Aswin D Menon
I am a 1st-year graduate student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, pursuing an MS degree in Aerospace Engineering. My interests lie in aircraft control systems, missile guidance, bio-inspired systems, autonomous flight, and helicopter controls.
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Who I am
I'm Aswin D Menon, an aspiring aerospace engineer at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I'm passionate about developing advanced control systems for aircraft and helicopters, especially using principles of autonomous navigation. I want to contribute to designing the next generation of safer, more efficient, and highly maneuverable aircraft. Right now, I'm working on building new control algorithms for improved realizability and maneuverability of autonomous missile systems. I'm convinced the future of flight is intelligent automation, and I'm committed to pushing the field forward through research and innovative design.
Skills
What I'm good at
- Python
- C
- MATLAB
- Arduino
- Visual Basic
- LaTeX
- Simulink
- Ansys Fluent
- Fusion 360
- Pix4Dmapper
- Photoshop
- Premier Pro
Education
Where I've studied
Bachelor of Technology
in Aerospace Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Coursework
- Automatic Control of Aircraft
- Flight Stability and Control
- Space Dynamics
- Introduction to Flight Vehicle Controls
- Mechanics of Flight
- Motion Planning and Control
- Embedded Control Systems
- Systems Laboratory
- Robotics
- Introduction to Helicopter Engineering
- Dynamics for Aerospace Engineer
Experence
Where I've worked
Undergraduate Research | Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Lab
Prof. Sikha Hota | August 2024 - Present
- Implemented Biased PNG, Two-Stage PNG, and Time-to-go Polynomial Guidance laws for 2D missile interception scenarios
- Affirmed that the guidance algorithms achieved desired impact angles while satisfying acceleration and FOV constraints
- Adopted multi-planar guidance laws for 3D interception and worked to eliminate lateral acceleration profile discontinuities
- Designed a 2-planar 3-Staged 3D Impact Angle Control Guidance (IACG) law that can achieve any terminal impact direction
Research Intern | RWR&DC
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd | May 2024 - July 2024
- Analyzed, in-depth, the AFCS (Automatic Flight Control System) and actuator mechanisms of a semi-autonomous helicopter
- Integrated Pitt-Peters dynamic inflow model into the helicopter dynamics simulator to improve transient response predictions
- Validated simulation results against flight test data, for collective dump input, identifying areas for future developments
Summer Intern | Aircraft Division
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd | June 2023
- Gained hands-on exposure to processes from machining to final assembly of various Hawk, Jaguar, and LCA Tejas aircrafts
- Acquired in-depth knowledge of system integration through immersive training in aircraft hangars and production facilities
Projects
What I've done
Aerial 2D Mapping and Estimation of Forest Area Cover
Prof. Sandeep Saha | Jan 2024 - Apr 2024
- Constructed orthorectified 2D maps from aerial images, having GPS and altitude data, by stitching using Pix4Dmappe
- Enhanced the map resolution using EDSR and estimated average forest canopy height for sample data by creating a DSM
- Automated forest cover estimation using a U-Net CNN model trained on labeled aerial imagery and diverse public dataset
CFD Analysis of Sports Ball Aerodynamics
Prof. Sunil Manohar Dash | Jan 2024 - Apr 2024
- Simulated flow around golf ball & basketball (with & without spin) in ANSYS Fluent and analyzed aerodynamic coefficient
- Investigated dimple effects on golf ball aerodynamics by varying size parameters and Magnus effect on basketball’s trajectory
Design and Analysis of a Quad-Wing Flapping Prototype
Prof. Sandeep Saha | Aug 2023 - Nov 2023
- Designed and built a dragonfly-inspired quad-wing flapping prototype with a gear-slider mechanism for variable wing phase
- Integrated a passive joint to allow wing rotation for realistic lift generation and conducted smoke visualization experiment
- Gauged force changes with varied wing beat frequencies and front-wing-hind-wing phase differences, using precision sensor
- Analyzed spanwise and chordwise wing flexibility effects on lift using 3 different wing materials, utilizing a high-speed camera
Aerial Carbon Emission Monitoring System
Prof. Srinibas Karmakar | Aug 2023 - Nov 2023
- Designed a drone-deployed module equipped with MQ7 and MQ135 sensors and measured CO and CO2 emissions real-time
- Developed a method for ascent time calculations, intended for a helium-balloon-lifted setup, adopting an atmospheric mode
- Administered an altitude tracking system using BMP280 sensor data and employed nRF24L01 modules for data transmission
Qualitative study on Worthington Jets
Prof. Sandeep Saha | Mar 2023 - Apr 2023
- Experimentally investigated the effects of hydrophobicity, impact velocity, and sphere size on Worthington jet characteristics
- Captured high-frame-rate video recordings to observe the surface closure phenomenon and recreated the Manu bomb effect
Smart Irrigation System
Prof. Manjunatha Mahadevappa | Feb 2022 - Mar 2022
- Implemented an automated irrigation system, using Arduino, optimizing water usage based on soil moisture and temperature
- Integrated and calibrated moisture sensor, LM35 and a water pump, and developed embedded software to control irrigation
Contact
How I can be reached
Phone
+1 8157795961
+91 90612 08359