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Seminar: Recent Technology Developments for Guided Airdrop Systems - Jan. 20

Mark Costello

Mark Costello
Professor and Chair, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech
Friday, Jan. 20 | 11:45 A.M. | AERO 120

Abstract: Guided airdrop systems have changed the notion of aerial delivery by significantly improving airborne cargo landing accuracy and precision.  This improvement comes in large part due to the application of steerable ram-air parafoil canopies and associated guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) algorithms providing the unique capability of such systems to penetrate atmospheric winds and remain close to the target area throughout descent and landing.  This talk will discuss several emerging guided airdrop technologies that are enabling significant increases in overall performance with an emphasis on in-canopy bleed air control, in-canopy sensor arrays, and advanced flight software.   
 
Speaker: Mark Costello serves as the William R.T. Oakes Professor and Chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech where he is responsible for leadership of the school as well as all administration and financial management of the department.  His research team is noted for creating innovative new technologies such as, for example, robotic landing gear for rotorcraft, bleed air control of parafoils, and direct impact control of smart projectiles.  Mark holds a B.S. degree from Penn State as well as M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Georgia Tech, all in Aerospace Engineering.