Dr. Ahmad Bani Younes

Dr. Ahmad Bani Younes

Associate Professor
Academic Affairs
College of Engineering
Department of Aerospace Engineering

SDSU

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Phone/Fax

Primary Phone: 619-594-2931

Building/Location

Engineering - 212
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182

Files

Bio

Dr. Bani Younes has worked on a wide range of space research topics, including the development of fast and high fidelity gravity model for the earth anomalies; fast and efficient trajectories propagation for satellite motions; optimal control theory, which is focused on spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) issues, trajectory generation, spacecraft attitude tracking, and feedback control methodologies; and, algorithms development for optimization theory, perturbation theory, orbital motion, and very broadly algorithmic differentiation for automatically generating first- through fourth-order mixed sets of partial derivatives.

Dr. Bani Younes has worked on designing and developing estimation, control and navigation sensors algorithms. He has developed advanced modeling and simulation tools for supporting high precision trajectory calculations for orbital systems. He is the director of the Spacecraft Platform for Astronautics & Celestial Emulation (SPACE), which is a 6DOF facility that supports comprehensive studies and hardware experiments for sensing, guidance, dynamics, & control of space operations in an operationally relevant environment. The lab conducts research in robotic sensing and control with an aim to enhance the fields of proximity operations, human-robot interaction, stereo vision, swarm robotics, and autonomous aerial vehicles.

Dr. Bani Younes is supporting the department leadership by developing space-related programs and research activities at San Diego State University. He is the advisor for the Rocket project at San Diego State University and he is also working to develop CubeSat project in the engineering college.

Education

  • PhD in Aerospace Engineering - Texas A&M University, 2013
  • MSc in Aerospace Engineering - University of Dayton, 2009
  • BSc in Mechanical Engineering - Jordan University of Science & Technology, 2003

Interests

  • Guidance, Control, Navigation and Astronautics
  • Space Robotics and Autonomous UAS
  • Space Systems

Responsibilities

Awards & Honors

  • Modeling and Simulation of Laser Communication Terminal of Satellites, Space Micro Inc., 2021.
  • NASA JPL R&TD Innovative Spontaneous Concept Proposal, 2019.
  • John V. Breakwell award (co-authored with my JDP student), 2019.
  • Khalifa University Competitive Internal Research Award (CIRA), 2019.
  • Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Award, 2018
  • Khalifa University Employee Award for Outstanding Service, 2016.
  • ADEC Award for Research Excellence AARE, ADEC
  • DRONES: Build and Fly chief expert award, WorldSkills, 2017
  • DRONES: Build and Fly chief expert award, EmiratesSkills, 2015
  • Recognition Certificate for best advising Matlab Club, Khalifa University, 2014
  • Best Paper Award, 37th AAS GNC conference, 2014
  • SIAM Award, Automatic Differentiation, 2012
  • Graduate Teaching Academy (GTA) Award, Texas A&M University, 2012
  • Graduate Teaching Academy (GTA) Senior Fellowship, Texas A&M University, 2012
  • Graduate Teaching Academy (GTA) Fellowship, Texas A&M University, 2011
  • Award of Academic Excellence, Jordan University of Science and Technology, 2003

Publications

  • Garcia J. and Bani Younes A., “Real-time Navigation for Drogue-Type Autonomous Aerial Refueling Using Vision-Based Deep Learning Detection,” IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 2225-2246, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2021.3061807.
  • Stanfield K. and Bani Younes A., “Dual-Quaternion Analytic LQR Control Design for Spacecraft Proximity Operations,” Sensors 2021, 21(11), 3597; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21113597.
  • Hatamleh K., Jaradat M., Bani Younes A., Al-Shabi M., and Hafez O., “Quasi-Continuous Second Order Sliding Mode Control of RR Manipulator with Noisy Measurement and Modelling Uncertainties,” Journal of Intelligent and Robotic Systems, 2021.
  • Fares A. and Bani Younes A., “Online Reinforcement Learning-based Control of Active Suspension System Using Actor Critic Approach,” Applied Sciences 10(22), 2021.
  • Bani Younes A. and Hassan Z., “COVID-19: Modeling, Prediction and Control,” Applied Sciences 10(11), 2020. (https://doi.org/10.3390/app10113666).
  • Bani Younes A. and Mortari D., “Derivation of all Attitude Error Governing Equations for Attitude Filtering and Control,” Sensors 19(21), 2019, (doi: 10.3390/s19214682).
  • Younes H., Shoaib N., Rahman M., Al-Rub R., Hong H., Christensen G., Chen H., Bani Younes A., Al Ghaferi A., “Thin carbon nanostructure mat with high electromagnetic interference shielding performance” Journal Synthetic Metals, Volume 253, 2019, pp 48–56.
  • Bani Younes A., “Exact Computation of High-Order State Transition Tensors for Perturbed Orbital Motion,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics (AIAA), Vol. 42, No. 6, 2019.
  • Alhulayil M., Bani Younes A. and Turner J., “Higher Order Algorithm For Solving Lambert's Problem,” Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Volume 65, Issue 4, pp 400–422, 2018.
  • Saeed A., Younes A., Cai C., Cai G., “A survey of hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Volume 98, April 2018, pp. 91-105. (doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paerosci.2018.03.007).
  • Alshawaqfeh M., Serpedin E., Younes A., “Inferring microbial interaction networks from metagenomic data using SgLV-EKF algorithm,” BMC Genomics. 2017, 18 (Suppl 3), 228. (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3605-x).
  • Bani Younes A. and Turner J., “Derivative Enhanced Optimal Feedback Control Using Computational Differentiation,” International Journal of Applied & Experimental Mathematics, Volume 1. 2016. 112 (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15344/ijaem/2016/112).
  • Junkins, J. L., Bani Younes, A., Woollands, R., and Bai, X., “Efficient and Adaptive Orthogonal Finite Element Representation of the Geopotential,” Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, 2017. Pp.1-38. (doi: 10.1007/s40295-016-0111-3).
  • Bani Younes A., and Turner J., “Semi-Analytic Probability Density Function for System Uncertainty,” ASCE-ASME Journal of Risk and Uncertainty in Engineering Systems, Part B: Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 2, Issue 4, RISK-16-1041, 2016, (doi: 10.1115/1.4033886).
  • Read J., Bani Younes A., and Junkins J., “Efficient Orbit Propagation of Orbital Elements Using Modified Chebyshev Picard Iteration Method,” Journal of Computer Modeling in Engineering and Sciences (CMES): Special Issue on Computational Methods in Astrodynamics, Vol. 111, No. 1: pp. 65-81, 2016.
  • Turner J., Alnaqeb A., and Bani Younes A., “Continued Fraction Cartesian to Geodetic Coordinate Transformation,” Journal of Computer Modeling in Engineering and Sciences (CMES): Special Issue on Computational Methods in Astrodynamics, Vol. 111, No. 3: pp. 257-267, 2016.
  • Woollands, R., Bani Younes A. and Junkins, J. L., “New Solutions for Lambert’s Problem Utilizing Regularization and Picard Iteration,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics (AIAA), Vol. 38, No. 9 : pp. 1548-1562, September 2015, (doi: 10.2514/1.G001028).
  • Reed J., Bani Younes A., Macomber B., Junkins, J. L. and Turner J., “State Transition Matrix for Perturbed Orbital Motion using Modified Chebyshev Picard Iteration,” Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 62, No. 2: pp. 148-167, June 2015, (doi: 10.1007/s40295-015-0051-3).
  • Bani Younes A., Mortari, D., Turner J. D., and Junkins, J. L., “Attitude Error Kinematics,” Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics (AIAA), Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 330-336, June 2014, (doi: 10.2514/1.60928).
  • Junkins, J. L., Bani Younes, A., Woollands, R., and Bai, X., “Picard Iteration, Chebyshev Polynomials and Chebyshev Picard Methods: Application in Astrodynamics,” Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 60, No. 3: pp. 623-653, December 2013.
  • Bani Younes A., and Turner J. D., “Generalized Algorithms for Least Squares Optimization for Nonlinear Observation Models and Newton’s Method,” Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 60, No. 3: pp. 517-540, December 2013.
  • Hasan Z. and Bani Younes A., “Analyzing Nonlinear Flexible Structures using Perturbation Approach,” ASME Early Career Technical Journal, Vol. 9. No. 13, pp. 96-104, 2010.