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Faculty & Staff
Home / Faculty & Staff / Faculty / Eric Butcher
Eric Butcher
  • ebutcher@email.arizona.edu
    520.621.0478

    AME N725

    Full details at profiles.arizona.edu

Eric Butcher

  • Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
  • Associate Professor, Applied Mathematics Graduate Interdisciplinary Program
  • Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Degrees

  • M.S. Aerospace Engineering Sciences
  • University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States
  • Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
  • Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering
  • Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States
  • B.S. Engineering Physics
  • University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States
  • B.M.A. Musical Arts
  • University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States

Work Experience

  • Professor, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2014 - Ongoing)
  • Associate Professor, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico (2007 - 2013)
  • Associate Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks (1998 - 2006)
  • Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratory (1997 - 1998)

Awards

  • UA Academic Leadership Fellow
  • Fall 2018
  • AFRL Summer Faculty Fellowship
  • Summer 2018
  • AFRL, Summer 2016
  • Summer 2015
  • Best Paper Award
  • 12th International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control, Fall 2016

Degrees

  • M.S. Aerospace Engineering Sciences
    • University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, United States
  • Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
    • Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering
    • Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States
  • B.S. Engineering Physics
    • University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States
  • B.M.A. Musical Arts
    • University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States

Work Experience

  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2014 - Ongoing)
  • New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico (2007 - 2013)
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks (1998 - 2006)
  • Sandia National Laboratory (1997 - 1998)

Interests

Research

Nonlinear dynamics and control: stability, nonlinear dynamics, and control in time-periodic, time-delayed, stochastic, and fractional order systems; chaos and chaos control; decentralized multi-agent consensus control and estimation; nonlinear vibrations, order reduction, vibration-based damage detection in structural and rotordynamic systems.Orbital mechanics and spacecraft GNC: nonlinear astrodynamics, libration point transfers; dynamics, estimation, and control of spacecraft attitude, relative motion, and coupled orbit/attitude dynamics

Courses

Dynamics Of Machines

AME 352 (Fall 2018)

Interplanetary Mission Design

AME 429 (Spring 2019)
AME 529 (Spring 2019)

Spacecraft Attitude Dyn/Contrl

AME 454 (Spring 2018)
AME 554 (Spring 2018)

Mechanical Vibrations

AME 460 (Fall 2017)

Spacecraft Optimal Estimation

AME 521 (Spring 2018)

Intro Adv Linear Control Thry

AME 558 (Fall 2016)

Advanced Vibration

AME 560 (Spring 2017)

Independent Study

AME 599 (Fall 2017)
AME 599 (Fall 2016)
AME 699 (Spring 2017)

Research

AME 900 (Fall 2018)
AME 900 (Spring 2018)
AME 900 (Fall 2017)
AME 900 (Spring 2017)
AME 900 (Fall 2016)

Thesis

AME 910 (Fall 2018)
AME 910 (Spring 2018)
AME 910 (Fall 2017)
AME 910 (Spring 2017)
AME 910 (Fall 2016)

Dissertation

AME 920 (Spring 2019)
AME 920 (Fall 2018)
AME 920 (Spring 2018)
AME 920 (Fall 2017)
AME 920 (Spring 2017)
AME 920 (Fall 2016)

Selected Publications

Chapters

  • Butcher, E., Dabiri, A., & Nazari, M. (2017). Stability and Control of Fractional Periodic Time-Delayed Systems. In Time Delay Systems: Theory, Numerics, Applications, and Experiments (Advances in Delays and Dynamics Vol. 7)(pp 107-126). New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-53426-8

Journals/Publications

  • Wang, J., Butcher, E., & Yucelen, T. (2019). Space-Based Relative Orbit Estimation using Information Sharing and the Consensus Kalman Filter. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 42, 491-507. doi:10.2514/1.G003503
  • Wu, F., Cao, X., Butcher, E., & Wang, F. (2019). Dynamics and Control of Spacecraft with a Large Misaligned Rotational Component. Aerospace Science and Technology, 87, 207-217.
  • Butcher, E., & Lovell, A. (2018). Nonlinear Normal Modes of Relative Orbital Motion for Unperturbed Two-Body Reference Orbits. Acta Astronautica, 153, 191-200. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.01.007
  • Dabiri, A., & Butcher, E. (2018). Numerical Solution of Multi-Order Fractional Differential Equations with Multiple Delays via Spectral Collocation Methods. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 56, 424-448. doi:10.1016/j.apm.2017.12.012
  • Dabiri, A., Butcher, E., Poursina, M., & Nazari, M. (2018). Optimal Periodic-Gain Fractional Delayed State Feedback Control for Linear Fractional Periodic Time-Delayed Systems. Transactions on Automatic Control. doi:10.1109/TAC.2017.2731522
  • Nazari, M., Butcher, E., & Sanyal, A. (2018). Spacecraft Attitude Fractional Feedback Control using Rotation Matrices and Exponential Coordinates. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 41, 2185-2198.
  • Wang, J., Butcher, E., & Lovell, A. (2018). Ambiguous Relative Orbits in Sequential Relative Orbit Estimation with Range-Only Measurements. Acta Astronautica, 151, 626-644. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2018.04.057
  • Butcher, E., Wang, J., & Lovell, T. A. (2017). On Kalman Filtering and Observability in Nonlinear Sequential Relative Orbit Estimation. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 40, 2167-2182. doi:10.2514/1.G002702
  • Dabiri, A., & Butcher, E. (2017). Efficient Modified Chebyshev Differentiation Matrices for Fractional Differential Equations. Communications in Nonlinear Science & Numerical Simulation, 50, 284-310. doi:10.1016/j.cnsns.2017.02.009
  • Dabiri, A., & Butcher, E. (2017). Stable Fractional Chebyshev Differentiation Matrix for the Numerical Solution of Multi-Order Fractional Differential Equations. Nonlinear Dynamics, 90(1), 185-201. doi:10.1007/s11071-017-3654-3
  • Dabiri, A., Butcher, E., & Nazari, M. (2017). Coefficient of Restitution in Fractional Viscoelastic Compliant Impacts using Fractional Chebyshev Collocation. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 388, 230-244. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2016.10.013
  • Nazari, M., Butcher, E., & Anthony, W. (2017). Earth-Moon L1 Libration Point Orbit Continuous Stationkeeping Control using Time-Varying LQR and Backstepping. International Journal of Dynamics and Control, published online. doi:10.1007/s40435-016-0256-8
  • Samiei, E., Sanyal, A., & Butcher, E. (2017). Stabilization of Rigid Body Attitude Motion with Time-Delayed Feedback. Aerospace Science and Technology, 68, 509-517. doi:10.1016/j.ast.2017.06.004
  • Butcher, E. A., Dabiri, A., & Nazari, M. (2016). Transition Curve Analysis of Linear Fractional Periodic Time-Delayed Systems Via Explicit Harmonic Balance Method. JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL AND NONLINEAR DYNAMICS, 11(4). doi:10.1115/1.4031840
  • Nazari, M., & Butcher, E. (2016). Fuel Efficient Periodic Gain Control Strategies for Spacecraft Relative Motion in Elliptic Chief Orbits. International Journal of Dynamics and Control. doi:10.1007/s40435-014-0126-1

Proceedings Publications

  • Maadani, M., & Butcher, E. (2019, Aug). Morse-Lyapunov-Based Decentralized Consensus Control of Rigid Body Spacecraft in Orbital Relative Motion. In AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.
  • Maadani, M., & Butcher, E. (2019, Dec). Distributed Control of Rigid Body Reduced Attitude: Synchronization and Balancing. In Indian Control Conference.
  • Maadani, M., & Butcher, E. (2019, Dec.). Consensus Control of a Multi-Agent Rigid Body System on TSO(3)^N and TSE(3)^N. In Indian Control Conference.
  • Maadani, M., Butcher, E., Nazari, M., & Yucelen, T. (2019, Jan). Decentralized Consensus Control of Rigid Bodies using Exponential Coordinates. In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference.
  • Wang, J., Butcher, E., & Yucelen, T. (2019, Jan). Consensus Estimation of Rigid Body Motion using Lie Algebra se(3) and the Consensus Extended Kalman Filter. In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference.
  • Yaylali, D., Butcher, E., & Dabiri, A. (2019, Jan). Fractional PID Consensus Protocols for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems. In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference.
  • Yaylali, D., Yaylali, D., Butcher, E., Butcher, E., Sinclair, A., & Sinclair, A. (2019, Jan). Fractional Control of Relative Orbit Trajectories. In AAS Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting.
  • Arabi, E., Sarsilmaz, S., Maadani, M., Nazari, M., Butcher, E., & Yucelen, T. (2018, Jan). Adaptive Control of a Rigid Body Vehicle on Exponential Coordinates with Guaranteed Performance. In AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference.
  • Burnett, E., & Butcher, E. (2018, Aug). Linearized Relative Orbital Motion Dynamics in a Rotating Second Degree and Order Gravity Field. In AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.
  • Burnett, E., Butcher, E., Lovell, A., & Sinclair, A. (2018, Aug). Linearized Relative Orbital Motion Model about an Oblate Body Without Averaging. In AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.
  • Crane, J., Roscoe, C., Malladi, B., Zucchini, G., Butcher, E., Sanfelice, R., & Hussein, I. (2018, June). Hybrid Control for Autonomous Spacecraft Rendezvous Proximity Operations and Docking. In IFAC Workshop on Networked and Autonomous Air and Space Systems.
  • Dabiri, A., & Butcher, E. (2018, June). The FCC Stability Criterion for Fractional-Order Linear Time-Invariant Systems with Commensurate or Incommensurate Orders. In American Control Conference.
  • Dabiri, A., Butcher, E., & Nazari, M. (2018, June). Phase-Variable Canonical State-Space Realizations and Initializations for Linear Time-Invariant Multi-Term Fractional Differential Equations. In American Control Conference.
  • Dabiri, A., Poursina, M., & Butcher, E. (2018, June). Integration of Divide-and Conquer Algorithm with Fractional Order Controllers for the Efficient Dynamic Modeling and Control of Multibody Systems. In American Control Conference.
  • Dogan, K., Gruenwald, B., Yucelen, T., Muse, J., & Butcher, E. (2018, June). Stable Distributed Adaptive Systems for Control of Linear Multiagent Systems in the Presence of Heterogeneous Actuator Dynamics and Unknown Parameters. In American Control Conference.

Poster Presentations

  • Butcher, E. A., Bobrenkov, O., Torkamani, S., Nazari, M., & Samiei, E. (2014, July 3-5). Stability, Estimation, and Control in Stochastic Delayed Systems. Investigating Dynamics in Engineering and Applied Science (IDEAS). Badapest, Hungary.

Presentations

  • Butcher, E. (2018, April). Rigid Body Spacecraft Consensus Control and Estimation. RTG seminar, Applied Mathematics, UA.
  • Butcher, E. (2018, Jan). Rigid Body Vehicle Modelling using Geometric Mechanics and Multi-Vehicle Consensus Control. Workshop on Consensus Control in Multivehicle Systems, University of South Florida.
  • Butcher, E. (2017, February). Autonomous Space Vehicles: Research at the Intersection of Controls, Dynamical Systems, and Nonlinear Astrodynamics. invited talk. UA Electrical and Computer Engineering.
  • Butcher, E. (2017, January). Research in the Autonomous Space Vehicles and Astrodynamics (ASVA) Laboratory. University of Arizona Workshop on Space Object Behavioral Sciences. Biosphere 2.
  • Butcher, E. (2017, June). Chaos Control in Fractional-Order Systems using Fractional Chebyshev Collocation Method. extended abstract for 9th European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference. Budapest.
  • Butcher, E. (2017, June). Stability and Control of the Fractional Damped Delayed Mathieu Equation. extended abstract for 9th European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference. Budapest.
  • Butcher, E. (2017, March). Autonomous Space Vehicles: Recent Research in Spacecraft Relative Motion, Attitude Control, and Nonlinear Astrodynamics. invited talk. Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
  • Butcher, E. (2015, February). Advancing Astronautics for Space Exploration and Development. invited talk. University of Arizona chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS).
  • Butcher, E. (2015, March). Transition Curves in Fractional Periodic Delay Differential Equations. invited takl. University of Arizona Applied Mathematics Department.
  • Butcher, E. (2015, November). Nonlinear Dynamics and Geometric Mechanics in Modeling and Control of Spacecraft Relative Motion. University of Arizona Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.
  • Butcher, E. A. (2014, November 17). Stability and Nonlinear Dynamics of Parametrically Excited Delayed Fractional Systems with Applications to Spacecraft Attitude and Formation Control. Seminar. Arizona State University.
  • Butcher, E. A. (2014, October 23). Stability and Nonlinear Dynamics of Parametrically Excited Delayed Fractional Systems. Seminar. University of Arizona: Applied Mathematics Department.

Others

  • Burnett, E., Sinclair, A., & Butcher, E. (2019, Feb). Coordinate-Invariant Linear Quadratic Control. abstract for International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Vienna, Feb. 18-22, 2019.

Awards

  • Best Paper Award
    • 12th International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control, Fall 2016
  • AFRL Summer Faculty Fellowship
    • AFRL, Summer I 2016
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P.O. Box 210119
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