Dr. Tansel Yucelen (citizen of Turkey and USA) is an Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Director of the Laboratory for Autonomy, Control, Information, and Systems (LACIS), and the Director of the Forum on Robotics and Control Engineering (FoRCE) at the University of South Florida (USF). He is also the Co-Founder and Principal Engineer of ControlX, a startup company focusing on sensing and control for next-generation aerospace and space systems. Dr. Yucelen received a Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2012. Before joining the University of South Florida, he held Research Engineer positions in the School of Aerospace Engineering and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 2011 to 2013. He also held an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology from 2013 to 2016, where he created and directed the Advanced Systems Research Laboratory and the Control Systems Forum. He participated in summer programs at the Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace System Directorate in Dayton, Ohio (2014) and at the Munitions Directorate in Eglin, Florida (2015).
Dr. Yucelen's research strongly emphasizes both theoretical research and experimentation to address fundamental and open real-world technological problems. Specifically, he performs research on the general area of systems and control with recent focus areas including symbiotic (i.e., adaptive and fixed-gain) control systems, distributed estimation and control systems, networked control systems, human-in-the-loop control systems, motion planning, machine learning, and autonomy (see publications). In these areas sponsored by NSF, AFRL, AFOSR, ARL, ARO, NASA, DARPA, MDA, and ORAU ($7.5M), he has co-authored more than 350 archival journal and conference publications (4780 Google Scholar citations as of October 15, 2024); organized invited sessions, short courses, and workshops; gave numerous talks; and performed experiments on various platforms including AirSTAR of NASA. His laboratory also owns a full-scale Lift Hexa aircraft (see video) along with various multi-rotor platforms and ground vehicles. He is a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, a Senior Member of the IEEE, and an Associate Fellow of the AIAA. He is also the Chair of the IEEE CSS Technical Committee on Intelligent Control (TCIC), the Vice Chair of IEEE CSS Electronic Information (ieeecss.org/videos-webinars), and the IEEE CSS Representative of the IEEE Systems Council.
Dr. Yucelen has been recognized as a highly-ranked scholar and top-cited scientist respectively by ScholarGPS and Stanford/Elsevier in 2024 (see news). In addition, he was the recipient of the University of South Florida Research and Innovation Faculty Outstanding Research Achievement Awards (2018 and 2023), the University of South Florida College of Engineering Junior Outstanding Research Achievement Award (2017), the Aerospace Control and Guidance Systems Committee Dave Ward Memorial Lecture Award for the outstanding contributions to the field of adaptive control (2016), the AIAA Technical Contribution Award for the creation of novel flight control synthesis and analysis algorithms (2016), and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Junior Faculty Award for public recognition of the quality and promise of research (2015). He also received the Class of 1942 Excellence in Teaching Award (2014), where he transitioned several of his classes to YouTube including Control Systems, Advanced Control Systems, Adaptive Control and Learning, Regression and Control, and Reinforcement Learning. Finally, his hobbies include but not limited to composing rock songs (see Spotify); playing acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, and piano; photography; reading and writing poems and critical essays; and bodybuilding.
Projects
Perceptive and Reactive Autonomous Navigation in Challenging Environments (University of South Florida grant from Army Research Laboratory, 2024-2027).
An Experimental Testbed to Develop and Validate Autonomous eVTOL Control Methods for Safe Urban Air Mobility (University of South Florida grant from Army Research Laboratory, 2024-2025).
AI-Enabled Game Theoretic Approach for Hypersonic Swarm-on-Swarm Engagement Scenarios (ControlX grant from Missile Defense Agency STTR Phase I with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign being partner, 2023-2024).
Experimental Testbed for the Validation of Autonomous ISAM/OSAM Systems (ControlX grant from Air Force Research Laboratory Phase II with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University being partner, 2023-2024).
Reconfigurable Guidance and Control Systems for Emerging On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Space Vehicles (ControlX grant from Air Force Research Laboratory STTR Phase II with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University being partner, 2022-2024).
Reconfigurable Guidance and Control Systems for Emerging On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Space Vehicles (ControlX grant from Air Force Research Laboratory STTR Phase I with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University being partner, 2022-2022).
Distributed 2D/3D Formation Control for Cooperative Engagement under Constraints and Uncertainty (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory, 2022-2023).
Developing Embedded Distributed Electric Propulsion Control System for Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) / Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Vehicles (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory SBIR Phase II through ControlX, 2021-2023).
Developing Embedded Distributed Electric Propulsion Control System for Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) / Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Vehicles (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory SBIR Phase I through ControlX, 2020-2021).
Cooperative Estimation and Control for Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory, 2019-2022).
Distributed Intelligent Robust Control Technologies (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory SBIR Phase II through ControlX, 2019-2021).
Distributed Intelligent Robust Control Technologies (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory SBIR Phase I through ControlX, 2018-2019).
Graduate Student Travel Support Request for the IFAC Conference on Cyber-Physical & Human Systems (University of South Florida grant from National Science Foundation, 2018-2019).
Optimal Adaptive Control Architecture Development for TBCC Engines Integrated with MIPCC Systems (University of South Florida grant from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SBIR Phase II through ControlX, 2018-2023).
Verification and Validation of Adaptive Hypersonic Vehicle Control Algorithms (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Research Laboratory, 2017-2019).
Multiagent Coordination over Prescribed Time Intervals: System-Theoretic Foundations and Distributed Control (University of South Florida grant from Army Research Office, 2017-2018).
Developing an Adaptive TVC System for High-G Propulsion Control in Missile Interceptors (University of South Florida grant from Missile Defense Agency SBIR Phase I through ControlX, 2017-2018).
Optimal Adaptive Control Architecture Development for TBCC Engines Integrated with MIPCC Systems (University of South Florida grant from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SBIR Phase I through ControlX, 2017-2018).
System-Theoretic Principles and Decentralized Sensor Network and Control Algorithms for Dynamic Data-Driven Situational Awareness and Response (University of South Florida grant from Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 2017-2018).
Collaborative Research: Resilient Decentralized Estimation and Control for Cooperative Rigid Body Multivehicle Systems (University of South Florida grant from National Science Foundation, 2016-2019).
Control Systems Webinars: Reaching Broader Control Systems Community Around the Globe (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from IEEE Control Systems Society, 2016-2017).
Learning Algorithms for Preserving Safe Flight Envelope under Adverse Aircraft Conditions (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2015-2018).
Active Wing Shaping Control for Morphing Aircraft (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2015-2018).
Autonomous Multivehicle Systems for Real-Time Situational Awareness in Adverse Environments (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, 2015-2016).
Verification and Validation of Adaptive Systems for Hypersonic Vehicles (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from Air Force Research Laboratory, 2015-2015).
Adaptive Hypersonic Vehicle Control for Robust and Certifiable Performance (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from Air Force Research Laboratory, 2014-2014).
Resilient Multiagent Control in Adverse Environments (Missouri University of Science and Technology grant from University of Missouri Research Board, 2014-2016).
Patents
B. Sarsilmaz, T. Yucelen, and T. Oswald, “Distributed control of multiagent systems with heterogeneity in synchronization roles,” United States Patent 11,562,269 (2023).
D. Tran, T. Yucelen, and B. Sarsilmaz, “Distributed process state and input estimation for heterogeneous active/passive sensor networks,” United States Patent 11,402,243 (2022).
B. Sarsilmaz and T. Yucelen, “Control of multiagent systems with local and global objectives,” United States Patent 11,129,236 (2021).
K. M. Dogan, B. C. Gruenwald, T. Yucelen, and J. A. Muse, “An adaptive architecture for controlling uncertain systems with unmodeled dynamics,” United States Patent 11,106,183 (2021).
B. C. Gruenwald, T. Yucelen, K. M. Dogan, and J. A. Muse, “An adaptive control mechanism for uncertain systems with actuator dynamics,” United States Patent 11,079,737 (2021).
B. Sarsilmaz and T. Yucelen, “A distributed control mechanism for heterogeneous multiagent systems with unknown leaders,” United States Patent 10,983,532 (2021).
T. Yucelen and D. Tran, “Tools and methods for distributed spatial control of swarms via multiplex information networks,” United States Patent 10,645,156 (2020).
T. Yucelen, Y. Yildiz, and R. Sipahi, “Systems and methods for computing stability limits of human-in-the-loop adaptive control architectures,” United States Patent 10,618,525 (2020).
T. Yucelen, K. Kim, and A. J. Calise, “Systems and methods for derivative-free output feedback adaptive control,” United States Patent 8,996,195 (2015).
K. Kim, T. Yucelen, and A. J. Calise, “Systems and methods for parameter dependent Riccati equation approaches to adaptive control,” United States Patent 9,058,028 (2015).
Students
Current
Jesse Jaramillo, Ph.D. Candidate
Deniz Kurtoglu, Ph.D. Candidate
Alexander Saltos, Ph.D. Candidate
Kevin Wilcher, Ph.D. Candidate
Emre Yildirim, Ph.D. Candidate
Cristian Naranjo Zurita, M.S. Candidate
Past
Ali Albattat, Ph.D. (now at University of Al-Qadisiyah)
Ehsan Arabi, Ph.D. (now at Hyundai Research Laboratory)
Kemberly Cespedes, M.S. (now at Sandia Research Laboratory)
Meryem Deniz, Ph.D. (now at Izmir Katip Celebi University)
K. Merve Dogan, Ph.D (now at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Benjamin Gruenwald, Ph.D. (now at Army Research Laboratory)
Jesse Jaramillo, M.S. (now at University of South Florida)
Ahmet T. Koru, Ph.D. (now at University of Texas, Arlington)
Daniel Peterson, Ph.D. (now at ABB)
Andrya Pimentel, M.S. (now at NASA)
Stefan Ristevski, Ph.D. (now at Combine)
Burak Sarsilmaz, Ph.D. (now at Utah State University)
Dzung Tran, Ph.D. (now at Air Force Research Laboratory)
Daniel Wagner, M.S. (now at Czech Technical University)
Tyler Wieczorek, M.S. (now at Lockheed Martin)
Kevin Wilcher, M.S. (now at University of South Florida)
Kimberly Wilcher, Ph.D. (now at DARPA)
Emre Yildirim, M.S. (now at University of South Florida)