Join Online: Zoom Link

Committee Members:

• Ph.D. Advisor: Prof. Eric Feron
• External Examiner: Prof. Haitham Taha (University of California, Los Angeles — UCLA) 
• Committee Chair: Prof. Daniele Boffi
• Committee Member: Prof. Tadd Truscott

Abstract

This work presents the design and control of tetrahedral aerial vehicles that can connect to form larger, three-dimensional assemblies. Unlike conventional planar drone assemblies, the proposed tetrahedral design enhances structural integrity and stability.

Two control strategies are explored: a fully decentralized control, which operates without knowledge of the assembly configuration, and a distributed control, which leverages each module’s position for improved performance. An optimization-based identification algorithm is introduced to automatically determine module locations, enabling autonomous switching between the two control modes. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of these strategies and demonstrate the robustness of the modular tetrahedral system.

Biography

Obadah Wali received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in 2016, and his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in 2021.

He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at KAUST, in Mechanical Engineering program in the PSE division. His research focuses on the design and control of robotics and drones, with particular interest in autonomous vehicles and multi-vehicle coordination and control.