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Joint Missions: Viterbi School Engineers Will Partner with JPL Counterparts


April 28, 2005 —
Seven Viterbi School researchers will partner with an equal number of counterparts at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in a  new $175
 
(clockwise upward from bottom left:) Maya, Jin, Koenig, Sukhatme, Mataric, Pedram, Udwadia, Hall.
,000 research initiative.
 

Each of the projects ranging from robotics, simulation, space mission system design to  project management, will be funded with a $25,000 grant to begin, according to Viterbi School Senior Associate Dean of Research Randolph W.  Hall, who announced the program.

“We expect that our new strategic partnership with JPL will lead to much larger joint projects in the future," Hall added. "This initiative is helping the Viterbi School achieve the USC Strategic Plan, to complete need-driven collaborative research.  We are working with JPL to create the technology to enable space exploration far into the future."

JPL, managed by Caltech for NASA, is the lead US center for robotic exploration of the solar system.

The projects include:

  • Towards a New Generation of Spacecraft LandingTestbeds: Emulating Spacecraft Landing Dynamics on a Helicopter, by Gaurav S. Sukhatme, USC, and James Montgomery, JPL.
  • Adaptive Human-Machine Interfaces for Collaborative Construction, Maja Mataric', USC and Terry Huntsberger.    JPL
  • Auction-Based Multi-Robot Control, Sven Koenig, USC and Bradley Clement, JPL.
  • Efficient Synthesis of Quantum Logic Circuits by Rotation-based Quantum Operators and Unitary Functional Bi-decomposition, Massoud Pedram USC and Payman Arabshahi, JPL
  • DBES: Decision-Based Engineering Structure for Mission System Development. Yan Jin, USC  and Jeffrey L. Smith, JPL
  • Development of a New and Novel Approach to Space Mission Analysis, Firdaus Udwadia, USC and Try Lam, JPL.
  • Development of a Practical Lessons Learned Tool for Project Management/Risk Assessment of Future JPL Projects, Issac Maya, USC and Kenneth Atkins, JPL.

“The Viterbi School is expanding collaboration in all areas,” said Hall. “We look forward to working with JPL on these exciting projects.