Raymond de Callafon

Raymond de Callafon is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is a key faculty member in the Dynamic Systems & Control (DS&C) group, where he conducts research and teaches in system identification, adaptive control, and modeling of mechatronic systems. He directs the System Identification and Control Laboratory (SICL) and manages the CMRR Servo Laboratory, both at UCSD. His work bridges theoretical control with practical applications in data storage, aerospace, and vibration control systems.

• M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 1992
• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 1998

Raymond de Callafon's research centers on experiment-based modeling, control-relevant system identification, and recursive/adaptive control. His interests extend to nonlinear and linear parameter varying (LPV) systems, with applications in hard disk drives, tape storage systems, active noise and vibration control, and aeroelastic flutter prediction. He has developed modeling techniques applied to structural damage detection and controller tuning for high-precision systems.

His recent publications reflect a strong trend in closed-loop system identification, Hammerstein models, adaptive disturbance rejection, and high-precision motion control in data storage devices. The articles span both theoretical advances and experimental validations, often involving dual-stage actuators and real-time control implementations.

• Co-authored book: Realtime Controller Tuning for Periodic Disturbance Rejection
• Developed MATLAB toolboxes: LTSfit, CLOSID, FREQID
• NASA-funded research on flutter control and aeroservoelastic systems
• Active collaboration with CMRR and industry partners in data storage

Raymond de Callafon has advised multiple graduate students and contributed to significant research projects involving adaptive control, robotic systems, and coordinated ocean sensing networks. His teaching includes both graduate and undergraduate courses in system identification, control theory, and laboratory-based engineering education. He has also established the Undergraduate Control Laboratory (UGCL) and taught in the COSMOS summer program on kinetic sculptures.

His laboratories, SICL and CMRR Servo Lab, are equipped with advanced facilities for sound and vibration control, real-time prototyping, and high-precision motion experiments, supporting both academic and industrial research in control engineering.