Ryan Caverly

Ryan Caverly serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, holding the prestigious McKnight Land-Grant Professorship. His research bridges theoretical control frameworks with practical aerospace and robotics applications, focusing on dynamic modeling and system control.

Education:

• BS in Honours Mechanical Engineering from McGill University
• MS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan
• PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan

Professor Caverly's research centers on input-output stability, robust control of nonlinear systems, and computationally efficient modeling of flexible structures. His work spans aerospace vehicles, spacecraft, and robotic manipulators, emphasizing theoretical rigor alongside real-world implementation challenges in structural flexibility and control precision.

Recent publications reveal strong emphasis on predictive control for orbital mechanics, hypersonic vehicle dynamics, and cable-driven systems. His work consistently integrates convex optimization, state estimation, and structural dynamics to solve complex problems in solar sail technology, UAV navigation, and hypersonic flow measurement.

Scientific Awards:

• McKnight Land-Grant Professor

Caverly leads multiple externally funded projects including NASA-sponsored research on solar sail momentum management, UAV state estimation with Honeywell, hypersonic bow shock measurements with the Air Force, and deployable space structure control. His grants portfolio demonstrates significant industry and government collaboration in aerospace innovation.

He directs the Aerospace, Robotics, Dynamics, and Control (ARDC) Lab, which specializes in the intersection of dynamic modeling and control theory for flexible multi-body systems, with particular focus on cable-driven mechanisms and lightweight aerospace structures.