People

John Allen

John Allen, PhD

  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • alleniii@hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Acoustics, multiphase fluid dynamics, micro-biomechanics

Research Interests

  1. Aeroacoustics
  2. Sound measurement and signal processing
  3. Flapping flight, Oriental Flower Beetle, acoustic spectra – flapping wings,
  4. CFD simulation- vortex shedding
Dilmurat Azimov

Dilmurat Azimov, PhD, DSc

  • Associate Professor
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • azimov@hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Autonomous,  Automatic and Integrated Targeting, Guidance, Navigation and Control; Optimal Control; Trajectory Optimization; Orbit Determination and Applications. 

Research Interests

  1. Integration and execution of 6-degrees–of-freedom extremal trajectory and attitude control algorithms;
  2. Development and validation of an autonomous, automatic and integrated extremal targeting, guidance, navigation and control (TGNC) concepts and software technology for various space operations;
  3. Development of a GNC system software for small satellites;
  4. Autonomous TGNC software development for safe and precision landing at a desired site on a planet;
  5. Trajectory synthesis for deep space and sample return missions;
  6. Unmanned aerial systems dynamics, guidance and control;
  7. Determination of orbits of space objects using observations and their applications to space situational awareness, collision avoidance, orbit maintenance operations, etc;
  8. 6-degrees–of-freedom extremal trajectory and attitude control;
  9. Autonomous, automatic and integrated extremal targeting, guidance, navigation and control technology for aerospace systems
  10. Analytical synthesis of extremal trajectories for space missions;
  11. Orbit determination using observations and applications.
Eunji Jun

Eunji Jun, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • ejun@hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Kinetic theory, Non-equilibrium gas dynamics, Hypersonic rarefied gas dynamics, Multiscale flow, Plasma dynamics, Electric Propulsion, Space propulsion

Research Interests

  1. Numerical analysis of hypersonic entry/re-entry flow for next generation solar system exploration
  2. Develop statistical solution algorithms for multiscale flow
  3. High altitude rocket plume analysis such as a propulsion system of small satellites
  4. Extend current physical model of Fokker Planck statistical method
  5. Plasma dynamics
MarceloKobayashi550x730px

Marcelo H. Kobayashi, PhD

  • Professor
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • marcelok@hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Fluid Mechanics

Research Interests

  1. Topology optimization of wings
  2. Topological derivatives
  3. Evodevo methods for topology optimization
  4. Particle dynamics in viscous fluids
Dr.MiguelNunes

Miguel A. Nunes, PhD

  •  Deputy Director of HSFL
  • Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory
  • manunes@hsfl.hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Small Satellites, CubeSats, Multi-Agent Robotic Systems (MARS), Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC), Flight Software, Space mission planning, Space Sensor development

Research Interests

  1. Spacecraft Mission Design (CubeSats, MicroSats)
  2. Spacecraft Systems Engineering
  3. Distributed Space Missions
  4. Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS)
  5. Advanced Flight Computer Systems, Heterogeneous Computers
  6. Multi-Agent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration
  7. Automated Rendezvous and Docking for Small Satellites
  8. Flight Software (https://github.com/hsfl/cosmos)
Trevor Sorensen

Trevor Sorensen, DEng

  • Specialist and Project Manager
  • Hawai’i Space Flight Laboratory
  • sorensen@hsfl.hawaii.edu
  • Website

Research Interests

  1. Space Mission Operations
  2. Mission Operations Software
  3. Autonomous spacecraft operations
  4. Lunar Missions
  5. Spacecraft project management
  6. BalloonSats
Zhuoyuan Song

Zhuoyuan Song, PhD

  • Assistant Professor
  • Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • zsong@hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Robotics, Autonomy, Guidance, Navigation and Control

Research Interests

  1. Sensor fusion using stochastic filtering and probabilistic inference
  2. Autonomous navigation and path planning for autonomous systems; Optimal path planning in uncertain environments; Visual guidance using plenoptic imaging
  3. Inertial navigation systems in GPS-denied environments; Resilient navigation based on system redundancy; Cooperative localization for multi-agent systems
  4. Multi-agent swarming and flocking control; Decentralized control and coordination
FrancesZhu2020

Frances Zhu, PhD

  • Assistant Researcher
  • Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
  • zhuf@hawaii.edu
  • Website
  • Dynamics, Controls, Robotics, Machine Learning

Research Interests

  1. Design novel spacecraft systems in physical morphology and algorithms that enhance space exploration capabilities
  2. Explore faraway, scientifically rich environments by applying my dynamics and control knowledge and integrating machine learning models for better autonomy and adaptability
  3. Develop intelligent robots to autonomously navigate and probe scientific hotbeds in extreme terrains intermediately on Earth, like glaciers, hydrothermal vents, and underwater volcanoes, which offer analogues to space environments and independently have scientific value
  4. Derive guarantee of safety of machine learning techniques for dynamic systems
  5. Augment human exploration through cooperation and interaction with these intelligent robots