Mechatronics, Automation, and Control Systems Laboratory
(MACS Lab) (Move, Act, Create, Serve)
methods
Control-oriented system modeling and identification, information fusion, adaptive and learning controls, robust control, precision mechatronics, and optimization.
Sample projects
Additive manufacturing, agile robots, semiconductor manufacturing, nm-scale precision control, vision-based control, human-machine interaction, and vibration rejection.
Sponsors
National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA, Department of Defense, UTC Institute of Advanced Systems Engineering, and industries.
Selected Research Outcomes
Work from the MACS lab has been supported by the National Science Foundation, UTC Institute of Advanced Systems Engineering, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, NASA, and industries. Dr. Chen is a recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER award, the SME Sandra L. Bouckley Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, and the Young Investigator Award from the ISCIE / ASME International Symposium on Flexible Automation. Members of the MACS lab have received Best Paper Award from the International Symposium on Flexible Automation, Best Vibrations Paper Award, Best Student Paper Awards on Mechatronics and Robotics from the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division, Best Senior Design, and best paper in session awards in various conferences.
research snapshots
We conduct systematic research on mass customization, short-run and high-value manufacturing, and controls of complex systems.
Additive manufacturing
Control in different time scales: from precision laser-material interaction for aerospace and medical application to process reconfiguration and reclaiming materials.
robotics and learning FROM limited feedback
Robot control and collaborative sensing for systematic fast control under slow e.g. vision feedback.
Adaptive control
We were among the 3 teams that achieved the top results in an international benchmark on adaptive regulation.
Recent news
Prof. Chen received a 2022 Sandra L. Bouckley Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineers Award from SME
Prof. Chen is one of 22 awardees to be recognized by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) in 2022.
The Seattle Times Reported – Robots are learning to think like humans. Can they meet Amazon’s demands for speed?
The Seattle Times visited the UW MACS lab and made a report.
New funding for dynamic systems and controls
A grant from the National Science Foundation will support research at the MACS lab to study how to enable engineered systems to effectively rely on and respond to real-time data collected from multiple diverse and asynchronous sources.
PI AND CONTACT
Xu Chen
Bryan T. McMinn Endowed Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Washington
- 3900 E Stevens Way NE, MEB 325, Seattle, WA 98195
- chx@uw.edu
- 206-543-5705