Inna Sharf

Research Interests

Primary Research Theme: Dynamics and Control
Research Group/Lab : Aerospace Mechatronics Laboratory

Unmanned aerial vehicles: dynamics, navigation and control of small UAVs (quadrotors, indoor airships) Multibody systems: contact dynamics, modeling, simulation, parameter identification. Dynamics, control and motion planning of mechatronic systems: legged robots, space robotic systems. Computational mechanics: contact mechanics, finite elements analysis.

Current Research Projects

• Guidance, navigation, and control of indoor airships for artistic applications and aerial architecture

• Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs): dynamics and  control, state estimation, localization, motion planning

• Collision recovery for small UAVs

• Active space debris removal strategies: robotic capture and post-capture maneuvering and stabilization

• Active space debris removal strategies: dynamics modeling and simulation of tethered-net debris capture

• Orbit and attitude propagation of space debris under hypervelocity collisions

For More Information Regarding Her Research Projects

Postdoctoral Position Available

Professor Sharf is currently looking to recruit a postdoctoral fellow for one year, likely to be extended for another year, to work on a UAV related project. The candidate should have background in any of the following areas:  UAV formation or coordinated control, coordinated path planning and collision avoidance. Ideally, the candidate should have good theoretical/numerical background but also hands-on experience of working with UAVs. Interested candidates should send their CV’s directly to Professor Sharf.

Most Significant Publications

• Sagnières, L. B. M. and I. Sharf, "Stochastic modeling of hypervelocity impacts in attitude propagation of space debris,'' Advances in Space Research, doi:10.1016/j.asr.2016.11.030, Vol. 59, pp. 1128-1143, 2017.
• St-Onge, D., P.-Y. Breches, I. Sharf, N. Reeves, I. Rekleitis, P. Abouzakhm, Y. Girdhar, A. Harmat, G. Dudek and P. Giguere. "Control, Localization and Human Interaction with an Autonomous Lighter-than-air Performer,'' Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Vol. 88, pp. 165-186, 2017.
• Botta, E.M., I. Sharf, and A.K. Misra. "Contact Dynamics Modeling and Simulation of Tether Nets for Space-Debris Capture,'' Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics,doi:10.2514/1.G000677, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 110-123, 2017.
• Harmat A., Trentini M. and I. Sharf, "Multi-Camera Tracking and Mapping for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Unstructured Environments," Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, Vol. 78, No. 2, pp. 291-317, 2015.
• Persson, S.M. and I. Sharf, "Sampling-based A* Algorithm for Robot Path-planning,'' International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 33, pp. 1683-1708, 2014.
• Zarrouk, D., I. Sharf and M. Shoham, “Analysis of Worm-like Robotic Locomotion on Compliant Surfaces,” to appear in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 2011.
• Sharf, I., A. Wolf and MB Rubin, “Arithmetic and Geometric Solutions for Average Rigid-body Rotation,” Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 45, No. 9, pp. 1239-1251, 2010.
• Smith, J.A., I. Poulakakis, M. Trentini and I. Sharf, “Bounding with Active Wheels and Liftoff Angle Velocity Adjustment,” International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 414-427, 2010.
• Verscheure, D., I. Sharf, H. Bruyninckx, J. Swevers and J. De Schutter, “Identification of Contact Dynamics Parameters from Stiff Multi-point Contact Robotic Operations,” International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 367-385, 2010.
• Zhang, Y. and I. Sharf, “Validation of Nonlinear Viscoelastic Contact Force Models for Low Speed Impact,” ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 76, No. 5, p. 051002 (12 pp.), 2009.
• Weber, M., K. Patel, O. Ma and I. Sharf, “Identification of Contact Dynamics Model Parameters from Constrained Robotic Operations,” ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control, Vol. 128, No. 2, pp. 307-318, 2006.
• Erickson, D., M. Weber and I. Sharf, "Contact Stiffness and Damping Estimation for Robotic Systems," IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 41-57, 2003.
• G. Gilardi and I. Sharf. "Literature Survey of Contact Dynamics Modelling." To appear in Mechanism and Machine Theory, 2001.
• Van Vliet, J., I. Sharf and O. Ma. "Experimental Validation of Contact Dynamics Simulation of Constrained Robotic Tasks." International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol. 19, No. 12, pp. 1203-1217, 2000.
• Sharf, I. "Active Damping of a Large Flexible Manipulator with a Short-Reach Robot." ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems Measurement and Control, Vol. 118, pp. 704-713, 1996.
• Damaren, C., and I. Sharf. "Simulation of Flexible-Link Manipulators with Inertial and Geometric Nonlinearities." ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems Measurement and Control, Vol. 117, pp. 74-87, 1995.

 Conference Presentations/Papers

• Sharf, I., B. Laumonier, M. Persson, J. Robert, “Control of a Fully-actuated Airship for Satellite Emulation,” Video Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, ICRA2008, Pasadena, CA, May 19-23, 2008.
• Zhang, Y. and I. Sharf, "Compliant Force Modeling for Impact Analysis," Proc. ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences, DETC2002/MECH-34357, Best Paper Award Competition Finalist, pp. 1-10, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 28 - October 2, 2004.
• Sharf, I. and D. Crymble, "Robot/Airship Facility for Autonomous Robotic Grasping of Objects in Space," poster presentation and paper at 16th IFAC Symposium on Automatic Control in Aerospace, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, June 14-18, 2004.

Courses