Welcome to the CLOWN homepage.  The Alleyne Research Group at the University of Illinois is working on the problem of real-time closed-loop wireless control, or what we refer to as CLOWN (Closed Loop Over a Wireless Network).  This project, which we started in the fall of 2001, has proven successful in stabilization of an inverted pendulum over a 802.11 wireless control loops.  The single control loop has since been modified to incorporate control of a second light tracking plant that interacts with the pendulum.

    For a quick introduction, take a look at the project overview.  More specific information about the methodology is explained in the technical approach section, and the results of our simulation and experiment are available as well.  A hyperlinked list of our published works on wireless network control is listed below:

·     Kawka, P. A., and Alleyne, A. G., “Stability and Performance of Packet-Based Feedback Control over a Markov Channel,” Proceedings of the American Control Conference (ACC06), Minneapolis, MN, June, 2006, pp. 2807-2812.

·     Kawka, P. A., and Alleyne, A. G., “Discussion on: ‘Development and Experimental Verification of a Mobile Client-Centric Networked Controlled System,’” European Journal of Control, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2005.

·     Kawka, P. A., and Alleyne, A. G., “Stability and Feedback Control of Wireless Network Systems,” Proceedings of the American Control Conference (ACC05), Portland, OR, June 2005.

·     Kawka, P. A., Ploplys, N. J., and Alleyne, A. G., “UDP Network Communications for Wireless Control with Loop Coordination,” Proceedings of the 2004 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and RD&D Expo (IMECE2004).

·     Kawka, P. A., and Alleyne, A. G., “Wireless Servo Control for Electro-Hydraulic Positioning,” 2004 Bath Workshop on Power Transmission and Motion Control (PTMC2004), pp. 159-171.

·     Ploplys, N., Kawka, P. and Alleyne, A., “Closed-Loop Control over Wireless Networks,” IEEE Control Systems Magazine, Jun. 2004, pp. 58-71.

·     Ploplys, N., and Alleyne, A., "UDP Network Communications for Distributed Wireless Control," Proceedings of the American Control Conference (ACC03), Denver, CO, June 2003.

·     Ploplys, N., “Wireless Feedback Control of Mechanical Systems,” Master’s Thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, 2003

·     Fulford, A., and Alleyne, A., “An Embedded Mechatronic System for Wireless Servo Control,” Proceedings of the American Control Conference (ACC02), Anchorage, AK, May 2002.