Fundamental Research with Real-world Impact at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories

Abstract

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL) is a leading research organization located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA that conducts fundamental research for industrially motivated problems. MERL is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, a $40B global manufacturer of a wide range of products including industrial robots, automotive electronics and equipment, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems, factory automation equipment, electrical power systems, elevators, satellites, and information visualization systems. MERL is an active and collaborative member of both the academic and industrial communities. MERL researchers collaborate with corporate laboratories and business units in Japan, as well as academic partners from around the world to develop novel solutions to challenging problems. Several groups and researchers at MERL develop new theoretical results in control and systems theory, robotics, autonomy, optimization, and learning, and apply them to a wide variety of products and applications.

In this talk we will present an overview of research activities at MERL, including fundamental research in control and its application to a variety of future products. We will focus on fundamental research topics including model predictive control and the control of constrained systems, estimation and motion planning for autonomous systems, real-time optimization and integration of learning and control methods. Then, we will describe how these fundamental research areas have impacted real world applications and products such as autonomous vehicles, energy-efficient HVAC systems, high-precision manufacturing, and spacecraft guidance and control.

We encourage students and researchers interested in collaborating with MERL to attend this talk and inquire of opportunities.

Description

Sponsor: Mitsubishi Electric

Organizer: Stefano Di Cairano