Automated Systems and Robotics (ASAR) Lab

The goal of the Automated Systems and Robotics laboratory is to develop novel control, navigation and interface technologies that ensure safe, reliable and seamless interactions between human and machine. 

 Selected Research Topics:

Navigation Integrity

Safely operating automated vehicles in close proximity to human-piloted vehicles represents a major challenge in developing a next generation transportation infrastructure.  Our research group is investigating formal methods for validating and bounding navigation performance to enable safety critical automated vehicle operations.  We are currently working with the Department of Transportation to characterize  performance of navigation systems for ground vehicles. Prior efforts have contributed significantly to the development of GPS augmentation systems such as the Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) and the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS).

 High-Integrity LIDAR Algorithms

Lidar Odometry is a dead reckoning technique in which trajectory can be estimated by registering sequential point clouds captured from a moving vehicle. Lidar Odometry is useful in autonomous navigation because it can provide robust position estimates in situations where other sensor modalities fail. For example, Lidar Odometry is especially useful in regions with limited GPS signals such as in tunnels or near tall buildings. Lidar also performs better than stereo vision in scenes with poor lighting. In our lab we are developing new algorithms capable of estimating high-quality odometry solutions and predicting their accuracy as a function of the geometry of the scene. We hope to produce techniques that further improve the robustness of scan matching and that provide greater insight into situations in which odometry solutions can (or cannot) be trusted.

Developing Probabilistic Models to Evaluate Team Performance in Heterogeneous Human/Robot Teams

Autonomous robot agents are increasingly being used in critical tasks, such as in search and rescue missions or when mapping our oceans.  Although these agents often work with or are compared to human teammates, there is a lack of existing tools that can objectively evaluate the performance of both humans and robots in a way that accounts for the imperfect, uncertain, and random nature of both.  Our approach to this problem centers on agent-based modeling, where we often use probabilistic representations to account for realistic acceptable variations in both human and robot behavior.  Previously, we worked on the “Development of a Model and Estimation Method to Represent Team Search with Uncertain Detection”.  This method was used to obtain estimates of the skill level of searchers and of the number of objects remaining hidden in the search area, inferences that might be crucial to decision making in a time-sensitive search mission.  Current efforts in the lab are focused on the development of indicators to evaluate emergent team states (e.g., conflict) in human/robot teams.  

Safety for Aviation Automation Systems

As aircraft automation becomes increasingly sophisticated, new challenges arise in maintaining our national air transportation system’s exceptional safety record. It is particularly difficult to maintain high safety standards for sophisticated automation systems in modern manned and unmanned aircraft. Our lab is investigating bug-monitoring concepts for application to flight management systems (FMS) for automated aviation.  Recent work in using machine learning for FMS bug detection has the potential to streamline the increasingly costly and time-consuming activity of verifying system safety. More>

Personnel:

Lab Director

Jason Rife, Professor & Chair of Mechanical Engineering

Senior Personnel

Pratap Misra, Professor of the Practice (Mechanical Engineering)

Current Graduate Students

Victor Adegboye

Audrey Balaska

Daniel Choate

Emmett Lepp

Matt McDermott

Josh Stadlan

Former Graduate Thesis Advisees & Postdocs

Elizabeth Alexander

John Bodylski

Chinwendu Eniyoha

Tim Fleck

Dominic Guri

Moses Huang (co-advised with Prof. Sam Guyer)

Robert Kaufman

Amy Kline

Janet Komatsu

Josh Leung

Qingwen Liu

Courtney Mario

Steve McHugh

Kyle O'Brien

Okuary Osechas

J. Scott Parker

Frank Saunders

Dieter Schuldt

Shiladitya Sen

Zack Serlin

Ash Turza

Gabrielle Vukasin

Brandon Weaver

Xuan Xiao

Liangchun Xu

Liyan Yang

Farakh Zaman (co-advised with Prof. James Intriligator)

Current and Recent Funded Projects:

DOT/SAIC (2023-): Position, Navigation, and Time for Automated Vehicles.

DOT (2020-2023): Position, Navigation, and Time for Automated Vehicles.

AFOSR (2018-2023): Enabling Trusted Human-Like Artificial Teammates

NSF (2019-2022):  An Adaptive System Identification Approach Using Mobile  Sensors

NSF (2019-2021):  Software-state Observability in CPS

Draper Fellow (2018-2020):  IMU Calibration for Spinning Spacecraft

NSF (2014-2018):  Managing Uncertainty in the Design of Safety-Critical Aviation Systems

MassCEC (2017-2018): Blue Line Power Storage Analysis

FAA (2015-2017):  GBAS Continuity and Integrity of SDM, IGM, and GAST-D

Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab - MERL (2015-2017):  Automated Systems and Robotics

Tufts CABCS (2016-2017):  Evaluation of Continuously Adjustable Autonomy for a Small Quadrotor

NSF (2012-2016):  Limit Cycle Control for Soft, Caterpillar-Inspired Robots

Draper Fellows (2011-2014):  Magnetoencephalography, Underwater Robotics

AFRL (2011-2014):  Improved Station Keeping Equipment

FAA (2010-2014):  Risk Analysis to Enhance GBAS Performance for NextGen Applications

NASA (2010-2012):  Surface Conflict Detection and Resolution with Emphasis on Trajectory-Based Operations

DoD (2010-2011):  Laser-based Aircraft Diversion

DARPA (2008-2010):  Chemical Robotics

ASAR Lab Research Articles:  Google Scholar (Rife) > LINK

2023

B. Bagirgan; A. Mehrjoo; B. Moaveni; C. Papadimitriou; U. Khan; and J. Rife (2023). Iterative optimal sensor placement for adaptive structural identification using mobile sensors: numerical application to a footbridge, Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymssp.2023.110556 

M. McDermott and J. Rife (submitted, 2022). Validation of ICET online accuracy characterization for geometric based laser scan matching of 3D point clouds, NAVIGATION.  https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08690 

M. McDermott and J. Rife (self-published).  DNN filter for bias reduction in distribution-to-distribution scan matching. https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.04047 

J.H. Rife and M. McDermott (2023). Characterizing perspective error in voxel-based LIDAR scan matching, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2023), Long Beach, CA. https://doi.org/10.33012/2023.18670 

J.H. Rife, P. Elwood, and H. Wassaf (2023). Event-based risk assessment for alert limits in automotive lane keeping, ION/IEEE Position, Location, and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 2023), Monterey, CA. https://doi.org/10.1109/PLANS53410.2023.10140129 

H. Wassaf and J. Rife (2023). Resiliency characterization of navigation systems for intelligent transportation applications, ION/IEEE Position, Location, and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 2023), Monterey, CA. https://doi.org/10.1109/PLANS53410.2023.10139994

2022

A. Balaska and J. Rife (2022). Defining time-varying metrics of task conflict in human/robot teams using simulated agents. IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST’22), Woburn, MA. doi: 10.1109/HST56032.2022.10025432. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10025432 

J. Bodylski (2022). Designing a High Lift Configuration for Bell Span Loads.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF 

O.N. Kigotho, J. Bodylski, and J.H. Rife (2022). Proverse yaw agility of lift distributions, AIAA Journal of Aircraft.  https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.C036582 

O.N. Kigotho, J.H. Rife, and H. Wassaf (2022). Lane-keeping safety and time correlation of navigation errors, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2022), Long Beach, CA.  https://doi.org/10.33012/2022.18219 

M. McDermott and J.H. Rife (2022). Enhanced laser-scan matching with online error estimation for highway and tunnel driving, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2022), Long Beach, CA. https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.14674

M. McDermott and J. Rife (2022). Mitigating shadows in LIDAR scan matching using spherical voxels, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 7(4), pp. 12363-12370. doi: 10.1109/LRA.2022.3216987. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9928328, https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.01150 

D. Schuldt (2022). Application of Agent-Based Modeling to Problems in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

F. Zaman (2022). Dynamic Information Needs Analysis: Understanding User Information Needs in Subterranean Warfare.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

2021

O.N. Kigotho and J.H. Rife (2021). Comparison of rectangular and elliptical alert limits for lane-keeping applications, Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2021), St. Louis, MO. https://doi.org/10.33012/2021.17904 

J.H. Rife, B. Weaver, T. Bogner, J.A. Soltz (2021), Combined effects of geometric rotation and antenna calibration patterns on GNSS phase windup, IEEE Trans. Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 57(5):3185-3197. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2021.3071216

F. Zaman, W. Drake, J. Intriligator, A. Gardony, and J. Rife (2021). Investigating a virtual reality based subterranean scenario examining augmented reality implications for military operators, Proc. Int. Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) [Virtual]. doi: 10.1177/1071181321651090

F. Zaman, G. Roeca, I. Lupascu, A. Gardony, J. Rife, and J. Intriligator (2021). Analyzing spatial memory in a virtual reality-based subterranean scenario: implication for military augmented reality systems, Proc. Int. Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) [Virtual]. doi: 10.1177/1071181321651183

2020

V. Adegboye and J.H. Rife (2020). Feature selection for audio-based fault detection in pumps, Proc. Int. Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE 2020), Portland, OR [Virtual]. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2020-24536

A. Balaska and J.H. Rife (2020). Development of a model and estimation method to represent team search with uncertain detection, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2020), San Diego, CA.  https://doi.org/doi:10.33012/2020.17167

A. Balaska and J. Rife (2020). Performance of an algorithm to estimate the search skill of a human or robot agent, Proc. IEEE Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2020, Las Vegas, NV [Virtual].  https://doi.org/doi: 10.1109/IROS45743.2020.9340730 

C. Eniyoha and J. Rife (2020). A tool for modeling cyber-physical system software, AIAA SciTech Forum 2020, Orlando, FL. doi: 10.2514/6.2020-0551.

H. Huang, S.Z. Guyer, and J.H. Rife (2020). Detecting semantic bugs in autopilot software by classifying anomalous variables, AIAA Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, 17(4), pp. 204-213. doi: https://doi.org/10.2514/1.I010767. Paper.

J.S. Parker and J. Rife (2020). Integrated THz relative positioning: navigation algorithm and simulation, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2020), San Diego, CA.

L. Xu (2020). Modeling Multipath Effects on FLL-derived Doppler Observables for Urban Navigation.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF

L. Xu and J. Rife (2020). Modeling multipath effects on frequency locked loops, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2020), San Diego, CA. doi: 10.33012/2020.17210.

F. Zaman, J. Rife, J. Intriligator, and D. Hannon (2020). Dynamic information needs analysis: understanding user information needs in subterranean warfare, Proc. Int. Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) 2020, Chicago, IL [Virtual].

2019

H. Huang (2019). Detecting Semantic Bugs in Autopilot Software by Classifying Anomalous Variables.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Computer Science, Tufts University.  PDF

J. Larson, D. Gebre-Egziabher, and J.H. Rife (2019). Multivariate error overbounding with a Gaussian-pareto model, AIAA J. Aerospace Information Systems, 16(4), pp. 148-161. doi:  10.2514/1.I010675

J. Larson, D. Gebre-Egziabher, and J. Rife (2019). Improving navigation system availability using Gaussian-Pareto overbounding, Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2019), Miami, Florida.

J. Larson, D. Gebre-Egziabher, and J.H. Rife (2019). Gaussian-Pareto overbounding of DGNSS pseudoranges from CORS, NAVIGATION, 66(1), pp. 139-150, doi: 10.1002/navi.276. Burka Award Winner (Journal award for Best Paper of Year).

J. Lueck, J. Rife, S. Swarup, and N. Uddin (2019). Who goes there? Using an agent-based simulation for tracking population movement, Proc. 2019 Winter Simulation Conference, National Harbor, MD. doi: 10.1109/WSC40007.2019.9004861 - Best Applied Paper of Conference.

J. Rife, S. Swarup, and N. Uddin (2019). A behavior-based population tracker can parse aggregate measurements to differentiate agents, Proc. IEEE International Symposium on Technologies for Homeland Security (HST 2019), Woburn, MA. doi: 10.1109/HST47167.2019.9032986

J.H. Rife, H. Huang, and S.Z. Guyer (2019). Applying sensor integrity concepts to detect intermittent bugs in aviation software, NAVIGATION, 66(3), pp. 603-619, doi: 10.1002/navi.322. First published in Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2018), Miami, Florida.

B. Weaver, T. Bogner, J.A. Soltz, and J. Rife (2019). GPS-Based attitude determination of a rotating body using single-antenna subject to phase wind-up.  Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2019), Miami, FL. doi: 10.33012/2019.17081.

L. Xu and J. Rife (2019). NLOS and multipath detection using Doppler shift measurements.   Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2019), Miami, FL. doi: 10.33012/2019.17115.

2018

J.H. Rife (2018). Overbounding risk for quadratic monitors with arbitrary noise distributions, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace & Electronic Systems, 54(4), pp. 1618-1627, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2018.2798258. PDF (Accepted)

J.H. Rife (2018). Cylindrical overbounding for quadratic integrity monitors with non-Gaussian inputs, GPS Solutions, 22(1), doi: 10.1007/s10291-017-0692-8. 

J.H. Rife and J.S. Parker (2018). Comparing geometric approximations of heavy-tail effects for chi-square integrity monitors, NAVIGATION, 65(3), pp. 363-376, doi: 10.1002/navi.255. First published in as "Geometric approximations of heavy-tail effects for chi-square integrity monitors" in Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2017), Monterey, CA. PDF (Accepted) 

L. Xu and J.H. Rife (2018). Doppler-aided line-of-sight identification and localization in future cellular networks, Proc. ION GNSS+ 2018, Miami, Florida.

2017

H. Huang, S.Z. Guyer, and J.H. Rife (2017). Improving run-time bug detection in CPS software using program slicing, Proc. IEEE-Cyber 2017, Waikiki Beach, HI, doi: 10.1109/CYBER.2017.8446584.  PDF (Accepted).

T. Leung and J.H. Rife (2017). Refining fault trees using aviation definitions for consequence severity. IEEE Aerospace and Electronics Magazine, 32(3), pp. 4-14, doi: 10.1109/MAES.2017.150171. PDF (Accepted)

T. Leung, J.H. Rife, P. Seiler, and R. Venkataraman (2017). Comparison of fault-tree models for fault detection, isolation, and recovery algorithms. AIAA J. Aerospace Information Systems, 14(9), pp. 517-522, doi: 10.2514/1.I010522.  AIAA link.

J.S. Parker (2017). Terahertz Relative Positioning: An Alternative to GPS for Aircraft Flying in Formation.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  Compact PDF, Archival PDF

J.S. Parker and J.H. Rife (2017). Relative position estimates from terahertz observables, Proc. ION International Technical Meeting (ION ITM 2017), Monterey, CA. PDF

J.S. Parker and J.H. Rife (2017). Signal and data structure for navigation with a terahertz interferometer, in Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2017), Portland, OR.

J. Rife (2017). System and method for wireless collaborative verification of global navigation satellite system measurements. U.S. Patent No. 9,720,095. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Link

J.H. Rife (2017). Derivation of spherical overbounding for quadratic integrity monitors with non-Gaussian random inputs, Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2017), Portland, OR. Link

J.H. Rife (2017). Robust chi-square monitor performance with noise covariance of unknown aspect-ratio,  NAVIGATION 64(3), pp. 377-389, doi: 10.1002/navi.192.  First published in Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2016), Portland, OR. PDF (Accepted)

A. Turza (2017). A Low-Cost Instrument for Mechanical Testing of Structural Elements of Soft Systems. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF

L. Xu (2017). A compact, lightweight sensor to measure bearing angle to a radio transmitter, Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS+ 2017), Portland, OR. Student Award Winner.

2016

H. Huang, S. Guyer, and J. Rife (2016). Applying machine learning for run-time bug detection in aviation software. Proc. AIAA Infotech @ Aerospace, AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition 2016, San Diego, CA, doi: 10.2514/6.2016-0482.

T. Leung (2016). Refining Fault Trees for Accurate Risk Assessment of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF & Supplement (Fault Tree)

J.S. Parker (2016). Terahertz (THz) Interferometry for Bearing Angle Measurement, Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS+ 2016), Portland, OR. Student Award Winner. PDF

J.S. Parker, P. Mickelson, J. Yeak, K. Kremeyer, J. Rife (2016). Exploiting the terahertz band for radionavigation. Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, 37(10):1021-1042. doi: 10.1007/s10762-016-0291-8. Link

J. Rife (2016). Convergence of distributed localization with alternating normals. IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 32(5):1280-1284. doi: 10.1109/TRO.2016.2593026. PDF (Accepted)

J. Rife (2016). Overbounding false-alarm probability for a chi-square monitor with natural biases. NAVIGATION, 63(4):453-464. First published in Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2015), Tampa, FL.  Best of session award (Session C3). PDF (Accepted).

Z. Serlin, J. Rife, and M. Levin (2016). A level set approach to simulating Xenopus laevis tail regeneration, Proc. Int. Conf. on Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (ALIFE XV), Cancun, Mexico. 

Z. Serlin (2016). A Novel Approach for the Simulation of Xenopus laevis Tail Regeneration. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

G. Vukasin (2016). Modeling Error in Optical Angle Measurements for Position and Orientation Estimation in Sensor Networks. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

L. Yang and J. Rife (2016). Estimating Covariance Models for Collaborative Integrity Monitoring, Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems+ (ION GNSS+ 2016), Portland, OR.  

2015

J. Rife (2015). Comparing performance bounds for chi-square monitors with parameter uncertainty. IEEE Transactions on Aerospace & Electronic Systems, 51(3):2379-2389. doi: 10.1109/TAES.2015.140638. PDF (Accepted)

J. Rife (2015). Design of a distributed localization algorithm to process angle-of-arrival measurements. Proc. IEEE Technologies for Practical Robot Applications (TEPRA) 2015, Woburn, MA. doi: 10.1109/TePRA.2015.7219661. PDF (Accepted) 

D. Schuldt, J. Rife, and B. Trimmer (2015). Template for robust soft-body crawling with reflex-triggered gripping, Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 10(1), doi:10.1088/1748-3190/10/1/016018. Link

G. Vukasin and J. Rife (2015). Decentralized position and attitude estimation using angle-of-arrival measurements, in  Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS+ 2015), Tampa, FL. Preprint.

2014

A. Kline (2014). Seabed Force Model of Buried Object Retrieval for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

O. Osechas and J. Rife (2014). Distributed ionosphere monitoring by collaborating mobile receivers, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace & Electronic Systems, 50(4):2860-2869. doi:10.1109/TAES.2014.120843.  First published in Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS 2012), Nashville, TN. PDF (Accepted)

O. Osechas (2014). Aircraft-Based Satellite Navigation Augmentation to Enable Automated Landing and Movement on the Airport Surface.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

J. Rife (2014). Simultaneous position estimation & ambiguity resolution (SPEAR) for high-integrity carrier-phase navigation with robustness to tracking loss. IEEE PLANS 2014, Monterey, CA. BEST paper of track award (Track D). doi: 10.1109/PLANS.2014.6851434.  PDF (Accepted)  

J. Rife and D. Schuldt (2014). Minimum volume ellipsoid scaled to contain a tangent sphere, with application to RAIM. IEEE PLANS 2014, Monterey, CA. doi: 10.1109/PLANS.2014.6851390. PDF (Accepted)

F. Saunders and J. Rife (2014). Embedding desired eigenstates into active and passive dynamics of a linear, under-actuated feedback system. ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, 136(7). doi:10.1115/1.4025295.  

D. Schuldt and J. Rife (2014). Generation of limit cycles in hybrid systems consisting of two linear subsystems.  American Control Conference (ACC) 2014. doi: 10.1109/ACC.2014.6859003

D. Schuldt (2014). Development of Locomotory Principles in Soft-Bodied Robotics. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

2013

E. Alexander (2013). Calibration and Thermal Analysis of a SERF Magnetometer Array for MEG Applications. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

T. Fleck (2013). Vehicle Localization using an Automotive-Fixed Laser. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

P. Misra and J. Rife (2013). RAIM with non-Gaussian errors. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS+ 2013), Nashville, TN. Best of session award (Session C5). Preprint

O. Osechas and J. Rife (2013). Tightening DGNSS protection levels using direct position-domain bounding. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS+ 2013), Nashville, TN. Preprint

J.S. Parker (2013). Terahertz-Based Relative Positioning of Aircraft Flying in Formation. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

J.S. Parker and J. Rife (2013). Precise bearing determination for formation flight using terahertz signals.  ION Pacific Position, Navigation and Time (Pacific PNT 2013). Preprint

J. Rife (2013). Collaborative positioning for formation flight. AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 36(1), pp. 304-307. doi: 10.2514/1.55834. PDF (Accepted) 

J. Rife (2013). The effect of uncertain covariance on a chi-square integrity monitor. NAVIGATION, 60(4), pp. 291-303.  PDF (Accepted) 

F. Saunders and J. Rife (2013). Modal/eigenstate determination for reoccurring dynamics.  Web release PDF

F. Saunders, J. Rife, V.S. Vaddi, and V. Cheng (2013). Information flow diagram analysis of a model cyber-physical system: conflict detection and resolution for airport surface traffic.  IEEE Aerospace and Electronics Magazine, 28(12), pp. 26-35. doi: 10.1109/MAES.2013.6693666.    PDF (Accepted) 

2012

D. De Lorenzo, S. Lo, P. Enge, and J. Rife (2012). Calibrating adaptive antenna arrays for high-integrity GPS. GPS Solutions, 16(2), pp. 221-230. Link 

Q. Liu (2012). Optical Flow Measurement of Human Walking. M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

Q. Liu, O. Osechas, and J. Rife (2012). Optical flow measurement of human walking. Proc. IEEE/ION Position, Location, and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 2012), Myrtle Beach, SC.  PDF (Accepted)

C. Mario and J. Rife (2012). Integrity and continuity for automated surface conflict-detection monitoring. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 13(3), pp. 1179-1187, doi: 10.1109/TITS.2012.2187053. First published in Proc. Integrated Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS), 2011, Herndon, VA. Link

O. Osechas, P. Misra, and J. Rife (2012). Carrier-phase acceleration RAIM for GNSS satellite clock fault detection, NAVIGATION, 59(3), pp. 221-235. Preprint 

J. Rife (2012). Collaboration-enhanced receiver integrity monitoring with common residual estimation. Proc. IEEE/ION Position, Location, and Navigation Symposium (PLANS 2012), Myrtle Beach, SC. BEST paper of track award (Track D).  PDF (Accepted)

J. Rife (2012). Collaborative vision-integrated pseudorange error removal: team-estimated differential GNSS corrections with no stationary reference receiver. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 13(1), pp. 15-24.  doi: 10.1109/TITS.2011.2178832.  PDF

J. Rife (2012). Overbounding missed-detection probability for a chi-square monitor. Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ION GNSS 2012), Nashville, TN. Best of session award (Session C3). Paper supplement: Matlab script (Gen. Chi-Square).

J. Rife and P. Misra (2012). Impact of time-correlation of monitor statistic on continuity of safety-critical operations. NAVIGATION, 59(4), pp. 303-315.  First published in Proc. ION GNSS 2011, Portland, OR. PDF (Submitted)

J. Rife and B. Pervan (2012). Overbounding revisited: discrete-error distribution modeling for safety-critical GPS navigation. IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 48(2), pp. 1537-1551. First published as “Overbounding revisited: toward a more practical approach for error modeling in safety-critical applications” in Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2009), Savannah, GA.  PDF (Accepted)

F. Saunders  (2012). Embedding Desired Dynamics into Physical and Control Parameters of a Mechanical System.  Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. PDF

S. Sen and J. Rife (2012). Nonlinear Filter for Ionosphere Divergence Error Reduction in LAAS. IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 48(2), pp. 981-990, doi: 10.1109/TAES.2012.6178043.  PDF (Accepted)

2011

J. Komatsu (2011).  Characterizing the Potential of Active Aircraft Diversion Technologies for Remotely Redirecting an Aircraft.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. 

C. Mario (2011).  Integrity Analysis for Aviation and Automotive Applications.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF

S. McHugh (2011).  Evaluation of Modeling Procedures for a Soft-Bodied Robot.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF

O. Osechas (2011). GPS satellite clock excessive acceleration detection for DCPS users of GBAS. Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2011), Portland, OR. Student Award Winner. <See Journal version:  Osechas 2012, above>

J. Rife (2011). Collaboration-Enhanced Receiver Integrity Monitoring (CERIM).  Proc. Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference (ITSC) 2011, Washington, DC. Preprint

F. Saunders, E. Golden, R. White, and J. Rife (2011). Experimental verification of soft-robot gaits evolved using a lumped dynamic model. Robotica, 29(6), pp. 823-830. doi: 10.1017/S0263574711000014. Link

F. Saunders, B. Trimmer, and J. Rife (2011). Modeling locomotion of a soft bodied arthropod using inverse dynamics. Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 6(1), March 2011, 9 pp., doi: 10.1088/1748-3182/6/1/016001. Link

F. Saunders and J. Rife (2011). Defining shapeability in eigenstate specification for linear systems. Proc. ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference 2011, Arlington, VA. Preprint 

X. Xiao (2011).  Vehicle-to-Vehicle Network Based Collaborative Navigation System.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University. 

2010

C. Mario and J. Rife (2010). Integrity monitoring of vision-based automotive lane detection methods. Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2010), Portland, OR.  BEST of Session Award.  Link

K. O’Brien and J. Rife (2010). Rigorous bounding of position error estimates for aircraft surface movement. Proc. Integrated Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS), Herndon, VA, where it was awarded BEST Student Paper of the Conference. Link (Final) .

K. O'Brien (2010).  Propagating Integrity Bounds in Nonlinear State Estimation.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  

J. Rife and X. Xiao (2010). Estimation of spatially correlated errors in vehicular collaborative navigation with shared GNSS and road-boundary measurements. Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2010), Portland, OR. 

2009

S. McHugh, F. Saunders, and J. Rife (2009). Dynamics-based design of a soft robot. Proc. ASME 2009 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE 2009), Lake Buena Vista, FL.  

K. O’Brien and J. Rife (2009). Propagating Integrity Bounds in Nonlinear State Estimation. Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2009), Savannah, GA.  

S. Pullen and J. Rife (2009). Differential GNSS:  accuracy and integrity. GNSS Applications and Methods, S. Gleason and D. Gebre-Egziabher, Eds. Artech House.  Book web site 

J. Rieffel, F. Saunders, S. Nadimpalli, H. Zhou, S. Hassoun, J. Rife, and B. Trimmer (2009). Evolving soft robotic locomotion in PhysX. Proc. 11th Annual Conference Companion on Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO), Montreal, Canada. PDF

J. Rife (2009). Influence of GNSS integrity monitoring on risk probabilities for single and multiple fault events.  NAVIGATION, the Journal of the Institute of Navigation, 56(4):275-288.  First published under the title “Influence of GNSS integrity monitoring on single and multiple fault event probabilities” in the Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2008), Savannah, GA.  BEST of Session Award, Session B1:  Integrity of Multi-Constellation RAIM. Proceedings PDF 

J. Rife and S. Pullen (2009). Aviation applications. GNSS Applications and Methods, S. Gleason and D. Gebre-Egziabher, Eds. Artech House. Book web site 

J. Rife and S. Sen (2009).  Design of a Single-Frequency Filter that Minimizes Ionosphere Divergence Error.  NAVIGATION, the Journal of the Institute of Navigation, 56(2):123-134.  Originally presented at Proc. ION Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS 2007), Fort Worth, TX. Proceedings PDF

F. Saunders, J. Rieffel, J. Rife (2009). A Method of Accelerating Convergence for Genetic Algorithms Evolving Morphological and Control Parameters for a Biomimetic Robot. Proc. International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents (ICARA) 2009, Wellington, New Zealand. Link

F. Saunders (2009).  Simulation of Soft Bodied Robots: Methods, Benefits, and Potential Applications.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.   PDF

2008

J. Rife, S. Khanafseh, S. Pullen, D. De Lorenzo, U. Kim, M. Koenig, T. Chiou, B. Kempny, and B. Pervan (2008).  Navigation, interference suppression, and fault monitoring in the sea-based joint precision approach and landing system.  Proceedings of the IEEE, 96(12), December 2008, pp. 1958-1975. Link (Final) - PDF (Accepted) .

J. Rife and R.E Phelts (2008).  Formulation of a time-varying maximum allowable error for ground-based GPS augmentation systems.  IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 44(2), April 2008, pp. 548-560.  First published under the same title in the Proc. ION National Technical Meeting, 2006, Monterey, CA. Link (Final) - PDF (Accepted) .

S. Sen and J. Rife (2008). Reduction of ionosphere divergence error in GPS code measurement smoothing by use of a non-linear process. Proc. ION/IEEE Position, Location, and Navigation Symposium (PLANS), Monterey, CA. [Updated for IEEE TAES 2012 article, see above]

S. Sen (2008).  GPS Filtering to Minimize Ionospheric Divergence Error for Safe Aircraft Landing.  M.S. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University.  PDF

2007

J. Rife, S. Pullen, and P. Enge (2007).  Evaluating fault-mode protection levels at the aircraft in Category III LAAS.  Proc. ION Annual Meeting, Cambridge, MA. Article PDF

 J. Rife and D. Gebre-Egziabher (2007).  Symmetric overbounding of correlated errors.  NAVIGATION, the Journal of the Institute of Navigation, 54(2):109-124.  Article PDF

2006

J. Rife, S. Pullen, B. Pervan, and P. Enge (2006).  Paired overbounding for nonideal LAAS and WAAS error distributions.  IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 42(4):1386-1395.  Link (Final) .

Y. Yun, C. Kee, J. Rife, M. Luo, S. Pullen and P. Enge (2006).  Detecting RFI through integrity monitoring at a DGPS reference station. Journal of Navigation, 59(3):403-422. Link

J. Rife and S.M. Rock (2006).  Design and validation of a robotic control law for observation of deep-ocean jellyfish.  IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 22(2):282-291. Link (Final).

2005

J. Rife and S. Pullen (2005).  The impact of measurement biases on availability for CAT III LAAS.  NAVIGATION, the Journal of the Institute of Navigation, 52(4):215-228. Article PDF

2004

J. Rife (2004). Automated Robotic Tracking of Gelatinous Animals in the Deep Ocean. Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University. Thesis

T. Walter, J. Blanch, and J. Rife (2004).  Treatment of Biased Error Distributions in SBAS.  Journal of Global Positioning Systems, 3(1-2):265-272. Link

2003

J. Rife and S.M. Rock (2003).  Segmentation methods for visual tracking of deep ocean jellyfish using a conventional camera.  IEEE Journal of Ocean Engineering, 28(4):595-608. Link (Final) - PDF (Accepted) .