<![CDATA[Matthew Robinaugh]]>http://localhost:2368/http://localhost:2368/favicon.pngMatthew Robinaughhttp://localhost:2368/Ghost 5.38Tue, 21 Mar 2023 16:24:56 GMT60<![CDATA[Platform for Spacecraft Attitude and Control Modeling]]>During my senior year of Undergrad, I worked on a research project with my Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Controls professor, Dr. Bradley Wall, to design and build a one-dimensional satellite model. The goal of the project was to develop a platform to test and validate different control schemes used in

]]>http://localhost:2368/sadc-research/64124463ff64282d04fbcbedWed, 15 Mar 2023 22:19:39 GMTDuring my senior year of Undergrad, I worked on a research project with my Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics and Controls professor, Dr. Bradley Wall, to design and build a one-dimensional satellite model. The goal of the project was to develop a platform to test and validate different control schemes used in class on a physical system. I used Simulink to develop the simulated plant and the control law that ended up on the model. The picture below shows the final iteration of the design that is powered by an Arduino-controlled reaction wheel.

This research project was funded by the ERAU Undergraduate Research Institute and Arizona Space Grant. As part of the Arizona Space Grant, I also presented my process and findings to a group of industry professionals. This research project was one of my first introductions to the real-world applications of our controls theory and into hardware in the loop control for a physical system.

]]><![CDATA[Urban Air Mobility Research Project]]>The UAM project was conducted with joint support from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Honeywell Aerospace and was led by our professor, Dr. Johann Dorfling. The goal of the project was to characterize flight performance of an electric air taxi based on ascent and descent speeds and climb angles. My role

]]>http://localhost:2368/uam-research-project/6411113d07cdd9bd4ca88a77Wed, 15 Mar 2023 22:17:49 GMTThe UAM project was conducted with joint support from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Honeywell Aerospace and was led by our professor, Dr. Johann Dorfling. The goal of the project was to characterize flight performance of an electric air taxi based on ascent and descent speeds and climb angles. My role on the team was the flight team lead. In this role, I oversaw our test flights and ensured we were following all of our set procedures to ensure safe and successful flights. One of these flight tests is shown below:

I also assisted on the construction and maintenance of the vehicle. The UAM project experienced its fair share of issues over the year I was on the team. This included numerous failed test flights, components catching on fire, and a malfunctioning telemetry system. Even though each of these things was a big setback, it has taught me very important lessons in troubleshooting, communication between teams, and proper documentation to ensure finding issues is as easy as possible. By the end of the project, we were able to overcome many of these troubling issues and conduct three successful autonomous flights and use the collected data to present at National Conference on Undergraduate Research.

]]><![CDATA[Propulsive Landing Model Design and Demonstration]]>For my undergraduate senior capstone design project, a team of six other engineering students and I worked on developing a model capable of a propulsive rocket landing demonstration using a solid rocket motor. My primary tasks on the team were to assist in the development of the landing simulation and

]]>http://localhost:2368/capstone-project/6410fbfe07cdd9bd4ca888c5Tue, 14 Mar 2023 22:58:06 GMTFor my undergraduate senior capstone design project, a team of six other engineering students and I worked on developing a model capable of a propulsive rocket landing demonstration using a solid rocket motor. My primary tasks on the team were to assist in the development of the landing simulation and control software for the demonstration vehicle, as well as lead the development of the physical design and construction of the vehicle. The initial phase of the vehicle's software development was done in Simulink to visualize the control flow and to ensure stability in the system. This control schema was then ported into C++ to increase efficiency and provide an easier implementation avenue for our microcontroller. The primary design of our physical system was completed in CATIA and analyzed using max load calculations to ensure minimal deflection errors in testing. The design of our final model changed drastically from the original design. The original scope of the project was to create a full 3-Dimensional lander. Due to large time and budget constraints, moving into the second semester the team decided to scale back to a fixed test platform and conduct a hardware-in-the-loop simulation. The final design is shown in the image below:

This would allow us to create a proof of concept of our control system using a real hot-fire motor and a functioning thrust vector control system. Throughout this project, the team and I generated extensive requirements and documentation for our system. We also developed test plans and trade studies to ensure we were meeting the generated system-level and subsystem-level requirements on the vehicle. From this project, I have learned a lot more about budgeting skills, teamwork, and technical document creation. Sadly, due to scheduling difficulties with the firing range at school and allocated running time, we did not have very much time to produce a successful landing demonstration on the test platform. After our final test, we dug back into the code and the data from the final run and believe we found the issue that caused our failure. However, since the semester had ended and everyone was graduating, we were unable to run a final test to validate our assumption.

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