Control of Structurally Adaptive Unmanned Aerial Systems

Overview

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) seeks a controls engineer to develop and demonstrate novel flight behaviors for small unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The work involves creating compliant or adaptive aerodynamic structures and applying software control for dynamic aircraft stability, aiming to flight‑demonstrate maneuvers that are currently un‑automated.

• Transition theoretical or simulation‑based controllers to experimental hardware platforms (quad‑copter, fixed‑wing, or hybrid).
• Develop real‑time dynamics models describing the aircraft to support flight demonstration.
• Design and collaborate on custom aerodynamic effectors, integrating commercial off‑the‑shelf components.
• Write and validate control software primarily in C++ and Python or similar languages.
• Coordinate with experimental teams to validate control strategies during flight tests.

• Doctoral degree earned within the last 60 months.
• Strong background in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
• Experience in control systems for small UAVs or related dynamic aircraft.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python programming.
• Ability to model real‑time aircraft dynamics and validate against experimental data.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.

• Discipline:
  Engineering (Aerospace and Aeronautical, Mechanical Engineering).