Complexity, Networks and Manufacturing
MIT SEMINAR SERIES IN MANUFACTURING AND
PRODUCTIVITY
Place: Room 33-116 Time: 12:00 P.M. Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
Professor Soundar Kumara
Allen E., and Allen, M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering
Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
The Pennsylvania State University
This talk will address nonlinearity, complexity and networks in Sensor Enabled Condition Based Maintenance, Tool Wear Monitoring and Supply Chain Logistics Networks. Engineered systems are multi layered and multi scale. Nonlinearity may exist at all levels. At the lowest levels, sensor signal characterization and representation are important. At the highest level of decision making, analyzing the system complexity through characterization and network analysis play a critical role. A conceptual framework for analyzing complex engineered systems will be proposed and relevant questions will be posed. The mathematics of Chaos, Wavelets, Queuing Theory and Statistical Physics form the foundation of this work. The talk for the sake of generality will be applications driven.
About the Speaker
Professor Kumara’s research interests are in Distributed Sensing and Sensor Networks, Distributed Intelligent Agents in Logistics and Analysis of Complex Engineered Systems. His work focuses on developing and integrating theoretical and applied perspectives. He holds joint appointments with the department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the School of information science and Technology at Penn State. He is an alumni of Sri Venkateswara University College of Engineering, Tirupati, India (B.S., in ME), I.I.T. Madras, India (M.Tech., in IE) and Purdue University (Ph.D. in IE). Before becoming the Pearce Professor he held the University Distinguished Professor position at PSU. Professor Kumara is an elected Fellow of the International Academy of Production Research (CIRP) and the Institute of Industrial Engineers. He has won PSU’s Faculty Scholar Medal, Premier Research Award from the Penn State Engineering Society and PSU’s Graduate Teaching award.
