Kota Kondo

I am a graduate student at MIT Aero/Astro in the Aerospace Controls Laboratory. My research interests lie in the field of control, autonomy, and optimization.

My current/previous research experiences include a multiagent trajectory planner,  detumbling an under-actuated spacecraft with a single-axis magnetic actuator, quadcopter path-planning with an onboard EMPC controller, and the Q-Li satellite development.

Research Projects

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Nonlinear Model Predictive Detumbling of Under-actuated Satellites

We proposed an innovative approach to detumble satellites’ triple-axis angular velocities with only one single-axis magnetic torquer. Since magnetic torque is generated perpendicularly to magnetorquers, no intended control torque along the magnetorquer can be produced, which makes systems underactuated. Our paper introduces a control method using Model Predictive Control (MPC) and compares it with B-dot control algorithm. By applying these control laws to Kyushu University Light Curve Inversion (Q-Li) Demonstration Satellite in numerical simulations, we describe the applicability of these control laws to underactuated systems.

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Pulse Width Modulation Method Applied to NMPC

We employed the C/GMRES method to solve the real-time optimal problem, an essential part of any MPC approach. This method creates smooth, continuous control inputs; however, control actuators, in our case magnetic torquers, might have trouble producing such control inputs. We, therefore, applied the PWM method to discretize the smooth inputs and make them actuator-friendly. Although this discretization adds another layer of implementation difficulty, this paper successfully shows its feasibility through simulation results.

Awards

Scholarships

Prizes

  • Yamakawa Prize (President’s Award), Kyushu University

    • Awarded excellent academic record and acts for humanity, sociability, and internationally

  • Dean’s Award (Top 2% freshman GPA), Kyushu University

Publications

Journal Paper

  • Kondo, K., Kolmanovsky, I., Yoshimura, Y., Bando, M., Nagasaki, S., Hanada, T., “Nonlinear Model Predictive Detumbling of Small Satellites with a Single-axis Magnetic Actuator,”  JGCD, Vol. 44, No. 6 (2021), pp. 1211-1218 doi: doi/abs/10.2514/1.G005877

Conference Paper

  • Kondo, K., Yoshimura, Y., Nagasaki, S., Hanada, T., “Pulse Width Modulation Method Applied to Nonlinear Model Predictive Control on an Under-actuated Small Satellite,” 2021 AIAA SciTech Forum, Nashville, US, 2021.
  • Kondo, K., Yoshimura, Y., Bando M., Nagasaki, S., Hanada, T., “Model Predictive Approach for Detumbling an Underactuated Satellite” 2020 AIAA SciTech Forum, Florida, US, 2020.
  • Kondo, K., Yoshimura, Y., Bando M., Nagasaki, S., Hanada, T.,“Detumbling with Model Predictive Control for an Underactuated Small Satellite,” AIAA Region VII – Australia/International Student Conference, Australia, 2019.

Conference Poster

  • Kondo, K., Yoshimura, Y., Bando M., Nagasaki, S., Hanada, T., “Detumbling of Small Satellites with a Single-Axis Magnetorquer” Proceedings of 63th Space Sciences and Technology Conference, Tokushima, Japan, 2019.