Dr. Brad Paden of LaunchPoint Technologies

Abstract: This talk aims to illustrate the creativity and challenges associated with the invention and design of mechatronic devices. Example systems include a maglev transportation system, a guided-catheter system, an oxygen concentrator, maglev artificial hearts, high-speed switching mechanisms including an electronic engine valve, high-power-density motors, and an energy storage system, and “blue-sky” ideas such as electromagnetic launch. While modeling, control and optimization are essential ingredients in mechatronic systems, the large design and application spaces of mechatronic systems compel us to place a high value on innovation at the level of system architectures – this point is illustrated throughout the talk.

Biography:

Speaker's bio: Brad Paden is Chief Scientist & Co-Founder of LaunchPoint Electric Propulsion Solutions and a Fellow of IEEE, ASME, and AIMBE. He also serves as a Technical Advisor to Seismic Capital and Gravity Power. Dr. Paden is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara. His expertise includes nonlinear control theory, electric machine design, and robotics. Dr. Paden was a Visiting Fellow with the Department of Mathematics, University of Western Australia, in 1988. He received the Kalman Best Paper Award from the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control in 1993, the IEEE Control System Society Technology Award in 2001, and the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division Charles S. Draper Award for Innovative Practice in 2010. He has co-authored over 100 technical papers and 24 patents, which can be found on Google Scholar. Dr. Paden received the BS, MS, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978, 1982, and 1985, respectively.

Address:Goleta, United States