The Systems and Control Research Laboratory is the leading research center in Hungary in the field of mathematical systems and control theory that represents the Hungarian basic and applied research in the field being on the international level. Generally speaking, systems and control theory deals with the problems of dynamic modelling, analysis, control and diagnosis of engineering systems constructed by the developing technologies, as well as other systems of natural sciences. This discipline has been one of the most important fields that has received the most appreciation since the foundation of the Institute, being researched by various groups over different periods. Motivated by the above, our "mission statement" is as follows:
The members of the Laboratory contribute to the advancement of systems and control theory and to the application of the accumulated knowledge in the field by outstanding basic research that is on the international level.
The Laboratory has participated in widescale international research cooperation, and well established Hungarian industrial relationships for years.
Its members provide teaching of the latest research results in key important fields of university education, and promote the technology transfer.
Scope
System theory, in general terminology, considers the formal (e.g. using mathematical formalism) description of specific behaviors of a large variety of systems. Special cases are static and dynamic systems arising from physics, mechanics, information processes or from more general applied fields like road and flight systems or human and environmental systems. Control theory aims (by using the feedback paradigm) at influencing some of the basic system properties to achieve prescribed goals, or performances in the presence of noise and uncertainties about the knowledge of system. The realization of a control system is performed by using advanced (as recently called smart) instrumentation and computers and also tools from general information and communication technology.
The above discipline has been the research interest of the SZTAKI since its foundation, and has been the basic activity of its Systems and Control Laboratory.
The scope of activity in the Laboratory is to include forefront research in specific fields of system and control theory. This scope includes topics that are traditionally related to successful R&D activities of SZTAKI in this area, and these are extended with some of the new emerging theoretical and application approaches inspired by progresses in information technology and smart instrumentations.
More specifically the Lab focuses on the following research issues:
- System theory, system identification and fault detection
- Nonlinear, adaptive and robust systems and control theory
- Advanced signal and image processing
- Control systems engineering
- Process systems and control
- Safety critical systems
- Vehicle and traffic systems
The Laboratory puts emphasis on using results of the above theoretical fields in various new applications. We mention two specific broad fields where remarkable results have already been achieved and promising future developments can be predicted.
Supervision and control of autonomous vehicles
This includes the design of "drive-by-wire" control systems for road vehicles like vision in the loop control for lane departure detection and lane keeping, active suspensions, intelligent cruise control, collision detection and avoidance, intelligent road-vehicle systems. This latter systems includes the use of systems and control theory in traffic flow measurements, estimation, prediction and control.
Safety critical systems
The Laboratory is involved in both theoretical and target research for analysis and design and testing of safety critical systems. Successful applications have been demonstrated in the refurbishment of reactor protection control systems in Nuclear Power Plant Paks. Further research and systems developments are also contracted. |
Local, national and international collaborations
Since the research activity of the Laboratory assumes multidisciplinary approaches, local cooperation within SZTAKI is preferred. There is a strong collaboration with Tibor Vámos in building a general view on systems theory and control for everymen, students and experts. Using mathematics there are inspiring joint interest with the Laboratories of Informatics and Operations Research and Decision Systems. Computer vision systems can use collaborations with other groups, too.
National collaborations are either on institutional or personal bases. These are listed when discussing the specific research topics, the personal evaluations and plans.
Graduate and postgraduate education
The members of the Laboratory are closely related to graduate and postgraduate programs. Three of them are nominated as professors, three as senior lecturers and three as assistant professors (part time). We list some titles of the courses offered by our staff.
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Multivariable Control systems (PhD course)
Postmodern Control (PhD course)
System Identification (PhD course)
Discrete Event and Hybrid Control and Diagnostic Systems (PhD course)
Introduction to Nonlinear Systems and Control
Measurement and Instrumentation
Road Traffic Automation
Loránd Eötvös University
Signal Processing
University of Pannonia
Computer Controlled Systems
Intelligent Control Systems
System Identification
Process Modeling and Model Analysis
Modern Control Methods (PhD course)
Advanced Process Modeling and Model Analysis (PhD course)
Péter Pázmány Catholic University
Computer Controlled Systems
Robotics
System Identification
A side effect of this activity is that almost all new members were former students of one of the senior research fellow of the Laboratory.
Activitiy Reports
(will be available soon.) |
