Dynamic Systems & Control Division

The Dynamic Systems and Control Division provides a national and international forum to evaluate, discuss, analyze, and publish new technical results in the field; stimulate and encourage research and education innovations; enhance manpower in research and engineering education in dynamic systems and control; and lead in setting directions for the field in the future. It encompasses all aspects of the modeling, design, and control of physical systems involving forces, motions, the dynamics and control of mechanical, chemical, biological, and human-related systems, plus transportation, energy, robotics, manufacturing, processing, environmental, computational, and man-machine systems.

Dynamic Systems and Control is a fast growing and pervasive engineering field. There is rarely an engineering endeavor that does not involve the careful control, analysis, and/or synthesis of physical, dynamic systems. Be it fluids, thermodynamics, heat transfer, machine design, or materials engineering, systems and control contributions are essential.

The Dynamic Systems and Control Division (DSCD) is one of 36 technical divisions in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The mission of the Division is to provide a national and international forum to: evaluate, discuss, analyze, and publish new technical results in the field; stimulate and encourage research and education innovations; enhance manpower in research and engineering education in dynamic systems and control; and lead in setting directions for the field in the future.

The Division has actively developed and broadened its scope since its organization in 1943 from instruments and regulators, to automatic control, to coverage of all aspects of the modeling, design, and control of physical systems that involve forces, motions, and/or the flow of energy or material. In 1978 the name was changed from the "Automatic Control Division" to the "Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control Division."

Hope you had a wonderful winter break. We are pleased to share with you the Winter 2024 Edition of the DSCD Newsletter.

In this issue, you will find Chair’s updates on recent developments and the future perspectives of our division. Then, the editorial team assembled three articles highlighting challenges and opportunities in three exciting domains that are of interest to our community: autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots, and human-robot collaboration. These are followed by reviews of the student activities and women’s luncheon at MECC 2023, interview with one recent NSF CAREER Awardee, several honors and awards announcements, and upcoming conferences and openings.
Please enjoy your reading, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have messages to share with all.

Editor: Changliu Liu, Carnegie Mellon University
Senior Associate Editor: Shu-Xia Tang, Texas Tech University 
Associate Editor: Minghui Zheng, University at Buffalo

Past Editions

Summer 2023 issue of the ASME DSCD Newsletter
Summer 2022 issue of the ASME DSCD Newsletter
Winter 2022 issue of the ASME DSCD Newsletter.

To facilitate better communication and build a closer community, the Dynamic Systems and Control Division invites our community members, including faculty, students, journal editors, and industry researchers, to share their experience and insight beyond publication and conferences. Click the links below to listen to these leading members of the community discuss their careers.

March 25, 2024 Dr. Erol Dogan Sumer

January 29, 2024 Dr. Danny Abramovitch

September 26, 2023  Atul Kelkar

March 30, 2023  Prof. Kamal Youcef-Toumi

Current Events

ACC 2025  2025 American Control Conference
8 Jul 2025 – 10 Jul 2025, Denver, Colorado

MECC 2025   2025 Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference
5 Oct 2025 – 7 Oct 2025, Pittsburgh, PA

Past Events
MECC 2024: 2024 Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference

American Control Conference (ACC) 2024
July 8-12, 2024, Toronto, Canada

2024 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics
July 15 - 18, 2024 | Boston, MA, USA

Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference (MECC 2023)
October 2-5, 2023, Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

 2023 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)
June 27-July 1, 2023
Seattle, WA, USA

2023 American Control Conference
May 31 - June 2, 2023, San Diego, CA

AIM 2022, July 11 – 15, Sapporo, Japan

ACC 2022, June 8 – 10, Atlanta GA

MECC 2022, October 2-5, Jersey City, NJ
 

Governance documents (by-laws and/or operating guides) for this technical interest are available below.

• Dynamic Systems & Control Division Operating Guide (.pdf, last revised 2023)
• Dynamic Systems & Control Division By-Laws (reference doc, last revised 2011)

If you have questions about these documents, please contact the Technical Group Leader, Division Chair or an ASME staff member.

The DSCD Executive Committee (ExComm) consists of 5 elected voting members plus two appointed non-voting members. Each elected voting member serves for 5 years: first as a junior member for two years, then as Vice-Chair, Chair, and Past Chair. In addition, there are two non-voting appointed members: the secretary and the treasurer.

To contact any of these leaders, use the ASME Volunteer Leader Directory (VLD).

Current members of the DSCD Executive Committee:

Marcia O’Malley
Chair | July 2024 - June 2025

Atul Gajanan Kelkar
Vice Chair | July 2024 - June 2025

Junmin Wang
Senior Member | July 2024 - June 2025

Kam Leang
Junior Member | July 2024 - June 2025

Mahdi Shahbakhti
Secretary

Diane Peters
Treasurer

Jingang Yi
Past Chair | July 2024 - June 2025

The Division holds public meetings on the first evening of the American Control Conference (ACC) and the Modeling, Estimation and Controls Conference (MECC)

Society Level Awards

• Rufus Oldenburger Medal

Division Level Awards  

The Dynamics Systems and Control Division sponsors the following division awards. The awards are presented at the ASME Dynamic Systems and Controls Conference each year.

Awards given every year:

• Rudolf Kalman Best Paper Award
• Nyquist Lecture

Awards given in odd years:

• Yasundo Takahashi Education Award
• Outstanding Young Investigator Award

Awards given in even years:

• Charles Stark Draper Innovative Practice Award
• Henry M. Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award
• Michael J. Rabins Leadership Award

View the Guidelines and Nomination Instructions for all DSCD Awards.

List of Recent Award Recipients

Rufus T. Oldenburger Medal

2023  Davorin Hrovat

2022 Wayne Book 
Georgia Institute of Technology

2021 Shankar Sastry
University of California, Berkeley

2020 Mark W. Spong
University of Texas, Dallas

2019 Huei Peng
University of Michigan, ANN Arbor

2018 Roberto Horowitz
University of California, Berkeley

2017 Miroslav Krstic
University of California, San Diego

2016 Jean–Jacques Slotine
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2015 Manfred Morari
ETH Zurich

2014 Bob Bitmead
University of California, San Diego

Rudolph Kalman Best Paper Award

2021 Zhanhong Jiang, Venkatesh Chind, Adam Kohl, Atul Kelkar and Soumik Sarkar
"Supervisory Control and Distributed Optimization of Building Energy Systems"

2020 Patrick M. Sammons, Douglas A. Bristow, and Robert G. Landers
"Two-Dimensional Modeling and System Identification of the Laser Metal Deposition Process"

2019 Nurali Virani, Devesh K. Jha, Zhenyuan Yuan, Ishana Shekhwata, and Asok Ray
"Imitation of Demonstration Using Bayesian Filtering with Nonparametric Data-Driven Models"

Mitchell Cobb, Nihar Deodhar, and Christopher Vermillion
"Lab-Scale Experimental Characterization and Dynamic Scaling Assessment for Closed-Loop Crosswind Flight of Airborne Wind Energy Systems"

2018 Kræn Vodder Busk, Mogens Blanke, Lars Eriksson, and Morten Vejlgaard-Laursen
"Control-Oriented Model of Molar Scavenge Oxygen Fraction for Exhaust Recirculation in Large Diesel Engines"

2017

2016 Galip Ulsoy
"Time-Delayed Control of SISO Systems for Improved Stability Margins"

2015 Davide Spinello and Daniel J. Stilwell
“Distributed Full-State Observers with Limited Communication and Application to Cooperative Target Localization"

2014 Zheng Shen and Christopher D. Rahn
“Physics-Based Model of a Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid Battery and an Equivalent Circuit"

Nyquist Lecturer

2020 Marcia O'Malley, Rice University

2019 Lucy Y. Pao, University of Colorado Boulder

2018 Huei Peng, University of Michigan

2017 Daniela Rus, MIT

2016 Mark Spong, University of Texas Dallas

2015 Miroslav Krstic

2014 Naomi Ehrich Leonard

2013 Galip Ulsoy, University of Michigan

2012 Manfred Morari

2011 Mathukumalli Vidyasagar

Yasundo Takahashi Education Award

2021 Tarunraj Singh

2019 Huei Peng

2017 Andrew Alleyne

2015 Jacob Akarian

2013 Devendra P. Garg

2011 Ronald C. Rosenberg

Outstanding Young Investigator Award

2021 Scott Moura

2019 Sandipan Mishra

2017 Kira Barton

2015 Rifat Sipahi

2013 Maurizio Porfiri

2011 Warren Dixon

Charles Stark Draper Innovative Practice Award

2020 Reza Moheimani

2018 Anna Stefanopoulou

2016 Andrew Alleyne

2014 Ranjan Mukerjee

2012 Anthony M. Phillips

Henry M. Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award

2020 Jeffrey L. Stein

2018 Tsu-Chin Tsao

2016 Miroslav Krstic

2014 Andrew Alleyne.

2012 Asok Ray

Michael J. Rabins Leadership Award

2020 Jordan Berg

2018 Kok-Meng Lee

2016 Huei Peng

2014 Dawn Tilbury

2012 Jeffrey L. Stein

The Honors & Awards Committee consists up to seven members, each serving for three years.

Andrew Alleyne
Yi Guo
Miroslav Krstic (chair)
Robert Landers
Jianbo Lu
Reza Moheimani
Qingze Zou

The Dynamic Systems and Control Division (DSCD) meets twice annually, once in the Fall at the annual Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (DSCC) and once in the Spring at the annual American Control Conference (ACC). These meetings are typically scheduled in the evening of the first day of the conference. All division members are invited to attend and learn more about the activities that are ongoing in the DSCD.

The minutes of the last few Division Meetings can be found here:

ACC 2023 Meeting Minutes

MECC 2022 meeting minutes

ACC 2022 meeting minutes

Fall 2021 Meeting Minutes

ACC 2021 meeting minutes

DSCC 2020 meeting minutes

ACC 2019 meeting minutes

DSCC 2018 meeting minutes

ACC 2018 meeting minutes

The Dynamic Systems and Control Division is the principal technical sponsor of four archival journals.

ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems Measurement and Control

The Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control publishes theoretical and applied original papers in the traditional areas implied by its name, as well as papers in interdisciplinary areas. Theoretical papers are expected to present new theoretical developments and knowledge for controls of dynamical systems together with clear engineering motivation for the new theory. New theory or results that are only of mathematical interest without a clear engineering motivation or has a cursory relevance only are discouraged. "Application" is taken to include modeling, simulation of realistic systems, and corroboration of theory with emphasis on demonstrated practicality. Areas of interest include but are not limited to: adaptive and optimal control; uncertain systems and robust control; nonlinear systems and control; intelligent control; distributed parameter systems and control; energy systems and control; fluid control systems; instrumentation and components; manufacturing technology; aerospace systems; computer control; mechatronics; power systems; production systems; real time control; robotics; motion controls; transportation and bio-medical systems.

Manuscript Submission

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics

Jointly published by IEEE and ASME, the aim of the present TRANSACTIONS is to establish a high-quality archival journal which presents the state of the art, recent advances and practical applications of mechatronics. Its scope encompasses all practical aspects of the theory and methods of mechatronics, the synergetic integration of mechanical engineering with electronic and intelligent computer control in the design and manufacture of industrial products and processes. The covered ten technical areas included are actuators and sensors, modeling and design, motion control, manufacturing, system integration, Intelligent Control, robotics, vibration and noise control, micro devices and opto-electronic systems, automotive systems and other applications.

Manuscript Submission

ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control

ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control offers rapid dissemination of novel, high-quality, cutting-edge original findings on theoretical or applied topics from the dynamics and control community. Papers are subjected to ASME’s
standard, high-quality peer review process.

Submissions are limited to 2500-5000 words (approximately 3-6 pages) with rapid, online publication of accepted papers targeted within six weeks of submission. This new publication will publish the state of the art in dynamic systems and control research, with a focus on topics of interest to the dynamic systems and control community. ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control will provide the global engineering community with a forum to communicate the emerging research ideas that will shape the future efforts in dynamic systems and control.

Manuscript Submission (select ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control)

Journal of Autonomous Vehicles and Systems

The purpose of this journal is to provide an international platform for the communication of knowledge and solutions in the area of the research and design of autonomous vehicles and systems operating in all media and inter-medium environments: ground, air, space, and water. The focus of this journal is on a vehicle system-of-systems approach to modeling, simulation, and design. The vehicle applications include but are not limited to personal and cargo transportation, construction and forestry, farming, scientific research, investigation of the underground, air and water, exploration of other planets, infrastructure monitoring, surveillance and military, etc.

Manuscript Submission (select Journal of Autonomous Vehicles and Systems)

DSCD supports multiple technical committees:

Connect with our Technical Committees!

• Automotive & Transportation Systems
• Bio-Systems and Health Care
• Energy Systems
• Mechatronics
• Robotics
• Vibrations