Bob Norris

Bob Norris

Primary Research Area

  • Decision and Control Systems

Clinical Associate Professor

210B Transportation Building
phone: (217) 300-6647

For more information

Education

  • Master of Business Administration, Duke Universiity, General Management, Decision Analysis 2007.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, UIUC, Agricultural Engineering, Concentration: Control Theory, Systems Engineering, Robotics, 2001.
  • Master of Science, UIUC, General Engineering, Concentration: Control Theory. 1997.
  • Bachelor of Science, UIUC, General Engineering, Concentration: Control Systems/ Robotics, 1996.

Academic Positions

  • Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, UIUC
  • Affiliate, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, UIUC

Other Professional Employment

  • Business Owner/ Consultant - Robust Smart Control Solutions LLC, iMS2, LLC - Rock Hill SC 2009-2017
  • Entrepreneur in Residence - Innovation Fund North Carolina - 2013-2015
  • Deere and Company - research and product development - senior, staff engineer, program manager, business manager 2001-2009

Resident Instruction

  • SE 397 Independent Study
  • SE 497 Independent Study
  • SE 597 Independent Study
  • SE 498 Systems Engineering
  • SE498 Introduction to Autonomous Systems
  • IE597 Independent Study

Course Development

  • SE 498 Systems Engineering
  • SE498 Introduction to Autonomous Systems

Research Interests

  • Mechatronics
  • Control Systems
  • Expert Systems
  • Decision Analysis
  • Adaptive Systems
  • Deep Learning
  • Machine Learning
  • Robotics
  • Systems Engineering
  • Autonomous/ Unmanned Systems

Research Areas

  • Data Analytics
  • Decision and Control Systems

Selected Articles in Journals

  • Norris, W.R. and Patterson, A.E. (TBD). Continuous verification and validation within spiral development processes: Applications to autonomous vehicle systems. To be submitted to ArXiv before 10-31-2019 and IEEE Systems Journal by 12-31-2019.
  • Norris, W.R. and Patterson, A.E. (TBD). System-level testing plan for field robotics: Tutorial with example test courses. To be submitted to ArXiv before 9-31-2019 and Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581) or AgriEngineering (ISSN 2624-7402) before 10-31-2019.
  • Patterson, A.E., Yuan, Y., and Norris, W.R. (2019). System-level development of a user-integrated semi-autonomous lawn mowing system: Problem overview, basic requirements, and proposed architecture. Pending submission to Systems (ISSN 2079-8954) before 07-31-2019.
  • J. Reid, J. Schueller, and W. Norris. “Reducing the Manufacturing and Management Costs of Tractors and Agricultural Equipment”. Agricultural Engineering International: the CIGR Journal of Scientific Research and Development”. Vol. V.Invited Overview Paper. Presented at the Club of Bologna meeting November 16, 2003. Bologna, Italy.
  • Norris, W. R., R. Sreenivas, Q. Zhang, and J. C. Lopez–Dominguez. 2001. Hierarchical rule–base reduction for a fuzzy logic based human operator performance model. In Intelligent Engineering Systems through Artificial Neural Networks, Vol. 11: 285–294. C. H. Dagli, A. L. Buczak, J. Ghosh, M. J. Embrechts, O. Ersoy, and S. Kercal, eds. New York, N.Y.: ASME Press.
  • Norris, W.R., Q. Zhang and R. Sreenivas, 2006. Rule-base reduction for a fuzzy human operator performance model. Applied Engineering Agriculture, 22(4): 611-618.
  • Norris, W. R., Zhang Q. and Sreenivas, R. S. A Human Operator Performance Model for Designing the Steering Control System of an Articulated Off-road Vehicle. Accepted January 2003. Special Edition - Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.
  • Norris, W. R., Q. Zhang, R. Sreenivas, and J. C. Lopez-Dominguez. 2003. A design tool for operator-adaptive steering controller. Transactions of the ASAE 46(3): 883-891.

Articles in Conference Proceedings

  • Xu, J. and Norris, W.R. (2019) Hierarchical Mamdani-type Fuzzy Logic Control Design with Stability Criteria Accepted and to be published in CACRE 2019 and indexd by ACM.
  • Norris, W.R., Reid John F. The Assessment of Path Following Capability for Autonomous Agricultural Vehicle Systems. Accepted to AgEng2004 Leuven, Belgium International Conference on Agricultural Engineering Sept. 2004.
  • Norris, W.R., Reid John F. Human Perception Modeling Applied to Autonomous Agricultural System Path Following Control Applications. Accepted to AgEng2004 Leuven, Belgium International Conference on Agricultural Engineering Sept. 2004.
  • Norris, W. R., Sreenivas, R. S., and Zhang Q. An Approach Using a Neural Network Based Adaptive Filter for Performing Real-Time, On-line Qualitative System Design. Proceedings of the Automation Technology for Off-road Equipment (ATOE) 2002, ASAE, Chicago, Illinois, July 2002.
  • Norris, W. R., Sreenivas, R. S., and Zhang Q. A Real-Time Human Operator Performance Model for Performing Adaptive System Design. Proceedings of the Automation Technology for Off-road Equipment (ATOE) 2002, ASAE, Chicago, Illinois, July 2002.
  • Norris, W. R., Sreenivas, R. S., Zhang Q. and Lopez - Dominguez, J. Virtual Design Tools: A Technique for Performing Qualitative Human-in-the-Loop System Design. Proceedings of the 2001 ASAE Annual International Meeting, Sacramento, California, July 2001. Honorable Mention for Best Paper.
  • Norris, W. R., Sreenivas, R. S., Zhang Q. and Lopez - Dominguez, J. Qualitative Control System Design Incorporating Operator Preferred Performance Characteristics Using Virtual Environments. Proceedings of the SCI 2001 Conference, IEEE, Orlando, Florida, July 2001. Best Control Systems Paper at Conference.
  • Norris, W. R., Sreenivas, R. S. On a Control Policy that Maintains Indoor Air Quality in a Variable-Air-Volume Air-Handling Unit. Proceedings of the 1997 IEEE/ASME Conference on Control Applications, Hartford, Connecticut, October 1997.

Pending Articles

  • Norris, W.R. and Patterson, A.E. (TBD). Continuous verification and validation within spiral development processes: Applications to autonomous vehicle systems. To be submitted to ArXiv before 10-31-2019 and IEEE Systems Journal by 12-31-2019.
  • Norris, W.R. and Patterson, A.E. (TBD). System-level testing plan for field robotics: Tutorial with example test courses. To be submitted to ArXiv before 9-31-2019 and Robotics (ISSN 2218-6581) or AgriEngineering (ISSN 2624-7402) before 10-31-2019.
  • Patterson, A.E., Yuan, Y., and Norris, W.R. (2019). System-level development of a user-integrated semi-autonomous lawn mowing system: Problem overview, basic requirements, and proposed architecture. Pending submission to Systems (ISSN 2079-8954) before 07-31-2019.

Invited Lectures

  • Autonomous Systems Engineering - No Strings Attached
  • Model Based Control System Design
  • Model Based Control System Design and a Human Operator Modeling.
  • Automation and Robotics in Agriculture

Other Publications

  • Patterson, A.E., Yuan, Y., and Norris, W.R. (2019). System-level development of a user-integrated semi-autonomous lawn mowing system: Problem overview, basic requirements, and proposed architecture. ArXiv Preprint, Accepted, pending announcement and digital identifier.
  • Norris, W.R. and Patterson, A.E. (2019). Remote Sensing of Weeds in Field Crops via Image Processing: A Short Literature Collection. Technical report, IDEALS – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2142/104209.
  • Yuan, Y., Patterson, A.E., Patterson, T.L., and Norris, W.R. (2019). User-Integrated Semi-Autonomous Lawn Mowing Systems: Example Basic, Functional, Non-Functional, and Safety and Security Requirement. Technical report, IDEALS - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2142/104210.
  • Norris, W.R. and Patterson, A.E. (2019). Automation, autonomy, and semi-autonomy: A brief definition relative to robotics and machine systems. IDEALS - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Available online at http://hdl.handle.net/2142/104214.

Patents

  • (Current Disclosure) Localization engine for navigation and control of autonomous lawn-mowing vehicles
  • (Current Disclosure) Mapping and area-exclusion system for use by autonomous lawn-mowing vehicles
  • (Current Disclosure) Area boundary definition system for use by autonomous lawn-mowing vehicles
  • (Current Disclosure) Ad Hoc, Reconfigurable, Mesh Network Beacon System for Use in Obstructed and Unobstructed Environments: W.R. Norris and A.E. Patterson. (September 2018).
  • EP2551133 (B1) Active suspension system
  • EP2033118 (B1) Multiple mode system with multiple controllers
  • 9,429,944 Versatile robotic control module
  • 9,098,080 Systems and methods for switching between autonomous and manual operation of a vehicle
  • 9,043,016 Versatile robotic control module
  • 8,874,300 Systems and methods for obstacle avoidance
  • 8,825,294 Vehicle center of gravity active suspension control system
  • 8,510,034 Perception model for trajectory following autonomous and human augmented steering control
  • 8,498,796 Perception model for trajectory following autonomous and human augmented speed control
  • 8,473,140 Networked multi-role robotic vehicle
  • 8,195,364 Perception model for trajectory following autonomous and human augmented steering control
  • 8,020,657 Systems and methods for obstacle avoidance
  • 7,895,135 Human perception model for speed control performance
  • 7,894,951 Systems and methods for switching between autonomous and manual operation of a vehicle
  • 7,769,512 Vehicle steering control method and performance
  • 7,743,159 Reusable application framework for translating between a client and an external entity
  • (Provisional) Neural Networks as a Modulation Surface for Electrohydraulic Systems: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez, R.S. Sreenivas and Q. Zhang. (November 2000).
  • (Provisional) Adapative Modulation Curve for Electrohydraulic Systems using Neural Networks: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez, R.S. Sreenivas and Q. Zhang. (November 2000).
  • (Provisional) Virtual Interpreter and Trajectory Mapping: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez and R.S. Sreenivas. (November 2000).
  • (Provisional) Virtual Design Tools: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez and R.S. Sreenivas. (November 2000).
  • (Provisional) Adaptive Modulation Curve for Electrohydraulic Systems using Adaptive Optimization Functions: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez, R.S. Sreenivas and Q. Zhang. (November 2000).
  • (Provisional) Human Performance Modeling Using Fuzzy Logic: W.R. Norris, J.C.L. Dominguez and R.S. Sreenivas. (November 2000).

Reports

  • Norris, W. R. Intelligent Vehicle System Evaluation Methodology – Guidance, Obstacle Detection, Safeguarding and Safety. Submitted Technical Report, John Deere, January 2003.
  • Norris, W. R. Multi-attribute Utility Analysis for Evaluation of and Selection of Autonomous Systems. Submitted Technical Report, John Deere, January 2003.
  • Norris, W. R. Intelligent Vehicle System Evaluation Methodology, T-4477 P-9120, Technical Report, John Deere, December 2002.
  • Norris, W. R. Steering Control System Evaluation for The 5510n Autonomous Tractor For Orchard Operations TR-281 P-9120, Technical Report, John Deere, December 2002.
  • Norris, W. R. UtilRate Programmer’s Manual, United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, USACERL. September 2002.
  • Norris, W. R. UtilRate User Manual, Technical Report, United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, USACERL. September 2002.
  • Van Blaricum, V., Norris, W. R. Cathodic Protection Equipment Demonstration on Remote Locations, Technical Report, United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, USACERL. July 2001.
  • Van Blaricum, V., Norris, W. R. Cathodic Protection Equipment Demonstration. User Guide, United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, USACERL. April, 1997.
  • Van Blaricum, V., Norris, W. R. Cathodic Protection Equipment Demonstration. Technical Report, United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, USACERL. April, 1997.
  • Defense Air Quality Management System (DAQMS) Version 0.5, Software Development and User Manual, United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, USACERL, December 1997.
  • Auxiliary Power Supply for the Electronic Control Module, Cummins Engine (Power), Senior Design Project. May 1996.

Professional Societies

  • INCOSE
  • SAE
  • ASME
  • IEEE

Service to Federal and State Government

  • NSF funding Review Committee, Nanotechnology 2012
  • Army Basic Research Review 2013

Research Honors

  • William A. Chittenden Award (1998)
  • Research Assistant of the Year Award for ERDC and the Corps of Engineers (2000)

Public Service Honors

  • Forever Duke Alumni Award (2013)

Courses Taught

  • SE 498 - Autonomous Vehicle Sys Lab
  • SE 498 - Autonomous Vehicle Systems
  • SE 498 - Systems Engineering