Urban Fasel

Lecturer at Imperial College London

Research Projects


I am broadly interested at the intersection of mechanical engineering and data science. My research efforts range from machine learning and data science for modeling and control of complex systems to flexible composite structures, intelligent flight, and renewable energy systems
Some particular research areas of interest and projects I am working on: 

Robust sparse model discovery


Exploiting statistical methods to robustify the sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics (SINDy) algorithm


Data-driven control


Data-driven methods for model discovery and their application for nonlinear model predictive control.


Morphing wings


Aero-structural design and optimization of distributed compliance morphing wings.


Flapping wing micro aerial vehicles


Agile and computationally efficient trajectory tracking of sub-gram MAVs.


Data-driven aeroelastic reduced-order modeling


Data-driven modelling methods to develop highly accurate and tractable reduced-order aeroelastic models that are valid over a wide range of operating conditions and are suitable for control.


Concurrent wing design and flight mission optimization


System level power production optimization of airborne wind energy drones by concurrently optimizing the wing design and flight mission.


Composite structures


Design, optimization, and manufacturing of lightweight composite wing structures.


Renewable energy


Design, computational modeling, and optimization of airborne wind energy systems.