Anil RaoPhoto: UF Scholars

Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering

Vehicle Dynamics and Optimization Laboratory (VDOL)

Led by Anil Rao · Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Auto-generated from UF undergraduate research symposium abstractsMentored undergrads in Spring 2025

What we study

This lab develops math methods that compute the best way to fly a spacecraft or aircraft within limits like fuel and speed. The methods ship in GPOPS-II, optimal-control software used across government, universities and industry.

Mechanical & AerospaceThermal & Fluid SciencesRobotics & ControlsPhysics & Astronomy

What working here is like

  • Computational
  • No organisms (data only)
  • Coding required
Project
1
Papers
5

Current projects

Control of Laminar‑Turbulent Transition

Researchers study how air flow over a flat plate changes from smooth to chaotic at very high speeds. Students run computer simulations to find where this change happens and test a heating trick that might keep the flow smooth longer, reducing drag on aircraft.

From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 52

Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.

Recent papers, explained

Show 3 more papers

Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.

How to reach out

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Open positions

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Vehicle Dynamics and Optimization Laboratory (VDOL) · Anil Rao | JoinLattice