Vehicle and Robotics Engineering Laboratory
Director: Prof. Vladimir V. Vantsevich
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Knowledge that will change your world
Vehicle and Robotics Engineering Laboratory
• The Vehicle and Robotics Engineering Laboratory (VREL) develops multi‐disciplined and multi‐domain systems engineering approach to engineer vehicleand robotic mechatronic systems in partnership with academia, industry,government research agencies, and Intergovernmental and Internationalorganizations.
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
VREL MISSION
• VREL provides conditions and equipment and facilities postgraduate, graduateand undergraduate research, works on contact projects with industry, anddevelops advanced academic and professional development courses andprogramsatall educational levels in theareaonvehicleand roboticmechatronicsystemsengineering.
• VREL provides an avenue for the new academic track in the Department ofMechanical Engineering: “Mechatronic Systems Engineering with application toVehicleandRobotics Engineering”
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Conventional/unmanned ground vehicles•Agile and hyperactive vehicle/tire dynamics and control • Coupled/interactive dynamics and design of open architecture vehicle systems• Connectivity and automation for vehicle dynamics and powertrain control• Cyber‐protection of vehicle dynamics, intra‐ and inter‐vehicle systems •Mobility and survivability of terrain vehicle platoon/convoy •Vehicle energy and fuel efficiency •Vehicle performance and mission fulfillment optimization and controlVehicle driveline/propulsion systems: optimization, control, and design•Autonomous wheel power management systems•Multi‐wheel, hybrid‐electric, electric and hydraulic controllable drivelines• Limited slip and e‐locking differentials; transfer cases and drive axles•Wheeled amphibious propulsion systems Robotics•Mechanical design of robots•Dynamics and control with new expansion to Biomechatronics/Biorobotics (inverse approach)
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Main R&D Directions in VREL
Student Participation in Research Work
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
. Student name Year of defense Institution Dissertation title
Jeremy P. Gray,US Army TARDEC
March2015
UAB UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE TERRAIN/ROADMOBILITY FOUNDATION AND ITS ALGORITHMICFORMALIZATION FOR WHEEL POWERMANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE LEADER ANDFOLLOWER CAPABILITIES
Mostafa Salama,Arab Academy for
Science and Technology and Maritime Transport
October2015
UAB
UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE DYNAMICS ANDENERGY EFFICIENCY CONTROL
Siyuan Zhang (Hunter)
December2019
UAB
UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE INTEGRATEDCONTROL OF OPERATIONAL PROPERTIES
Student Participation in Research Work
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Student name Year Student name Year
Blair Farley 2017 Siyuan Zhang (Hunter) 2016
Cheng Chang Lee 2012 Ogonna Ezeokoli 2016
Chris Grave 2014 Anvesh Loka 2016
Gabriel Judd 2014 Hillarion Arong 2017
NarithemMuthu 2014 Chantel Jordi 2017
Mourya Ruppa 2015 Bing Wang 2017
Student Participation in Research Work
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
# Name Major Research Topic Year
1 Debbie Donaldson ME Honda Powertrain 2012
2 Blake Feltman ME Mobility 2012
3 Nick Bernard ME (Honor Program) Tire Slip and Tire Force Analysis and Sensors 2013
4 James Sketers ME Honda Powertrain 2013 – 2014
5 Scissum Kuni ECE UGV, Controller 2013 – 2014
6 Erin Pincombe ME Honda Powertrain; Tire Detection Monitor 2013 – 2015
7 Presley Libb ME Honda Powertrain 2013 – 2015
8 Ebrahim Zuaiter ME UGV, Controller 2013 – 2014
9 Nicholas Lannuzzi ME 6 6 Truck: Wheel Power Distribution 2015
10 Chris Graves ME Lab Development; Tire Detection Monitor 2015
Student Participation in Research Work
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
# Name Major Research Topic Year
11 Mark Parker ME Tire Detection Monitor 2014
12 Jason Pate ME DC motor design and control 2014
13 Andrew Hall ME UGV, Encoder 2015
14 Cole Hankins ME Teaching Assistant, ME 360 2015 – 2016
15 Lauren Symmes ME Teaching Assistant, ME 360 2015 – 2016
16 Anthony Ford ME (Honor Program) 4 4 Vehicles with four electric motors 2016
17 Samantha Westerhouse ME (Honor Program) Human Wrist Mechanics and Studying its Application to Robotics 2016
18 Chandra Yarlagadda ME (Honor Program) Mechatronics lab development 2016
19 Archit Patel ME (Honor Program) Mechatronics lab development 2016
20 Ryan Mohaimany ME DC motor design 2016
Student Participation in Research Work
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
# Name Major Research Topic Year
21 Emma Latham BME (Honor Program) DC motor control, Hall Effect sensor, Teaching Assistant, ME 360
2016 ‐2018
22 Rachana Kotapalli BME (Honor Program) DC motor control, Hall Effect sensor, Teaching Assistant, ME 360
2016‐2018
23 Beau Johnson ME (Honor Program) New gripper Design 2018
• Book = 1• Journal Papers = 7• Conference Papers = 47
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
Student Participation in Research Work
LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
• New Equipment to Demonstrate mechanical Engineering Principles in action –ME 461 Mechanical System
• Eight (8) New Experiments• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students
• Flyers and Posters in the Lab
# Name
1 Thread Efficiency Testing Equipment
2 Screw Tester
3 Vibration Measurement and Analysis: Cantilever Beam
4 Experimental Evaluation of Belt Drive Characteristics
5 Simple and Compound Gear Train Kinematics
6 Experimental Evaluation of Gear Efficiency
7 Dynamic Balancing Lab
8 Experimental Evaluation of Journal Bearing Friction
• New Equipment to Demonstrate Vehicle Dynamics and Engineering Principles in Action –ME 360 Intro to Mechatronics
• Five (5) New Experiments Developed• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students
• Four (4) New Experiments in Progress
# Name
1 Tactile Navigation with Whiskers
2 Light Sensitive Navigation with Photoresistors
3 Robot Control with Distance Detection
4 DC Motor on/off Control with NI myRIO
5 Hall‐Effect Sensor‐ DC motor on/off control with NI myRIO
In collaboration with National Instruments
LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
• New Equipment to Demonstrate Vehicle Dynamics and Engineering Principles in Action –ME 430 Vehicle Dynamics
• Two (2) New Experiments Developed• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students
# Name
1 Tactile Navigation with Whiskers
2 Light Sensitive Navigation with Photoresistors
In collaboration with Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
• New Lecture Course and Equipment to Demonstrate Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Engineering Principles in action–ME 4XX/5XX Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Engineering
• Two (2) Computer Workshops Developed New Experiments Developed
• Five (5) New Experiments developed• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students
In collaboration with Southern Company Services, Inc., National Instruments, and CAAT
# Name
1 Lecture: Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Engineering
2 Electrical UGV: Tires/Terrain Interaction and Power Losses
3 DC Motors PID Control
4 Electrical and Mechanical Power in Electric Vehicles
LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
• New Lecture course to Demonstrate Engineering Principles to Design Drivetrains –ME 490/590 Intro to Vehicle Drivetrain System
• Two (2) Computer Workshops Developed New Experiments Developed
• Detailed Lab Manuals for Instructor and Students
LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
Mechatronics – Vehicle – Robotics in BSME, MSME, and Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Engineering
BS and MS courses
Introduction to Mechatronics ME 360
Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines with ADAMS ME 370
Vehicle Dynamics ME 430/530
Mechanical Systems, Labs ME 461
Introduction to Vehicle Drivetrain Systems Engineering ME 490/590
Introduction to Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Engineering ME 4XX/5XX
Energy Efficiency of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, Labs ME 4XX/5XX
Mechanical Design of Robots: Mechatronics Approach ME 4XX/5XX
Experimental Testing of Vehicles ME 4XX/5XX
Graduate Courses (PhD)
Advanced Dynamics ME 672/772
Dynamics and Mobility of Vehicles: Modeling and Simulation ME 673/773
Autonomous Wheel Power Management Systems: Theory and Design ME 674/774
LABORATORY AND COURSE DEVELOPMENT
International Engineering SymposiumAgile Ground Vehicle Dynamics, Energy Efficiency,
and Performance in Severe EnvironmentsSeptember 8-11, 2013, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
11 US States
8 Countries
17 Universities
18 Companies
Jointly organized by UAB, Barber Motorsports, Southern Company, and the International Society for Terrain Vehicle SystemJointly organized by UAB, Barber Motorsports, Southern Company, and the International Society for Terrain Vehicle System
NATO Advanced Study Institute
Jointly organized by
This activity is supported by: The NATO Science for Peace and
Security Programme
KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)
Coventry University (UK)
The University of Alabama (USA)
Dr. V. Vantsevich, Project Director
VREL DIRECTOR
Vladimir V. VantsevchScD, PhD, Dip.‐Eng.ASME FellowProfessor in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Departments
Editor‐of two book series
VREL DIRECTOR
Vladimir V. VantsevchScD, PhD, Dip.‐Eng.ASME FellowProfessor in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Departments
Editor‐in‐Chief
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