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CURRICULUM VITAE

MOBLE BENEDICT

Assistant Professor

Department of Aerospace Engineering

746A H. R. Bright Bldg

Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843

Tel. 979-458-2705

Email: benedict@tamu.edu

INTERESTS

To generate disruptive and revolutionary innovations through opportunity-driven, inter-

disciplinary, fundamental research related to the broad areas of

analysis/design/development/autonomous control of high performance next generation vertical

flight concepts at small and full scales, green aviation, aircraft concepts for planetary

exploration, high efficiency vertical axis wind turbines, and unmanned underwater vehicles. To

balance research between experiments and computational analyses; between fundamental

understanding and its application to real-life problems, and to tackle multi-disciplinary barrier

problems, generate high-level scholarly work, and create a team environment for productivity.

EDUCATION

University of Maryland (2004 – 2010)

Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering

Thesis: “Fundamental Understanding of the Cycloidal-Rotor Concept for Micro Air Vehicle

Applications”

Thesis Advisor: Prof. Inderjit Chopra

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay (2003 – 2004)

Master of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

Master’s Thesis: “Aeroelastic Design and Manufacture of an Efficient Ornithopter Wing”

Thesis Advisor: Prof. K. Sudhakar

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay (1999 – 2003)

Bachelor of Technology in Aerospace Engineering

EMPLOYMENT

Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, August 2014 onward

Texas A&M University, College Station

Assistant Research Scientist, July 2012 – August 2014

Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center, Aerospace Department, University of Maryland, College

Park

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Postdoctoral Research Associate, January 2011 – June 2012

Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center, Aerospace Department, University of Maryland, College

Park

Graduate Research Assistant, September 2004 – December 2010

Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center, Aerospace Department, University of Maryland, College

Park

HONORS AND AWARDS

College of Engineering 2017 Dean’s Excellence Award.

2016 François-Xavier Bagnoud from American Helicopter Society (AHS) for career-to-

date contributions to vertical flight technology under the age of 35.

http://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2016/03/22/benedict-to-receive-the-francois-xavier-

bagnoud-vertical-flight-award

Grand Prize Winner of the Lockheed Martin 2012 Innovate the Future Global

Challenge (Prize was $25K and was selected out of 500 entries)

http://www.enae.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=6969

2012 Young Engineer-Scientist Award – American Institute of Aeronautics and

Astronautics (AIAA)

http://www.aero.umd.edu/news/news_story.php?id=6555

Best Paper Award in the Modeling and Simulation Session(s) in 73rd Annual National

Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Fort Worth, TX, May 9–11, 2017

Best Paper Award in the Advanced Vertical Flight Session(s) in 72nd Annual National

Forum of the American Helicopter Society, West Palm Beach, FL, May 17–19, 2016

First and Second prizes, AIAA student conference 2017 (co-author)

First and Second prizes, AIAA student conference 2016 (co-author)

First prize, AIAA student conference 2015 (co-author)

Best Paper Award in the Advanced Vertical Flight Session(s) in 70th Annual National

Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Montreal, Canada, May 20–22, 2014

Co-supervised a Masters student who won the 2014 “Dean’s Best Masters Research

Award” for the whole of engineering school

Third prize, AIAA student conference 2014 (co-author)

Second prize, AIAA student conference 2013 (co-author)

Co-supervised a PhD student who won the 2013 “Best Doctoral Research Award” in

the Aerospace Engineering Department

First prize, AIAA student conference 2012 (co-author)

Invited speaker at the SPIE sponsored Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems,

and Applications Conference, Baltimore, April 23–27, 2012

Best Paper Award in the Advanced Vertical Flight Session(s) in 67th Annual National

Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Virginia Beach, VA, May 3–5, 2011

Co-supervised a Masters student who won the 2011 “Dean’s Best Masters Research

Award” for the whole of engineering school

Second prize, AIAA student conference 2011 (co-author)

First prize, AIAA student conference 2010 (co-author)

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Athena Award 2010

Ann Wylie Fellowship 2009

University of Maryland Future Faculty Fellow 2008

Invited speaker at the National Seminar on Micro Aerial Vehicles organized by

Institution of Engineers (India), Pune, India, February 28, 2004.

“Best Paper from an Academic Institution” award at the International Seminar on

Advances in Aerospace Sciences, Bangalore, India, December 2003.

RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Moble Benedict has conducted pioneering research on the next-generation Vertical Take-Off and

Landing (VTOL) UAV concepts (cycloidal rotor, flapping wing and conventional micro-rotor),

vertical-axis wind turbines and Martian rotorcraft. The research covered a broad range of areas

including hover/wind-tunnel testing, vehicle aerodynamic and structural design, construction,

controls system development and hardware implementation and flight testing.

Cycloidal Rotor Aircraft: Moble Benedict’s Ph. D. dissertation focused on a very challenging

problem, “Fundamental Understanding of the Cycloidal Rotor Concept for Micro Air Vehicle

Applications.” In a cycloidal rotor (also known as cyclocopter or cyclogyro), the blades run

parallel to the axis of its rotation (Figs. 1 – 3). The US Army (ARL) under the “CTA-MAST

Center for Microsystem Mechanics” supported this work. In order to produce net vertical thrust,

the pitch angle of each blade is varied cyclically by mechanical means. These autonomous Micro

Hovering Air Vehicles (MHAV), with a gross weight of 30-800 g, face many technical

challenges that include: low Reynolds number aerodynamics, flight controls and stability, design

complexity, efficient power and propulsion system, compact actuators/sensors/microprocessors,

complex mechanisms, autonomous out-of-sight navigational tools, and ultra-light structures.

Furthermore, in the beginning, there was a total lack of knowledgebase on aeromechanics of

cycloidal rotors at any scale. Thus, the development of a MHAV entails synthesis of

multidisciplinary state-of-the-art technologies to overcome the challenges imposed by size,

weight, performance and power. The study involved carrying out the development of

aeromechanical analysis of a cycloidal MAV system, followed by design, fabrication, and

extensive lab- and flight-testing of vehicles. Comprehensive aeromechanics design tools for

cycloidal rotors were formulated and systematically validated with detailed in-house test data. In

the history of aviation (spanning over 100 years), there have been a dozen attempts to build and

flight test cycloidal rotor systems, but none of these succeeded. Moble Benedict is perhaps the

Fig. 1: Hover-capable cyclocopters

developed at University of Maryland.

Fig. 2: Cyclocopter in hover

(demo at AHS Forum 2013).

Fig. 3: 29 gram meso-scale

cyclocopter developed at

Texas A&M University.

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very first aeronautical enthusiast who very scientifically built this innovative concept and

successfully flight-tested it autonomously (video). Along with systematic aerodynamic tests on

hover stand and in wind tunnel, a state-of-the-art multibody-based aeroelastic analysis was

developed and systematically validated. This, along with well synthesized microelectronics and

hardware control strategies led to the stable autonomous flight of this concept. A range of

vehicles were built (Figs. 1 – 3), the large ones (gross weight over 800 grams) to understand

aeromechanics phenomena and develop design tools, and smaller ones (gross weight less than 50

grams) to successfully accomplish Army’s CTA-MAST missions to fly in confined spaces. The

cycloidal rotor research has been recognized with two Best Paper Awards (2011 and 2014) in

Advanced Vertical Flight at the AHS Forum and numerous best paper awards at the AIAA

conferences. Moble Benedict was awarded the 2012 AIAA Young Engineer-Scientist Award,

recognizing his pioneering research in the analysis-based design, fabrication, and first successful

flight of a direct lift aircraft employing a cycloidal rotor. Currently, at Texas A&M, a 29 gram

meso-scale cyclocopter (Fig. 3) has been built and flight tested. Note that this is the smallest

cycloidal rotor based air vehicle ever built. Fundamental experiments are also being carried out

to measure the unsteady chordwise pressure distribution on a cycloidal rotor blade, which is an

extremely challenging experiment considering the space constraints on small-scale rotor blades

and low speeds required to simulate ultralow Reynolds numbers. Another significant effort is the

development of a design code for small-scale novel unmanned aerial systems such as

cyclocopters, flapping-wing aircraft and multi-rotor helicopters. This code, once fully developed,

would be added to NASA’s rotorcraft design code (NDARC) to extend its capabilities to

unconventional UAV systems.

We think that cycloidal rotor is one of the “Out-of-Box” hovering solutions that can be twice as

aerodynamic-efficient as a conventional rotor, far more agile than any current aviation vehicles,

and extremely tolerant to gust, which is a critical factor for a small-scale vehicle.

Flapping-Wing Vehicle: Moble Benedict is also involved with the development of a micro

hovering flapping-wing MAV (Figs. 4 and 5) based on insect/hummingbird kinematics. It is

extremely challenging to develop a simplified lightweight flightworthy flapping mechanism in

the weight category of 50-100 g. In nature, there is no existing flapping-wing animal in this

weight category, which can hover and fly efficiently. Again, the studies were carried out very

scientifically using a state-of-the-art flapping test rig (Fig. 6) to test a range of wings in air and in

vacuum for various kinematic motions and using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to

understand the key flow phenomena. Currently, at Texas A&M, a 60-g flapping-wing vehicle has

Fig. 4: 60 gram hover-capable

flapping wing MAV.

Fig. 5: 60 gram flapping-

wing MAV in stable hover.

Fig. 6: Flapping wing test rig for wing force

and flowfield measurements.

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been successfully flight tested in stable hover (Fig. 5) (video). This vehicle uses bio-inspired

wing kinematics modulation based attitude control mechanisms and closed-loop control system

implemented on a 2 gram custom built autopilot for control and stability. Note that this

revolutionary vehicle is about three times the size of AeroVironment Nano Hummingbird (nano

air vehicle). Again, this is an out-of-the-box solution for a hummingbird-based flapping wing

stealth vehicle that may have an enormous strategic value to defense forces.

High Endurance Rotary-Wing MAV: Most of the conventional-rotor based MAVs have

shown relatively low performance, which are well short of the endurance (<15 mins) and

payload objectives. The reasons for the poor rotor performance are the low lift-to-drag of even

the most optimized airfoils at low Reynolds numbers and the higher induced power because of

the higher rotational and turbulent losses in the wake. Moble Benedict systematically

investigated micro-rotors to understand their governing aerodynamics in order to design more

efficient rotors at this scale. Further, these optimized rotors were utilized along with the

appropriate motor-gearbox and ultra-light structural design to develop a highly efficient quad-

rotor helicopter (Fig. 7). This study is one of the most comprehensive performance

measurements conducted on micro-rotors and involved varying different rotor parameters (such

as blade airfoil section, blade chord, number of blades, blade twist, planform and winglets at

blade tip) along with high-fidelity flowfield measurements using PIV in order to obtain a deeper

understanding on how each of these parameters affect the blade aerodynamic force distribution

and hence the efficiency of a rotor operating at lower Reynolds numbers (Re < 30,000). The

insights gained from these studies were used to design an optimized rotor (FM=0.67) for a

micro-scale helicopter with a gross weight of 44 grams (Fig. 7). Coupled motor-rotor

optimization studies were performed to maximize the total system efficiency at the operating

thrust, which along with a highly weight-optimized airframe, and a custom designed 2 gram

autopilot provided a hover endurance of almost 31 minutes, which is more than twice the

endurance of any of the current hover-capable unmanned air systems at this scale.

Martian Micro-Rotorcraft: NASA-JPL is currently developing a small-scale (sub-1 Kg)

rotorcraft to operate on Mars, mainly to act as an aerial scout for path-planning of the rover and

also to explore areas that are inaccessible to the rover. This air vehicle will most probably be part

of NASA’s 2020 mission to Mars. Designing a small-scale rotor for Martian atmospheric

conditions is extremely challenging because of the complex low-Reynolds-number/high-Mach-

number conditions on the blades due to Mars’ ultralow air density (1/70th of earth), which will

make the flow very susceptible to separation. The Reynolds numbers could be even as low as

Fig. 7: 44 gram micro quad-rotor with 31

minutes hover endurance.

Fig. 8: Martian rotor hover test stand

in the evacuation chamber.

Fig. 9: Dynamic pitch

vertical axis wind turbine.

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2000 with Mach numbers of around 0.5. Moble Benedict worked very closely with JPL to aid the

design of an efficient small-scale rotor for Mars. Fundamental experiments were conducted in-

house to investigate the feasibility of such a helicopter on Mars. The vehicle investigated was a

rigid blade coaxial helicopter with a gross weight of 200 grams and has a rotor diameter of 1.5 ft.

A fully instrumented hover stand (Fig. 8) was developed and installed in a custom-built

evacuation chamber to test the rotor at exact Martian air density. Although there have been many

conceptual design studies in the past, this is the first time a small-scale rotor was actually hover-

tested in Martian conditions. Based on these performance measurements it was rigorously shown

that if such a rotor was coupled with even a 50% efficient motor, it could provide 12 to 13

minutes of hover endurance on Mars using present battery technology. The key findings from

this study are accepted for publication in the Journal of Aircraft.

Vertical Wind Turbine: Recently, he has transitioned his pioneered cycloidal rotor findings

into the development of a vertical axis wind turbine (Fig. 9). Note that this concept is very

different from the widely followed vertical axis Darrieus wind turbines. Because of cyclic pitch

control, the coefficient of power extraction system is about twice that of the conventional vertical

axis turbines. This turbine can self-start at speeds as low as 3.3 mph (1.5 m/s), can capture

energy regardless of fluctuations in wind direction, and is highly efficient even at low tip speed

ratios (ratio of tip speed to wind speed). Over the past four years, an extensive research program

involving wind tunnel testing and simulations via computational fluid dynamics has been carried

out. These studies clearly show the potential of this cycloidal wind turbine to maximize energy

capture at low wind speeds. Envisioned are applications involving small roof-top farms of such

micro wind turbines that could be the solution for efficient wind power generation in urban

environments, where energy needs are very high and wind-conditions are extremely

unpredictable.

Recently, he was recipient of the Grand Prize of Lockheed Martin 2012 Innovative the Future

Challenge for his concept design “Revolutionary Vertical Axis Micro Wind Turbine with

Dynamic Blade Pitching for Urban Environments.” The Grand Prize consists of $25,000 cash

prize and was selected as one of the fifteen finalists from over 500 international entries submitted

to the Innovate the Future Challenge. Finalists presented their innovative concepts to an

executive review board, which selected the winner based on potential impact of the innovation,

its creativity, and the quality of its presentation.

Helicopter Design Accomplishment: Moble Benedict was a key member of the University of

Maryland rotorcraft design team that participated in the 2006 AHS Student Design Competition

(graduate category), to design a 2-seater trainer helicopter powered by a next-generation compact

gas turbine. He worked very actively with Prof. Inderjit Chopra and two rotorcraft industry

designers: Late Dr. Marat Tishchenko, Former Chief Designer of Mil (Russia) and Dr. V. T.

Nagaraj, Former Chief Designer of HAL (India). Moble Benedict was responsible for dynamics,

loads, and rotor/hub design. The team introduced many innovations in their design, such as

composite tailored rotor, oil-free compact turbine engine, variable handling qualities system,

rapid low cost manufacturing process, and low acquisition cost. The team won the second place

in graduate category.

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EDUCATIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Soon after obtaining his PhD degree, he took on several educational responsibilities that included

teaching a graduate class in smart structures and advising graduate/undergraduate students in

their research works. At Maryland, Moble Benedict co-supervised three MS students and two

PhD students in their dissertations. Most of his students won the best MS/PhD thesis awards at

the Department level as well as at the College level.

At Texas A&M, he has initiated major rotorcraft-related education activities. In Fall 2015, he

introduced a new senior-/graduate-level course “Helicopter Aerodynamics.” Prior to this course,

helicopter topics were not included in the curriculum. The course covers the basic aspects of

rotor aerodynamics, flap dynamics, and performance. This course was very well received by the

students and the course appraisal ratings were way above the department average at these levels.

Considering the encouraging feedback from the students, he is planning to introduce an

undergraduate level “Helicopter Design” course next year, with the goal of participating in the

AHS Annual Design Competition. He is also advising the Texas A&M Aerospace Hyperloop

Design team (35 undergraduate students as part of a design course), which moved on to

design/build stage of the SpaceX Hyperloop Design competition that was held in January 2017.

He is currently advising seven graduate students (4 PhD, 3 MS) and ten undergraduate

students on rotorcraft, MAV and wind turbine related projects. He is actively pursuing

collaboration with the Rotorcraft industry to enhance the education of students in rotary wing

technology as well as to develop experimental facilities that are capable of addressing the present

needs of the industry. He is in the process of improving the student participation in the AHS

student chapter in A&M.

SERVICES

Society Membership:

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS, Senior Member

AMERICAN HELICOPTER SOCIETY, Member

Peer Reviews:

JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT (AIAA)

Reviewer, 2011 onwards

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HELICOPTER SOCIETY

Reviewer, 2011 onwards

AIAA JOURNAL

Reviewer, 2013 onwards

JOURNAL OF FLUIDS AND STRUCTURES (Elsevier)

Reviewer, 2013 onwards

JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT MATERIAL SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES

Reviewer, 2013 onwards

THE AERONAUTICAL JOURNAL, ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY

Reviewer, 2014 onwards

JOURNAL OF SHIP RESEARCH

Reviewer, 2015 onwards

JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE, CONTROL AND DYNAMICS (AIAA)

Reviewer, 2015 onwards

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ROBOTICS

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Reviewer, 2016 onwards

NATURE ENERGY

Reviewer, 2016 onwards

BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS

Reviewer, 2017 onwards

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

1. Runco, C., Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “Development of the World’s Smallest

Cyclocopter,” Accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Helicopter

Society.

2. Kellen, A., and Benedict, M., “Experimental Investigation of UAV-Scale Cycloidal

Rotor Performance in Hover,” Submitted to the Journal of the American Helicopter

Society.

3. Walther, C., Saemi, F., Benedict, M., and Lakshminarayan, V. K., “Aerodynamics of

Symmetric versus Asymmetric Pitching of a Cycloidal Rotor Blade in Hover at Ultra-

Low Reynolds Numbers,” Submitted to the Journal of Aircraft.

4. Halder, A., Walther, C., and Benedict, M., “Unsteady Hydrodynamic Modeling of a

Cycloidal Propeller,” Accepted for publication in the Journal of Ocean Engineering.

5. Coleman, D., Gakhar, K., Benedict, M., Tran, J., and Sirohi, J., “Aeromechanics

Analysis of a Hummingbird-like Flapping Wing in Hover,” Submitted to the Journal of

Aircraft.

6. Benedict, M., Garber, J., and Lakshminarayan, V. K., “Towards Understanding the

Physics of a Small-Scale Cycloidal Wind Turbine,” Submitted to the Renewable Energy

Journal.

7. Walther, C., Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “Force and Flowfield Measurements to

Understand Unsteady Aerodynamics of Cycloidal Rotors in Hover at Ultra-Low

Reynolds Numbers,” Submitted to the Journal of the American Helicopter Society.

8. Halder, A., and Benedict, M., “Role of Blade Flexibility on Cycloidal Rotor Hover

Performance,” Submitted to the Journal of Aircraft.

9. Yang, X., Sudhir, A., Halder, A., and Benedict, M., “Nonlinear Aeroelastic Analysis for

Highly Flexible Flapping Wing in Hover,” Submitted to the Journal of the American

Helicopter Society.

10. Runco, C., Himmelberg, B., and Benedict, M., “Performance and Flowfield

Measurements of a Meso-Scale Cycloidal Rotor in Hover,” Submitted to the Journal of

Aircraft.

11. Shrestha, E., Hrishikeshavan, V., Yeo, D., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Flight

Dynamics Modeling and System Identification of a Cyclocopter in Forward Flight,”

Submitted to the Journal of the American Helicopter Society.

12. Coleman, D., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of a

Robotic Hummingbird Capable of Controlled Hover,” Journal of the American

Helicopter Society, Vol. 62, No. 3, July 2017, pp. 1 – 9.

13. Benedict, M., Coleman, D., Mayo, D. B., and Chopra, I., “Experiments on a Rigid Wing

Undergoing Hover-Capable Flapping Kinematics at MAV-Scale Reynolds Numbers,”

AIAA Journal, Vol. 54, No. 4, 2016, pp. 1145 – 1157.

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14. Elena, S., Hrishikeshavan, V., Benedict, M., Yeo, D., and Chopra, I., “Development of

Control Strategies for a Twin-Cyclocopter in Forward Flight,” Journal of the American

Helicopter Society, Vol. 61, No. 4, October 2016, pp. 1 – 9.

15. Winslow, J., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Design, Development

and Flight Testing of a High Endurance Micro Quadrotor Helicopter,” International

Journal of Micro Air Vehicles, Vol. 8, No. 3, September 2016, pp. 155 – 169.

16. Shrestha, E., Martz, V., Yeo, D., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Development of a Meso-

Scale Cycloidal-Rotor Aircraft for Micro Air Vehicle Application,” Accepted for

publication in the International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles (in press).

17. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., and Chopra, I., “Effects of Asymmetric Blade-Pitching

Kinematics on Forward Flight Performance of a Micro-Air-Vehicle-Scale Cycloidal-

Rotor,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 53, No. 5, 2016, pp. 1568-1573.

18. Shrestha, R., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Hover Performance of a

Small-Scale Helicopter Rotor for Flying on Mars,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 53, No. 4,

2016, pp. 1160-1167.

19. Benedict, M., Mullins, J., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of a Quad

Cycloidal-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle,” Journal of the American Helicopter Society,

Vol. 61, No. 2, April 2016, pp. 1 – 12.

20. Benedict, M., Lakshminarayan, V. K., Johnathan, P., and Chopra, I., “Aerodynamics of a

Small-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Dynamic Blade Pitching,” AIAA Journal,

Vol. 54, No. 3, 2016, pp. 924 – 935.

21. Benedict, M., Winslow, J., Hasnain, Z., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Investigation of

Micro Air Vehicle Scale Helicopter Rotor in Hover,” International Journal of Micro Air

Vehicles, Vol. 7, No. 3, October 2015, pp. 231 – 255.

22. Mayo, D., Lankford, J., Benedict, M., Chopra, I., “Aeroelastic Analysis of Avian-Based

Flexible Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles,” Journal of the American Helicopter

Society, Vol. 60, No. 3, 2015, pp. 1-18.

23. Mayo, D., Lankford, J., Benedict, M., Chopra, I., “Experimental and Computational

Analysis of Rigid Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles”, Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 52,

Special Section on Second High Lift Prediction Workshop (2015), pp. 1161-1178.

24. Hrishikeshavan, V., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Identification of Flight Dynamics of a

Cyclocopter Micro Air Vehicle in Hover,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 52, No. 1, 2015, pp.

116 – 129.

25. Lind, A. H., Jarugumilli, T., Benedict, M., Lakshminarayan, V. K., Jones, A. R., and

Chopra, I., “Flowfield studies on a micro-air-vehicle-scale cycloidal rotor in forward

flight,” Experiments in Fluids, Vol. 55, November 2014, pp. 1 – 17.

26. Jarugumilli, T., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Wind Tunnel Studies on a Micro Air

Vehicle-Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 59,

No. 2, April 2014, pp. 1 – 10.

27. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., Lakshminarayan, V. K., and Chopra, I., “Effect of Flow

Curvature on the Forward Flight Performance of a MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” AIAA

Journal, Vol. 52, No. 6, 2014, pp. 1159 – 1169.

28. Benedict, M., Shrestha, E., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of a Micro

Twin-Rotor Cyclocopter Capable of Autonomous Hover,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 51,

No. 2, 2014, pp. 672 – 676.

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29. Benedict, M., Gupta, R., and Chopra, I., “Design, Development and Flight Testing of a

Twin-Rotor Cyclocopter Micro Air Vehicle,” Journal of the American Helicopter

Society, Vol. 58, No. 4, October 2013, pp. 1 – 10.

30. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., and Chopra, I., “Effect of Rotor Geometry and Blade

Kinematics on Cycloidal Rotor Hover Performance,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 50, No. 5,

2013, pp. 1340 – 1352.

31. Zachary, H., A., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Design,

Development, and Flight Test of a Small-Scale Cyclogyro UAV Utilizing a Novel Cam-

Based Passive Blade Pitching Mechanism,” International Journal of Micro Air Vehicles,

Vol. 5, No. 2, June 2013, pp. 145 – 162.

32. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Understanding Micro Air Vehicle Flapping-

Wing Aerodynamics Using Force and Flowfield Measurements,” Journal of Aircraft,

Vol. 50, No. 4, July 2013, pp. 1070 – 1087.

33. Malhan, R., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Studies to Understand the

Hover and Forward Flight Performance of a MAV-scale Flapping Wing Concept,”

Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 57, No. 2, April 2012, pp. 022002-1 -

022002-11.

34. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “A Novel Mechanism for Emulating Insect

Wing Kinematics,” Journal of Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, Vol. 7, No. 3, September

2012, pp. 1—15.

35. Benedict, M., Mattaboni, M., Chopra, I., and Masarati, P., “Aeroelastic Analysis of a

Micro-Air-Vehicle-Scale Cycloidal Rotor in Hover,” AIAA Journal, Vol. 49, No. 11,

November 2011, pp. 2430 – 2443.

36. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Optimization of MAV-

Scale Cycloidal Rotor Performance,” Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol.

56, No. 2, April 2011, pp. 022005-1 - 022005-11.

37. Benedict, M., Ramasamy, M., and Chopra, I., “Improving the Aerodynamic Performance

of Micro-Air-Vehicle-Scale Cycloidal Rotor: An Experimental Approach,” Journal of

Aircraft, Vol. 47, No. 4, July-August 2010, pp. 1117 – 1125.

38. Benedict, M., Ramasamy, M., Chopra, I., and Leishman, J. G., “Performance of a Cycloidal

Rotor Concept for Micro Air Vehicle Applications,” Journal of the American Helicopter

Society, Vol. 55, No. 2, April 2010, pp. 022002-1 - 022002-14.

PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS

39. Walther, C., Coleman, D., Benedict, M., and Lakshminarayan, V. K., “Experimental and

Computational Studies to Understand Unsteady Aerodynamics of Cycloidal Rotors in

Hover at Ultra-low Reynolds Numbers,” Proceedings of the 73rd Annual National Forum

of the American Helicopter Society, Fort Worth, TX, May 9–11, 2017.

(2017 American Helicopter Society Robert L. Lichten Award Winner) 40. Yang, X., Sudhir, A., Halder, A., and Benedict, M., “Aeroelastic Analysis for Highly

Flexible Flapping Wing in Hover,” Proceedings of the 73rd Annual National Forum of the

American Helicopter Society, Fort Worth, TX, May 9–11, 2017.

(Best Paper Award Winner in the Modeling and Simulation Session) 41. Halder, A., Walther, C., and Benedict, M., “Unsteady Hydrodynamic Modeling of a

Cycloidal Propeller,” Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Marine

Propulsion, Helsinki, Finland, June 12 – 17, 2017.

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42. Runco, C., Himmelberg, B., and Benedict, M., “Performance and Flowfield

Measurements of a Meso-Scale Cycloidal Rotor in Hover,” Proceedings of the

73rd Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Fort Worth, TX,

May 9–11, 2017.

43. Kellen, A., and Benedict, M., “Performance Measurements of UAV-Scale Cycloidal

Rotor,” Proceedings of the 73rd Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter

Society, Fort Worth, TX, May 9–11, 2017.

44. Halder, A., and Benedict, M., “Nonlinear Aeroelastic Coupled Trim Analysis of a

Cyclocopter in Hover,” Proceedings of the 73rd Annual National Forum of the American

Helicopter Society, Fort Worth, TX, May 9–11, 2017.

45. Coleman, D., Gakhar, K., Benedict, M., and Tran, J., “Experimental Studies towards

Understanding the Aeromechanics of a Flexible Robotic Hummingbird Wing in Hover,”

Proceedings of the 73rd Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Fort

Worth, TX, May 9–11, 2017.

46. Himmelberg, B., and Benedict, M., “Performance Measurements of Meso-Scale

Cycloidal Rotors in Hover,” Proceedings of the AIAA SciTech, Grapevine, TX, Jan 9–

13, 2017.

47. Runco, C., Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “Development of a cantilevered rotor-based

meso-scale cyclocopter,” Proceedings of the 7th American Helicopter Society

International Specialists' Meeting On Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems, Meza, AZ, January

24-26, 2017.

48. Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “Linearized Flight Dynamics of a Robotic Hummingbird

in Hover,” Proceedings of the 7th American Helicopter Society International Specialists'

Meeting On Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems, Meza, AZ, January 24-26, 2017.

49. Runco, C., Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “Development of the World’s Smallest

Cyclocopter,” Proceedings of the 72nd Annual National Forum of the American

Helicopter Society, West Palm Beach, FL, May 17–19, 2016.

(2016 American Helicopter Society Robert L. Lichten Award Winner)

50. Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “System Identification of a Robotic Hummingbird in

Hovering Flight,” Proceedings of the 72nd Annual National Forum of the American

Helicopter Society, West Palm Beach, FL, May 17–19, 2016.

(Best Paper Award Winner in the Advanced Vertical Flight Session) 51. Yang, X., Sudhir, A., and Benedict, M., “Nonlinear Aeroelastic Model for Highly

Flexible Flapping Wings in Hover,” Proceedings of the 72nd Annual National Forum of

the American Helicopter Society, West Palm Beach, FL, May 17–19, 2016.

52. Shrestha, E., Yeo, D., Hrishikeshavan, V., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Gust

Disturbance Rejection Study of a Cyclocopter Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the

72nd Annual Forum of the American Helicopter Society, West Palm Beach, FL, May 17–

19, 2016.

53. Halder, A., and Benedict, M., “Understanding Effect of Blade Flexibility on Cycloidal

Rotor Hover Performance,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society Technical

Meeting on Aeromechanics Design for Vertical Lift, San Francisco, CA, January 20–22,

2016.

54. Runco, C., Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “Design and Development of a Meso-Scale

Cyclocopter,” Proceedings of the AIAA SciTech, San Diego, CA, Jan 4–8, 2016.

12

55. Coleman, D., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Design, Development

and Flight-Testing of a Robotic Hummingbird,” Proceedings of the 71st Annual National

Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Virginia Beach, VA, May 5–7, 2015.

56. Benedict, M., Lakshminarayan, V. K., Garber, J., and Chopra, I., “Experimental and

Computational Investigation of a Small-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Dynamic

Blade Pitching,” Proceedings of the 71st Annual National Forum of the American

Helicopter Society, Virginia Beach, VA, May 5–7, 2015.

57. Shrestha, E., Hrishikeshavan, V., Yeo, D., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Flight

Dynamics Modeling and System Identification of a Cyclocopter in Forward Flight,”

Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society 71st Annual Forum, Virginia Beach, VA,

May 5-7, 2015.

58. Shrestha, R., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Performance of a Small-

Scale Helicopter Rotor for Martian Applications,” Proceedings of the 6th American

Helicopter Society International Specialists' Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems,

Chandler, AZ, January 20-22, 2015.

59. Coleman, D., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Design and

Development of a Hover-Capable Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the

6th American Helicopter Society International Specialists' Meeting on Unmanned

Rotorcraft Systems, Chandler, AZ, January 20-22, 2015.

60. Winslow, J., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Design, Development

and Flight Testing of a High Endurance Micro Quadrotor Helicopter,” Proceedings of the

6th American Helicopter Society International Specialists' Meeting On Unmanned

Rotorcraft Systems, Chandler, AZ, January 20-22, 2015.

61. Shrestha, E., Martz, V., Yeo, D., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and Hover

Testing of a 60-gram Cyclocopter," Proceedings of the 6th AHS International Specialists'

Meeting On Unmanned Rotorcraft Systems, Chandler, AZ, January 20-22, 2015.

62. Benedict, M., Winslow, J., Hasnain, Z., and Chopra, I., “Performance and Flowfield

Measurements of a MAV-Scale Helicopter Rotor in Hover,” Proceedings of the

70th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada, May 20–22, 2014.

63. Elena, S., Hrishikeshavan, V., Benedict, M., Yeo, D., and Chopra, I., “Development of

Control Strategies and Flight Testing of a Twin-Cyclocopter in Forward Flight,”

Proceedings of the 70th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society,

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 20–22, 2014.

(Best Paper Award Winner in the Advanced Vertical Flight Session) 64. Mayo, D. B., Lankford, J. L., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Coupled CFD/CSD-Based

Aeroelastic Analysis with Flowfield Measurements of Avian-Based Flexible Flapping

Wings for MAV Applications,” Proceedings of the 70th Annual National Forum of the

American Helicopter Society, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 20–22, 2014.

65. Mayo, D. B., Lankford, J. L., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Experimental and

Computational Aerodynamic Investigation of Avian-Based Rigid Flapping Wings for

MAV Applications,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society Specialists’

Meeting on Aeromechanics, San Francisco, CA, Jan 22–24, 2014.

66. Hrishikeshavan, V., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Flight Dynamics System

Identification and Control of a Cyclocopter Micro Air Vehicle in Hover,” Proceedings of

13

the 69th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Phoenix, AZ,

May 21–23, 2013.

67. Jarugumilli, T., Lind, A. H., Benedict, M., Lakshminarayan, V. K., Jones, A. R., and

Chopra, I., “Experimental and Computational Flow Field Studies of a MAV-scale

Cycloidal Rotor in Forward Flight,” Proceedings of the 69th Annual National Forum of

the American Helicopter Society, Phoenix, AZ, May 21–23, 2013.

68. Benedict, M., Lakshminarayan, V. K., Johnathan, P., and Chopra, I., “Fundamental

Understanding of the Physics of a Small-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with

Dynamic Blade Pitching: An Experimental and Computational Approach,” Proceedings

of the 54th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and

Materials Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, April 8-11, 2013.

69. Benedict, M., Coleman, D., Mayo, D., B., and Chopra, I., “Force and Flowfield

Measurements on a Rigid Wing Undergoing Hover-Capable Flapping and Pitching

Kinematics in Air at MAV-Scale Reynolds Numbers,” Proceedings of the 54th

AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials

Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, April 8-11, 2013.

70. Shrestha, E., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Autonomous Hover Capability of Cycloidal-

Rotor Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the 51st AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting

including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, Grapevine, TX, January

7–10, 2013.

71. Zachary, H., A., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of a

Hover-Capable 500 gram Cyclogyro Utilizing a Novel Cam-Based Passive Blade

Pitching Mechanism,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society International

Specialists’ Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft, Scottsdale, AZ, January 22-24, 2013.

72. Benedict, M., Mullins, J., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of an

Optimized Quad Cycloidal-Rotor UAV Capable of Autonomous Stable Hover,”

Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society International Specialists’ Meeting on

Unmanned Rotorcraft, Scottsdale, AZ, January 22-24, 2013.

73. Jarugumilli, T., Benedict, M., Lind, A. H., and Chopra, I., “Performance and Flow

Visualization Studies to Examine the Role of Pitching Kinematics on MAV-scale

Cycloidal Rotor Performance in Forward Flight,” Proceedings of the American

Helicopter Society International Specialists’ Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft,

Scottsdale, AZ, January 22-24, 2013.

74. Shrestha, E., Benedict, M., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of a 100

gram Micro Cyclocopter Capable of Autonomous Hover,” Proceedings of the 38th

European Rotorcraft Forum, Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 4–7, 2012.

75. Jarugumilli, T., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Investigation of the

Forward Flight Performance of a MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Proceedings of the

68th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Fort Worth, TX,

May 1–3, 2012.

76. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., Lakshminarayan, V., K., and Chopra, I., “Experimental

and Computational Studies to Understand the Role of Flow Curvature Effects on the

Aerodynamic Performance of a MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor in Forward Flight,”

Proceedings of the 53rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics,

and Materials Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 23-26, 2012.

14

77. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Towards a Fundamental Understanding of

Low Reynolds Number Flapping Wing Aerodynamics,” Proceedings of the 53rd

AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials

Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 23-26, 2012.

78. Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and Development of an Unconventional VTOL

Micro Air Vehicle: The Cyclocopter,” Proceedings of the SPIE Micro-Nanotechnology

Sensors, Systems, and Applications Conference, Baltimore, MD, April 23–27, 2012.

79. Benedict, M., Shrestha, E., Hrishikeshavan, V., and Chopra, I., “Development of 200

gram Twin-Rotor Micro Cyclocopter Capable of Autonomous Hover,” Proceedings of

the American Helicopter Society Future Vertical Lift Aircraft Design Conference, San

Francisco, CA, January 18–20, 2012.

80. Benedict, M., Gupta, R., and Chopra, I., “Design, Development and Flight Testing of a

Twin-Rotor Cyclocopter Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the 67th Annual National

Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Virginia Beach, VA, May 3–5, 2011.

(Best Paper Award Winner in the Advanced Vertical Flight Session) 81. Jarugumilli T., Benedict, M., Chopra, I., “Experimental Optimization and Performance

Analysis of a MAV Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Proceedings of the 49th AIAA Aerospace

Sciences Meeting including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition,

Orlando, FL, January 4-7, 2011.

82. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Investigation of the Effect

of Rotor Geometry and Blade Kinematics on the Performance of a MAV-Scale Cycloidal

Rotor,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society International Specialists’

Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft, Tempe, AZ, January 25-27, 2011.

83. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Control of a Biomimetic Insect-Based

Flapping Mechanism for a Hovering Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the American

Helicopter Society International Specialists’ Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft, Tempe,

AZ, January 25-27, 2011.

84. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Performance Optimization

of a MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society

Specialists’ Meeting on Aeromechanics, San Francisco, CA, Jan 20–22, 2010.

85. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Investigation of an Insect-

based Flapping Wing Hovering Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the American

Helicopter Society Specialists’ Meeting on Aeromechanics, San Francisco, CA, Jan 20–

22, 2010.

86. Benedict, M., Mattaboni, M., Chopra, I., and Masarati, P., “Aeroelastic Analysis of a

MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Proceedings of the 51st AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC

Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Orlando, FL, April 12-15,

2010.

87. Mattaboni, M., Benedict, M., Masarati, P., and Chopra, I., “MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor

Multibody Aeroelastic Analysis,” Proceedings of the 1st Joint International Conference

on Multibody System Dynamics, Lappeenranta, Finland, May 25–27, 2010.

88. Malhan, R., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Investigation of an Avian-based

Flapping Wing Concept for a Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of the 66th Annual

National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Phoenix, AZ, May 11–13, 2010.

15

89. Benedict, M., Jarugumilli, T., and Chopra, I., “Design and Development of a Hover-

Capable Cyclocopter MAV,” Proceedings of the 65th Annual National Forum of the

American Helicopter Society, Grapevine, TX, May 27–29, 2009.

90. Benedict, M., Ramasamy, M., Chopra, I., and Leishman, J. G., “Experiments on the

Optimization of the MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor Characteristics Towards Improving

Their Aerodynamic Performance,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society

International Specialists’ Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft, Scottsdale, AZ, January 20-

22, 2009.

91. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Understanding Insect-Based Flapping Flight

from a Micro Air Vehicle Perspective,” Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society

International Specialists’ Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft, Scottsdale, AZ, January 20-

22, 2009.

92. Benedict, M., Chopra, I., Ramasamy, M., and Leishman, J. G., “Experimental

Investigation of the Cycloidal rotor for a Hovering Micro Air Vehicle,” Proceedings of

the 64th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, Montreal, Canada,

April 28–30, 2008.

93. Benedict, M., Sirohi, J., and Chopra, I., “Design and Testing of a Cycloidal-Rotor

MAV”, Proceedings of the American Helicopter Society International Specialists’

Meeting on Unmanned Rotorcraft, Chandler, AZ, January 23-25, 2007.

94. Benedict, M., Bhattacharya, A., and Pant, R., “Economic Benefit of Operating

Turboprop Regional Aircraft on Three Short Haul Routes in India”, Air Transport

Research Society World Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, July 1-3, 2004.

95. Benedict, M., Sudhakar, K., Mujumdar, P.M., and Issac, K.K., “Aeroelastic Design of an

Ornithopter Wing”, Proceedings of the International Seminar on Advances in Aerospace

Sciences, Bangalore, India, December 17-18, 2003.

(Adjudged Best Paper from an Academic Institution)

STUDENT CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS

96. Runco, C., and Benedict, M., “Development and Flight Testing of a Meso-Scale

Cyclocopter,” Proceedings of the 2016 Annual AIAA Region IV Student Conference,

University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, April 1-2, 2016.

(First place in the graduate category)

97. Himmelberg, B., and Benedict, M., “Performance Measurements of Meso-Scale

Cycloidal Rotors in Hover,” Proceedings of the 2016 Annual AIAA Region IV Student

Conference, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, April 1-2, 2016.

(First place in the undergraduate category)

98. Kellen, A., and Benedict, M., “Design, Development and Performance Measurements of

a UAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Proceedings of the 2016 Annual AIAA Region IV

Student Conference, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, April 1-2, 2016.

(Second place in the undergraduate category) 99. Coleman, D., and Benedict, M., “On the Development of a Robotic Hummingbird,”

Proceedings of the 2015 Annual AIAA Region IV Student Conference, University of

Houston, Houston, TX, April 18-19, 2015.

(First place in the graduate category)

16

100. Mills, A., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Investigation of the Effect of Blade

Kinematics and Reynolds Number on the Aerodynamic Performance of a Small-Scale

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Dynamic Blade Pitching,” Proceedings of the 2015

Annual AIAA Region I Student Conference, Blacksburg, VA, March 27-28, 2015.

(First place in the undergraduate category) 101. Muller, B., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Development of a 135 gram

Cyclocopter at Micro Air Vehicle Scale,” Presented at the American Institute of

Aeronautics and Astronautics, Region I-MA, Student Conference, Cornell University,

NY, April 25-26, 2014.

(Third place in the undergraduate category) 102. Mullins, J., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and Development of a Flying

Cyclocopter,” Presented at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,

Region I-MA, Student Conference, University of Maryland, MD, April 5-6, 2013.

(Second place in the undergraduate category) 103. Shrestha, E., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Autonomous Hover Capability of

Cycloidal-Rotor Micro Air Vehicle,” Presented at the American Institute of Aeronautics

and Astronautics, Region I-MA, Student Conference, Pennsylvania State University, PA,

April 13-14, 2012.

(First place in the undergraduate category) 104. Jarugumilli T., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Understanding the Effects of

Number of Blades and Rotor Configuration on MAV-Scale Cycloidal Rotor

Performance,” Presented at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,

Region I-MA, Student Conference, Charlottesville, VA, April 8-9, 2011.

(Second place in the undergraduate category) 105. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Aerodynamics and Control Towards

A Biomimetic Hovering Flapping Wing Vehicle,” Presented at the American Institute of

Aeronautics and Astronautics, Region I-MA, Student Conference, Charlottesville, VA,

April 8-9, 2011.

106. Shrestha, E., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and Control of a Cycloidal

Rotor Aircraft,” Presented at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,

Region I-MA, Student Conference, Charlottesville, VA, April 8-9, 2011.

107. Elliot, J.B., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and Control of a MAV Scale

Quad Rotor Cyclocopter,” Presented at the American Institute of Aeronautics and

Astronautics, Region I-MA, Student Conference, Blacksburg, VA, April 9-11, 2010.

108. Jarugumilli T., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Experimental Optimization and

Performance Analysis of a MAV Scale Cycloidal Rotor,” Presented at the American

Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Region I-MA, Student Conference,

Blacksburg, VA, April 9-11, 2010.

(First place in the undergraduate category)

109. Seshadri, P., Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and development of an insect

based flapping wing micro air vehicle,” Presented at the American Institute of

Aeronautics and Astronautics, Region I-MA, Student Conference, Norfolk, VA, April 3-

4, 2009.

17

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

1. Benedict, M., “Cycloidal Propulsion System: From UAVs to AUVs”, Invited seminar at

the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock, MD, October 17, 2016.

2. Benedict, M., “Novel Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Concepts”, Invited seminar at M.A.

College of Engineering, Kerala, India, December 11, 2014.

3. Benedict, M., “Novel Hover-Capable MAV Concepts”, Invited seminar at Bell

Helicopters, Dallas, TX, October 24, 2014.

4. Benedict, M., “Novel Hover-Capable MAV Concepts”, Invited seminar at Aerospace

Engineering Seminar Series, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, February 26,

2014.

5. Benedict, M., “Cyclogiros: A Myth to Reality”, Invited seminar at the United States Air

Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, April 22, 2013.

6. Benedict, M., and Chopra, I., “Design and Development of an Unconventional VTOL

Micro Air Vehicle: The Cyclocopter”, Invited talk at the SPIE sponsored Micro- and

Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications Conference, Baltimore, MD, April

23 – 27, 2012.

7. Benedict, M., “Design and Fabrication of an Aeroelastically Tailored Wing for a

Flapping Wing Mini Air Vehicle”, Invited talk at the National Seminar on Micro Aerial

Vehicles organized by Institution of Engineers (India), Pune, India, February 28, 2004.

NEWS MEDIA REPORTS

“Paddlewheel Propulsion is now Vertical and Multi-Modal”, AHS Vertiflite Magazine, July

2017. (link)

“Tiny drones, big questions”, Aerospace America, February 2017. (link)

“World's Smallest Cyclocopter Brings Unique Design to Microdrones”, IEEE Spectrum, Nov

10, 2016. (link)

“Robotic Hummingbird”, IEEE Spectrum, May 8, 2015.(link)

“Mutant Quadrotor MAV Lifts Off After a Century of Development”, IEEE Spectrum, July 22,

2011. (link)

PATENTS

1. Title: A Non-Contact, Gas-Driven Bearing Using a Continuous Gas Curtain and

Supersonic Flow for Levitation at Millimetric Heights (provisional patent filed, 2016)

2. Title: Cycloidal Rotor Micro Air Vehicle (provisional patent filed, 2017)

3. Title: Hybrid Aerial/Ground Transformer Robot Capable of Multi-Modal Locomotion

(provisional patent filed, 2017)

18

EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS

(All funding figures in this section attributable directly to Moble Benedict)

1. Project Title: Dynamics and Control of Hummingbird Inspired Aerial Robots

Source of Support: National Science Foundation.

Period and Amount: FY17 – FY21 (3 years), $242,000.

2. Project Title: Model-Based Engineering for Design Space Exploration of VTOL UASs

Source of Support: U.S. Army Research Office.

Period and Amount: FY17 – FY19 (2 years), $142,000.

3. Project Title: Development of the RSQ Personal Drone Prototype

Source of Support: RSQ Systems, Belgium.

Period and Amount: FY17 – FY18 (1 year), $100,000.

4. Project Title: Scalable Novel Configurations for UAS Applications

Source of Support: Army/Navy/NASA’s Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence

(VLRCOE).

Period and Amount: FY16 – FY21 (5 years), $750,000.

5. Project Title: Conceptual Modeling of Novel Configurations for UAS Applications

Source of Support: Army/Navy/NASA’s Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence

(VLRCOE).

Period and Amount: FY15 – FY17 (3 years), $225,000.

6. Project Title: Highly-Maneuverable, High-Speed, Optimized Next-Generation Micro

Cyclocopter

Source of Support: U.S. Army Research Office.

Period and Amount: FY15 – FY17 (3 years), $307,000.

7. Project Title: Control of Cyclocopter for Aggressive Maneuvers and in Gusty

Environments

Source of Support: U.S. Army Research Office.

Period and Amount: FY15 (1 year), $50,000.

8. Project Title: Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, DURIP

Source of Support: U.S. Army Research Office.

Period and Amount: FY15 (1 year), $107,000.

DOCTORAL STUDENT ADVISEES (5)

David Coleman (in progress)

Atanu Halder (in progress)

Xuan Yang (in progress)

Carl Runco (in progress)

Farid Saemi (in progress)

19

MASTERS STUDENT ADVISEES (3)

Bochan Lee (in progress)

Adam Kellen (in progress)

Hunter Denton (in progress)

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ADVISEES (6)

Kanika Gakhar (Senior) (in progress)

Sean McHugh (Senior) (in progress)

James McElreath (Junior) (in progress)

Bryan Hutzler (Junior) (in progress)

Eghosasere Alao (Junior) (in progress)

Makenzie Breeze (Junior) (in progress)

PREVIOUS GRADUATE STUDENTS (1)

Carolyn Walther (MS) (August 2017)

RECORD OF TEACHING AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Aerospace Dynamics (Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017)

Helicopter Aerodynamics (Fall 2015, Fall 2016, Fall 2017)

Hyperloop Design (Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017)

Aerospace Laboratory (Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017)