Department of Mechanical Engineering

Kevin Kochersberger


Kevin Kochersberger


Research Associate Professor

Unmanned System Laboratory
Plantation Road
Blacksburg, VA


540-231-5589
540-231-9100 - Fax


201 Randolph Hall
Blacksburg, VA
540-231-5589

kbk@vt.edu


For more information visit the Unmanned Systems Lab.

Education Research
Teaching
Experience
Honors
Publications


Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 		1994
M.S. Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 		1984
B.S. Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 		1983

 

Research

  • Experimental Aerodynamics

  • Adaptive Air Vehicle Design and Control

  • Autonomous Fixed and Rotary Wing Aerial Systems

  • Experimental Modal Analysis / Vibration Analysis

For more information, please visit the Unmanned Systems Laboratory.
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Teaching Activities

ME 4005 - Mechanical Engineering Lab:

  • Principles of measurement, measurement standards and accuracy, detectors and transducers, digital data acquisition principles, signal conditioning systems and readout devices statistic concepts in measurement, experimental investigation of engineering systems, technical report writing. II, IV

ME 3614 - Mechanical Design I:

  • Design of mechanical components subject to static and fatigue loads. Design using screws, springs and bearings. Computer-aided design using transfer matrix and finite element methods. I,II.

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Experience

Research Associate Professor Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA		 June 2006 -
Present
Associate Professor Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Spr. 2000 – Spr. 2006
Visiting and Assistant Professor Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Fall 1994 - Spr. 2000
Wind Tunnel Test Engineer and Lead Engineer on Wright 1901 and 1902 Full-Scale Glider Tests Langely Full-Scale Tunnel
Hampton, VA 		Fall 2001 -
Sum. 2002
Instructor Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA		 Fall 1992 - Spr. 1994
Structural Dynamists, F/A-18 and A-12 Aircraft McDonnell Douglas Corp. St. Louis, MO 1986 – 1989
Associate Engineer and Structural Engineer IBM Federal Systems Division Manassas, VA 1984 - 1986

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Honors

  • Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Educator Award, 2004

  • AIAA 2004 – 2007 Distinguished Lecture Program Participant

  • Pilot of the Reproduction Wright Flyer, Centennial of Flight Celebration, Kitty Hawk, NC, December 17, 2003

  • Aviation Week and Space Technology Aerospace Laureate, 2003

  • Soaring Society of America, Paul E. Tuntland Historical Award, 2003

  • Society of Automotive Engineers Teetor Educational Award, 1998

  • Cunningham Dissertation Year Fellowship, 1991;  Virginia Tech

  • President's Award, 1988;  McDonnell Douglas Corp.

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Books

  • Kochersberger, K., Light Sport Aircraft Inspection Procedures, Avotek Information Resources, Weyers Cave, VA, ISBN: 1-933189-06-01, 2006.

Journal Articles

  • Bilgen, O, Kochersberger, K, and Inman, D.J., "Lightweight High Voltage Electronic Circuits for Piezoelectric Composite Actuators," submitted to Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, March 2010.
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K. B., Inman, D.J., and Ohanian, O.J., "Macro-Fiber Composite Actuated Simply Supported Airfoils," Smart Materials and Structures, Vol 19, No. 5, 2010
  • Bilgen, O, Kochersberger, K.B., Inman, D.J., "Novel, Bi-Directional Variable Chamber Airfoil via Macro-Fiber Composite Actuators," AIAA Journal of Aircraft, Vol 47, No.1 pp. 303-314, 2010.
  • Bilgen, O, DeMarqui, Kochersberger, K., and Inman, D., "Piezoceramic Composite Actuators for Flow Control in Low Reynolds Number Airflow,"submitted to Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, January 2010.
  • Bilgen,O., Kochersberger, K. Inman, D.J., "Macro-Fiber Composite Actuators for a Swept Wing Unmanned Aircraft", submitted to Special Issue on Flight Structures Fundamental Research in the U.S.A., publication of Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 113, No. 1144, June 2009.
  • Kochersberger, K., Landman, D., Player, J., Hyde, K., “An Evaluation of the Wright 1902 Wright Glider Using Full Scale Wind Tunnel Data,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 42, No. 3, 2005, pp 710 – 717.
  • Kochersberger, K., Ash, R., Britcher, C., Landman, D., and Hyde, K., “An Evaluation of the Wright 1901 Glider Using Full Scale Wind Tunnel Data,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 40, No. 3, 2003, pp. 417-424.
  • (Accepted) Bilgen, O., Diggs, E., Wells, D., Kochersberger, K., Kurdila, A., Inman, D., “Wing Morphing Roll Control on an Unmanned Aircraft using Active Materials,” AIAA Infotech, Rohnert Park, CA, May, 2007.
  • Kochersberger, K., and Abe, C., “A Novel, Low Reynolds Number Moment Balance Design for Micro Air Vehicle Research,” AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, Toronto, ON, June, 2005.
  • Ralston, J., Kochersberger, K., Britcher, C., and Hyde, K., “1903 Wright Flyer Simulation for Flight Support and Training,” AIAA Atmospheric Flight Mechanics Conference, Providence, RI, August, 2004.
  • Kochersberger, K., Britcher, C., Crabill, N., Dominguez, K., and Hyde, K., “Flying Qualities of the Wright 1903 Flyer: From Simulation to Flight Test,” AIAA 42nd Aerospace Sciences Conference, January, 2004.
  • Britcher, C., Landman, D., Ash, R., Kochersberger, K., Hyde, K., “Predicted Flight Performance of the Wright ‘Flyer’ Based on Full- Scale Tunnel Data.” AIAA 42nd Aerospace Sciences Conference, January, 2004.
  • Kochersberger, K., Robinson, R., and Anderson, M., “Gender Issues in Aerospace Education,” National Congress on Aerospace Education, Cincinnati, OH, April, 2003.

Conference Papers

  • Short, N., Lanier, P., Kochersberger, K., and Abbott, L., "Modal-based Camera Corrections for Large Baseline Stereo Imaging," ASPRS 2010 Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, April 26-30, 2010.
  • Bays, M., and Kochersberger, K., "Tracking of a Plume Source using a Prioro Model and Nonlinear Filtering, " AIAA Infotech@Aerospace Conference, Atlanta GA, April 19-22, 2010.
  • Collins, T., Kochersberger, K., "Constrained Layer Dampining Test Results for Aircraft Landing Gear, Proceedings of the XXVIII International Modal Analysis Conference, Jacksonsville, VA, Feb. 2010.
  • Lanier, P., Short, N., Kochersberger, K., Abbott, L., "Modal-Based Camera Corrections for Large Pitched Stereo Imaging," Proceedings of the XXVIII International Modal Analysis Conference, Jacksonsville, VA, Feb. 2010.
  • Bilgen, O,. De Marqui,C., Kochersberger, K.B., Inman, D.J., "Flow Control via Piecoceramic Actuators with an Application to a Variable-Chamber Airfoil via MFC's," 20th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies, Hong-Kong, China, Oct. 20-22, 2009.
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K.B., Inman, D.J., "Piecoceramic Actuated Variable-Chamber Airfoils: design Modeling and Testing." Presentation at the 1st Annual Center of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures (CIMSS) Conference, Blacksburg, VA, August, 2009.
  • Bilgen, O., Ohanian, J.O., Kochersberger, K.B., Inman, D.J., "Novel, Bi-Directional, Variable Chamber Airfoil via Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator." AIAA 2009-2133, 50thAIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Palm Springs, CA, May 6, 2009
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K., Inman, D.J., "Novel, Bi-Directional, Variable Chamber Airfoil via Macro-Fiber Composite Actuator," AIAA SDM Conference, Palm Springs, CA, May 2009.
  • Rose, M., Kochersberger, K., Franklin, A., Saleh, M., "An Assessment of Vision Systems for Tele-Operated Ground Robot Navigation," AIAA Infotech Conference, Seattle, WA, April 2009.
  • Gallimore, C., Kochersberger, K., "Constrained Layer Dampining Treatment Design for Aircraft Landing Gear," submitted to the 27th International Modal Analysis Conference, Orlando, FL, Feb.. 9-12, 2009.
  • Bilgen, O., Erturk, A., Inman, D.J., and Kochersberger,K.B., "Macro-Fiber Composite Actuated Thin Clamped-Feree Benders and Thin Simply-Supported Morphing Airfoils," 19th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies, Ascona, Switzerland, Oct.. 6-9, 2008.
  • Kochersberger, K., Abbott, L., Klomparens, D., Culhane, A., Sharkasi, A., and Smart, J., "Human Supervisory Control of an Autonomous VTOL using LIDAR and Stereo Vision," AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America, San Diego, CA, June 10-12, 2008.
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K., Inman, D.J., " A Novel Aerodynamic Vectoring Control Airfoil, via Micro-Fiber-Composite Actuators," AIAA-2008-1700, 49th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/ASH/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Schaumburg, Illinois, April 7-10, 2008.
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K., Inman, D.J., "An Experimental and Analytical Study of a Flow Vectoring Airfoil via Macro-Fiber-Composite Actuators," SPIE Smart Structures/NDE, San Diego, CA, March 2008.
  • V.L. Parnel,S. Beodo, M. Kempski, K. Kochersberger and M. Haselkorn, "SAE 2007-01-4190: Health Monitoring of LAC Planet Gear Bushings Using Vibrator Signature Analysis Techniques," SAE 2007 Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress and Exhibition, Chicago, IL, Oct.. 2007
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K., Diggs, E., Kurdila, A., Inman, D., "AIAA-2741: Morphing Wing Aerodynamic Control via Macro-Fiber-Composite Actuators in an Unmanned Aircraft," AIAA InfoTech@Aerospace Conference, Rohnert Park, CA, May 2007.
  • Bird., J., Culhane, A. Sharkasi, A. Kochersberger, K., "AIAA-2755: Low-Cost Compact Instrumentation, Control and Aerial Surveillance Payload Support for Small UAV's" AIAA InfoTech@Aerospace Conference, Rohnert Park, CA, May 2007.
  • Bilgen, O., Kochersberger, K., Diggs, E., Kurdila, A., Inman, D., " Morphing Wing Micro-Air-Vehicles cia Micro-Fiber-Composite Actuators," 48th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Honolulu, HI, April 2007. 2007 AASME/Boeing Best Paper Award.
  • Diggs, E., Bilgen, O., Kurdila, A., Kochersberger, K., Inman, D., Vignola, J., "Structural Characteristics via SLDV for a Class of Morphing Micro-Air-Vehicles," SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, Orlando, FL, April 2007.


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