, service robots are being deployed across a wide range of settings; however, while these robots ...
Continuous low-rank tensor decompositions, with applications to stochastic optimal control and data assimilation
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
Optimal decision making under uncertainty is critical for control and optimization of complex systems. However, many techniques for solving problems such as stochastic optimal control and data assimilation encounter the ...
Towards concept generation and performance-complexity tradespace exploration of engineering systems using convex hulls
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
This thesis examines tradeoffs between performance and complexity in the context of future aircraft engine architectures and a reconfigurable mobile device. Traditionally aircraft/engine system architecture selection has ...
On the low-dimensional structure of Bayesian inference
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
The Bayesian approach to inference characterizes model parameters and predictions through the exploration of their posterior distributions, i.e., their distributions conditioned on available data. The Bayesian paradigm ...
Systems-theoretic safety analyses extended for coordination
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
When interdependent conditions exist among decision units, safety results in part from coordination. Safety analysis methods should correspondingly address coordination. However, state-of-the-art safety analysis methods ...
System modeling, design, and control of the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) and implications for atmospheric ISRU processing plants
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
As humankind expands its footprint in the solar system, it is increasingly important to make use of Earth independent resources to make these missions sustainable and economically feasible. In-Situ Resource Utilization ...
Control of stochastically interacting systems on networks
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
The goal of this thesis is to develop control theoretic analysis and algorithms for characterizing and controlling stochastically interacting systems on networks. Such systems have three essential features - (i) they are ...