Dr. Anil V. Rao is currently a University Term Professor and Erich Farber Faculty Fellow in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida where he is director of the Vehicle Dynamics and Optimization Laboratory. Dr. Rao specializes in the following research areas:

• Novel computational methods for the solution of complex constrained optimal control problems
• Supporting computational methods including nonlinear optimization techniques and automatic differentiation
• Applications in aerospace engineering including space flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, and atmospheric flight mechanics
• Applications in mechanical engineering including robotics, ground vehicles, and optimization of human motion (biomechanics)
• Development of state-of-the-art software for solving optimal control problems

Mission Statement: to be the world leader in the innovation of advanced computational methods for solving complex constrained optimal control problems. A secondary vision is to be the world leader in the application of these methodologies to problems of current interest in aerospace engineering including problems in space flight dynamics, orbital dynamics, and atmospheric flight mechanics. Our research to date has focused on the development of novel methods that employ collocation at Gaussian quadrature points and has been applied to a variety of modern aerospace engineering problems. Our methods have led to our latest state-of-the-art optimal control software, GPOPS-II, that implements variable-order Gaussian quadrature collocation methods together with sparse nonlinear programming. We are continually seeking talented students to join our group. Please continue to explore the other pages on this website if you have interest in these research areas.