LABS & CENTERS / 22
PERL LAB
Performance Engineering Research Lab STEVE SOUTHWARD | Director
The Performance Engineering Research Lab was founded in 2005 to develop and apply technologies that enhance the performance of sport , military , industrial , and commercial vehicles . Innovations in active & adaptive control and digital signal processing are exploited to support this mission . Initial research in this lab led to novel experimental sensing , control , and actuation solutions for optimizing the suspension performance in racing and commercial vehicles . Current research initiatives are focused on the development of high-value autonomous ground vehicles that have an inherent capability to learn and develop associative memory through supervised and unsupervised feedback . This goal is accomplished by leveraging advanced real-time software solutions implemented on low-power micro-controllers and FPGA devices so that hardware solutions will not require high-cost components . Advanced and efficient control strategies are also being developed for commanding commercial electric vehicles to accurately track a desired path on public highways in support of selfdriving car development .