Dr. Robert H. Sturges, P.E.

Professor

100 Durham Hall
Phone: 540-231-7420
Fax: 540-231-3322
Email: sturges@vt.edu

Biographical Information

Education

• Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 1985
• B.S.-M.S., MIT, 1969

Major Responsibilities

Teaching, research, and advising in cross-disciplinary areas. Industry liason. Apprentice curmudgeon. Value analyst.

Research Accomplishments

Sixteen US Patents. Developed a quantification of machine and human dexterity (1985), invented spatial remote center compliance device (1992), demonstrated feasibility of robot-assisted fiber-composite manufacture (2002), showed that performance is predictable from behavior in a material-handling environment. (2004)

Recent Course Responsibilities

Manufacturing Processes (theory plus laboratory), Industrial Automation, Robotics, Capstone Design project teams.

Selected Recent Publications

Thirty conference papers and 11 journal articles in the past 5 years.

Journal articles listed below:

• Babiceanu, R.F., Chen, F. Frank, Sturges, Robert H. (2004), “A Framework for Control of Automated Material Handling Systems using the Holonic Manufacturing Approach, ” International Journal of Production Research.
• Kanarat, A., and Sturges, R.H. (2004), “Motion planning for nonholonomic mobile robots under control uncertainty, ” Computer-Aided Design and Applications, Vol. 1 Nos. 1-4, CAD ’04.
• Babiceanu, R.F., Chen, F.F., and Sturges, R.H. (2004), “Real-Time Holonic Scheduling of Material Handling Operations in a Dynamic Manufacturing Environment, ” International Journal of Robotics and Computer Integrated Manufacturing.
• Anderson, R., and Sturges, R.H. (2004), “The Use of Behavior in the Design of Complex Systems, ” Computer-Aided Design and Applications, Vol. 1 Nos. 1-4, CAD ’04.
• Babiceanu, R.F., Chen, F.F., and Sturges, R.H. (2004), “A Framework for Control of Automated Material Handling Systems Using the Holonic Manufacturing Approach, ” International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 42, No. 17.
• Sturges, R.H., and Laowattana, S. (2002), “Constraint Network Analysis of Three Dimensional Insertion Tasks, ” Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Volume 13, No. 1, pp 19-38.
• Ayyadevara, V.R., Bourne, D.A., Shimada, K., and Sturges, R.H. (2002), “Interference-free Polyhedral Configurations for Stacking, ” IEEE Transactions on Robotics and Automation, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp 147-165.
• Babiceanu, R.F., Chen, F.F., and Sturges, R.H. “The influence of material handling operations on the schedule makespan in manufacturing cell environments, ” Transactions of NAMRI/SME, Volume 33.
• Wiedmann, S., and Sturges, R.H. “A Full Kinematic Model of Thread-Starting for Assembly Automation Analysis, ” ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 128, No. 1, pp. 116-127.
• Wiedmann, S., and Sturges, R.H. “Spatial Kinematic Analysis of Threaded Fastener Assembly, ” ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 128, No. 1, pp. 128-136.
• Musa, R, Sturges, R.H., and Chen F.F. “Process Capability Allocation in the Extended Enterprise Environment, ” accepted by Transactions of the NAMRI/SME, Volume 34.

Selected Recent Projects

Demonstrated herding behavior of a hostile swarm of low-cost robots; showed how anyone can make gears at home using standard shop equipment.

Industries Serviced

Manufacturing and product design, patent analysis, proprietor of Nocturnal Aviation.

Scientific and Professional Societies of Which a Member:

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)