Eric J. Barth Research Group

Vanderbilt University

How can mechatronic and fluid power systems be designed and controlled for high‑bandwidth, medical, and energy applications? The C-Star Control Lab develops and tests mechatronic control architectures and fluid‑power actuation for applications including MRI‑compatible pneumatic robots and free‑piston engines. Researchers combine experimental testbeds (high‑bandwidth servo‑valves, pressure sensors, thermographic and high‑speed cameras) with modeling and MATLAB/Simulink control design to validate nonlinear control strategies. The lab integrates additive manufacturing and machine shop fabrication with multi-axis CNC resources to build custom enclosures and mechanical subsystems for hardware experiments. Computational and experimental workflows are used to evaluate energy harvesting, storage concepts, and the dynamic performance of fluid‑power actuators.