Avishai Weiss

Avishai Weiss
  • Biography

    Avishai's doctoral research was on spacecraft orbital and attitude control. Prior to the University of Michigan, he studied at Stanford University, where he received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Avishai's interests are in constrained control, model predictive control, and time-varying systems.

  • Recent News & Events


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  • Internships with Avishai

    • CA0118: Internship - Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control

      MERL is seeking highly motivated interns for research positions in guidance, navigation, and control of spacecraft. The ideal candidates are PhD students with experience in one or more of the following topics: astrodynamics, the three-body problem, relative motion dynamics, station keeping, rendezvous, landing, attitude control, orbit control, orbit determination, nonlinear estimation, scheduling problems, and optimization-based control. Publication of results produced during the internship is expected. The duration of the internships are 3-6 months, and the start dates are flexible.

      Required Specific Experience

      • Current enrollment in a PhD program in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
      • Strong programming skills in Matlab, Python, and/or C/C++

    See All Internships at MERL
  • MERL Publications

    •  Shimane, Y., Ho, K., Weiss, A., "Autonomous Horizon-Based Optical Navigation on Near-Planar Cislunar Libration Point Orbits", 4th Space Imaging Workshop, October 2024.
      BibTeX TR2024-139 PDF
      • @inproceedings{Shimane2024oct,
      • author = {Shimane, Yuri and Ho, Koki and Weiss, Avishai}},
      • title = {Autonomous Horizon-Based Optical Navigation on Near-Planar Cislunar Libration Point Orbits},
      • booktitle = {4th Space Imaging Workshop},
      • year = 2024,
      • month = oct,
      • url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2024-139}
      • }
    •  Shimane, Y., Ho, K., Weiss, A., "Optimization-based Phase-Constrained Station-Keeping Control on Libration Point Orbit", AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, August 2024.
      BibTeX TR2024-109 PDF
      • @inproceedings{Shimane2024aug,
      • author = {Shimane, Yuri and Ho, Koki and Weiss, Avishai}},
      • title = {Optimization-based Phase-Constrained Station-Keeping Control on Libration Point Orbit},
      • booktitle = {AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference},
      • year = 2024,
      • month = aug,
      • url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2024-109}
      • }
    •  Di Cairano, S., Skibik, T., Vinod, A.P., Weiss, A., Berntorp, K., Okura, Y., "Parametrized Maneuvers Governor for Decision Making in Automated Driving" in Nonlinear and Constrained Control - Applications, Synergies, Challenges and Opportunities., June 2024.
      BibTeX TR2024-086 PDF
      • @incollection{DiCairano2024jun,
      • author = {Di Cairano, Stefano and Skibik, Terrence and Vinod, Abraham P. and Weiss, Avishai and Berntorp, Karl and Okura, Yuichi}},
      • title = {Parametrized Maneuvers Governor for Decision Making in Automated Driving},
      • booktitle = {Nonlinear and Constrained Control - Applications, Synergies, Challenges and Opportunities.},
      • year = 2024,
      • month = jun,
      • issn = {978-3-031-82681-8},
      • url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2024-086}
      • }
    •  Greiff, M., Weiss, A., Berntorp, K., Di Cairano, S., "A Robust Invariant Set Planner For Quadrotors", European Control Conference (ECC), DOI: 10.23919/​ECC64448.2024.10590943, June 2024.
      BibTeX TR2024-081 PDF
      • @inproceedings{Greiff2024jun,
      • author = {Greiff, Marcus and Weiss, Avishai and Berntorp, Karl and Di Cairano, Stefano}},
      • title = {A Robust Invariant Set Planner For Quadrotors},
      • booktitle = {European Control Conference (ECC)},
      • year = 2024,
      • month = jun,
      • publisher = {IEEE},
      • doi = {10.23919/ECC64448.2024.10590943},
      • url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2024-081}
      • }
    •  Vinod, A.P., Weiss, A., Di Cairano, S., "Projection-free computation of robust controllable sets with constrained zonotopes", arXiv, March 2024.
      BibTeX arXiv
      • @article{Vinod2024mar,
      • author = {Vinod, Abraham P. and Weiss, Avishai and Di Cairano, Stefano},
      • title = {Projection-free computation of robust controllable sets with constrained zonotopes},
      • journal = {arXiv},
      • year = 2024,
      • month = mar,
      • url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.13730}
      • }
    See All MERL Publications for Avishai
  • Other Publications

    •  A. Weiss, M. Baldwin, C. Petersen, R. S. Erwin and I. Kolmanovsky, "Spacecraft Constrained Maneuver Planning for Moving Debris Avoidance Using Positively Invariant Constraint Admissible Sets", Proceedings of the American Control Conference, June 2013.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{weissDebris2013,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Baldwin, M. and Petersen, C. and Erwin, R. S. and Kolmanovsky, I.},
      • title = {Spacecraft Constrained Maneuver Planning for Moving Debris Avoidance Using Positively Invariant Constraint Admissible Sets},
      • booktitle = {Proceedings of the American Control Conference},
      • year = 2013,
      • address = {Washington, DC},
      • month = jun
      • }
    •  Avishai Weiss, Ilya Kolmanovsky, Dennis S. Bernstein and Amit Sanyal, "Inertia-Free Spacecraft Attitude Control Using Reaction Wheels", Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 36, No. 5, pp. 1425-1439, 2013.
      BibTeX
      • @Article{Weiss2013,
      • author = {Weiss, Avishai and Kolmanovsky, Ilya and Bernstein, Dennis S. and Sanyal, Amit},
      • title = {Inertia-Free Spacecraft Attitude Control Using Reaction Wheels},
      • journal = {Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics},
      • year = 2013,
      • volume = 36,
      • number = 5,
      • pages = {1425--1439},
      • publisher = {American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics}
      • }
    •  Avishai Weiss, Ilya Kolmanovsky, Morgan Baldwin, R. Scott Erwin and Dennis S. Bernstein, "Forward-Integration Riccati-Based Feedback Control for Spacecraft Rendezvous Maneuvers on Elliptic Orbits", Proc. Conf. Dec. Contr, December 2012, pp. 1752 - 1757.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{forriccdc,
      • author = {Weiss, Avishai and Kolmanovsky, Ilya and Baldwin, Morgan and Erwin, R. Scott and Bernstein, Dennis S.},
      • title = {Forward-Integration Riccati-Based Feedback Control for Spacecraft Rendezvous Maneuvers on Elliptic Orbits},
      • booktitle = {Proc. Conf. Dec. Contr},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {1752 -- 1757},
      • address = {Maui, HI},
      • month = dec
      • }
    •  A. Weiss, G. Cruz, K. Agarwal, Y. Rahman, M. Medikeri, A. Xie, M. Camblor, I. Kolmanovsky and D. S. Bernstein, "Inertia-Free Attitude Control Laws Based on Rotation Matrices for Spacecraft with Torquers, Thrusters, and Wheels", Proc. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Symposium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control, October 2012, pp. 322-391.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{Weiss2012,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Cruz, G. and Agarwal, K. and Rahman, Y. and Medikeri, M. and Xie, A. and Camblor, M. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Bernstein, D. S.},
      • title = {Inertia-Free Attitude Control Laws Based on Rotation Matrices for Spacecraft with Torquers, Thrusters, and Wheels},
      • booktitle = {Proc. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Symposium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {322--391},
      • address = {Haifa, Israel},
      • month = oct
      • }
    •  A. Weiss, M. Baldwin, R. S. Erwin and I. Kolmanovsky, "Spacecraft Constrained Maneuver Planning using Positively Invariant Constraint Admissible Sets", Proc. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Symposium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control, October 2012.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{ref:debrisBarSym,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Baldwin, M. and Erwin, R. S. and Kolmanovsky, I.},
      • title = {Spacecraft Constrained Maneuver Planning using Positively Invariant Constraint Admissible Sets},
      • booktitle = {Proc. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Symposium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control},
      • year = 2012,
      • address = {Haifa, Israel},
      • month = oct
      • }
    •  Avishai Weiss, Frederick Leve, Ilya Kolmanovsky and Moriba Jah, "Reaction Wheel Parameter Identification and Control through Receding Horizon-Based Null Motion Excitation", Proc. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Symposium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control, October 2012.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{weissreaction,
      • author = {Weiss, Avishai and Leve, Frederick and Kolmanovsky, Ilya and Jah, Moriba},
      • title = {Reaction Wheel Parameter Identification and Control through Receding Horizon-Based Null Motion Excitation},
      • booktitle = {Proc. Itzhack Y. Bar-Itzhack Memorial Symposium on Estimation, Navigation, and Spacecraft Control},
      • year = 2012,
      • address = {Haifa, Israel},
      • month = oct
      • }
    •  K. Agarwal, A. Weiss, I. Kolmanovsky and D. S. Bernstein, "Inertia-Free Spacecraft Attitude Control with Control-Moment-Gyro Actuation", Proc. AIAA Guid. Nav. Contr. Conf., August 2012, pp. AIAA-2012-5003-282.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{CMGGNC2012,
      • author = {Agarwal, K. and Weiss, A. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Bernstein, D. S.},
      • title = {Inertia-Free Spacecraft Attitude Control with Control-Moment-Gyro Actuation},
      • booktitle = {Proc. AIAA Guid. Nav. Contr. Conf.},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {AIAA--2012--5003--282},
      • address = {Minneapolis, MN},
      • month = aug,
      • note = {AIAA-2012-5003-282}
      • }
    •  A. Weiss, I. Kolmanovsky, M. Baldwin and R. S. Erwin, "Model Predictive Control of Three Dimensional Spacecraft Relative Motion", Proceedings of the American Control Conference, June 2012, pp. 173-178.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{weisserwin,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Baldwin, M. and Erwin, R. S.},
      • title = {Model Predictive Control of Three Dimensional Spacecraft Relative Motion},
      • booktitle = {Proceedings of the American Control Conference},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {173--178},
      • address = {Montreal, Canada},
      • month = jun
      • }
    •  A. Weiss, I. Kolmanovsky and D. S. Bernstein, "Forward-Integration Riccati-Based Output-Feedback Control of Linear Time-Varying Systems", Proc. Amer. Conf. Contr, June 2012, pp. 6708-6714.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{weisskolmbern,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Bernstein, D. S.},
      • title = {Forward-Integration Riccati-Based Output-Feedback Control of Linear Time-Varying Systems},
      • booktitle = {Proc. Amer. Conf. Contr},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {6708--6714},
      • address = {Montreal, Canada},
      • month = jun
      • }
    •  Avishai Weiss, Ilya Kolmanovsky and Dennis S. Bernstein, "Forward-Integration Riccati-Based Feedback Control of Magnetically Actuated Spacecraft", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, 2012, pp. AIAA-2012-5042-137.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{firmag,
      • author = {Weiss, Avishai and Kolmanovsky, Ilya and Bernstein, Dennis S.},
      • title = {Forward-Integration Riccati-Based Feedback Control of Magnetically Actuated Spacecraft},
      • booktitle = {AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {AIAA--2012--5042--137}
      • }
    •  M. Baldwin, A. Weiss, I. Kolmanovsky and R. S. Erwin, "Spacecraft Debris Avoidance using Positively Invariant Constraint Admissible Sets", Proceedings of AAS Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, 2012, pp. Paper AAS 12-250.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{ref:baldwin,
      • author = {Baldwin, M. and Weiss, A. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Erwin, R. S.},
      • title = {Spacecraft Debris Avoidance using Positively Invariant Constraint Admissible Sets},
      • booktitle = {Proceedings of AAS Space Flight Mechanics Meeting},
      • year = 2012,
      • pages = {Paper AAS 12--250},
      • address = {Charleston, South Carolina}
      • }
    •  A. Weiss, I. Kolmanovsky and D. S. Bernstein, "Inertia-Free Attitude Control of Spacecraft with Unknown Time-Varying Mass Distribution", Proc. 62nd IAC, October 2011, pp. IAC-11-C1.5.9.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{AviTVinertiaIAC2011,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Bernstein, D. S.},
      • title = {Inertia-Free Attitude Control of Spacecraft with Unknown Time-Varying Mass Distribution},
      • booktitle = {Proc. 62nd IAC},
      • year = 2011,
      • pages = {IAC--11--C1.5.9},
      • address = {Cape Town, South Africa},
      • month = oct,
      • note = {IAC-11-C1.5.9}
      • }
    •  Gerardo Cruz, Xuebo Yang, Avishai Weiss, Ilya Kolmanovsky and Dennis S. Bernstein, "Torque-saturated, inertia-free spacecraft attitude control", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, 2011, pp. AIAA-2011-6507-816.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{cruz2011torque,
      • author = {Cruz, Gerardo and Yang, Xuebo and Weiss, Avishai and Kolmanovsky, Ilya and Bernstein, Dennis S.},
      • title = {Torque-saturated, inertia-free spacecraft attitude control},
      • booktitle = {AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference},
      • year = 2011,
      • pages = {AIAA--2011--6507--816}
      • }
    •  Avishai Weiss, Ilya Kolmanovsky and Walter Merrill, "Incorporating Risk into Control Design for Emergency Operation of Turbo-Fan Engines", Proc. AIAA Infotech@Aerospace, 2011, pp. AIAA-2011-1591.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{weiss2011incorporating,
      • author = {Weiss, Avishai and Kolmanovsky, Ilya and Merrill, Walter},
      • title = {Incorporating Risk into Control Design for Emergency Operation of Turbo-Fan Engines},
      • booktitle = {Proc. AIAA Infotech@Aerospace},
      • year = 2011,
      • pages = {AIAA--2011--1591}
      • }
    •  A. Weiss, X. Yang, I. Kolmanovsky and D. S. Bernstein, "Inertia-Free Spacecraft Attitude Control with Reaction-Wheel Actuation", AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, 2010, pp. AIAA-2010-8297.
      BibTeX
      • @Inproceedings{weiss,
      • author = {Weiss, A. and Yang, X. and Kolmanovsky, I. and Bernstein, D. S.},
      • title = {Inertia-Free Spacecraft Attitude Control with Reaction-Wheel Actuation},
      • booktitle = {AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference},
      • year = 2010,
      • pages = {AIAA--2010--8297}
      • }
  • Videos

  • MERL Issued Patents

    • Title: "Fail-Safe Vehicle Rendezvous in Case of Total Control Failure"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Marsillach, Daniel Aguilar; Di Cairano, Stefano; Kalabic, Uros
      Patent No.: 11,987,396
      Issue Date: May 21, 2024
    • Title: "System for Distributed Verification of Satellite Position"
      Inventors: Kalabic, Uros; Chiu, Tsz-Chun Michael; Weiss, Avishai
      Patent No.: 11,885,888
      Issue Date: Jan 30, 2024
    • Title: "Drift-Based Rendezvous Control"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Marsillach, Daniel Aguilar; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 11,834,203
      Issue Date: Dec 5, 2023
    • Title: "Abort-Safe Vehicle Rendezvous in Case of Partial Control Failure"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano; Marsillach, Daniel Aguilar; Kalabic, Uros
      Patent No.: 11,807,404
      Issue Date: Nov 7, 2023
    • Title: "System and Method of Tracking a Spacecraft Trajectory for Orbital Transfer"
      Inventors: Grover, Piyush; Kalabic, Uros; Weiss, Avishai
      Patent No.: 11,787,569
      Issue Date: Oct 17, 2023
    • Title: "Tracking Neighboring Quasi-Satellite Orbits Around Mars's Moon Phobos"
      Inventors: Kalabic, Uros; Muralidharan, Vivek; Weiss, Avishai
      Patent No.: 11,691,765
      Issue Date: Jul 4, 2023
    • Title: "Nonlinear Model Predictive Control of Coupled Celestial System"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano; Malladi, BharaniPrabha
      Patent No.: 11,292,618
      Issue Date: Apr 5, 2022
    • Title: "On-Orbit Additive Manufacturing of Parabolic Reflectors via Solar Photopolymerization"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Yerazunis, William S.; Cottrell, Richard
      Patent No.: 11,155,723
      Issue Date: Oct 26, 2021
    • Title: "System and Method for Controlling Motion of Vehicle with Variable Speed"
      Inventors: Berntorp, Karl; Danielson, Claus; Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 11,091,158
      Issue Date: Aug 17, 2021
    • Title: "System and Method for Controlling Lateral Motion of Vehicle"
      Inventors: Berntorp, Karl; Weiss, Avishai; Danielson, Claus; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 10,994,729
      Issue Date: May 4, 2021
    • Title: "System and Method for GNSS Ambiguity Resolution"
      Inventors: Berntorp, Karl; Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 10,976,444
      Issue Date: Apr 13, 2021
    • Title: "MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL OF SPACECRAFT"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Zlotnik, David; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 10,967,991
      Issue Date: Apr 6, 2021
    • Title: "Model Predictive Control of Spacecraft"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano; Caverly, Ryan
      Patent No.: 10,934,025
      Issue Date: Mar 2, 2021
    • Title: "Systems and Methods for On-Orbit Fabrication of Structures by 3D Printing"
      Inventors: Yerazunis, William S.; Weiss, Avishai; Wang, Bingnan
      Patent No.: 10,906,290
      Issue Date: Feb 2, 2021
    • Title: "Loose Optical Fiber Tethering Of Multiple Satellites"
      Inventors: Parsons, Kieran; Weiss, Avishai; Orlik, Philip V.; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 10,892,826
      Issue Date: Jan 12, 2021
    • Title: "MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL OF SPACECRAFT"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Zlotnik, David; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 10,875,669
      Issue Date: Dec 29, 2020
    • Title: "Concurrent Station Keeping, Attitude Control, and Momentum Management of Spacecraft"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano; Walsh, Alex
      Patent No.: 10,180,686
      Issue Date: Jan 15, 2019
    • Title: "Methods and Systems for Path Planning Using a Network of Safe-Sets"
      Inventors: Danielson, Claus; Weiss, Avishai; Berntorp, Karl; Di Cairano, Stefano
      Patent No.: 10,012,988
      Issue Date: Jul 3, 2018
    • Title: "System and Method for Controlling Vehicle using Neural Network"
      Inventors: Berntorp, Karl; Liu, Ming-Yu; Weiss, Avishai
      Patent No.: 9,989,964
      Issue Date: Jun 5, 2018
    • Title: "Model Predictive Control with Uncertainties"
      Inventors: Di Cairano, Stefano; Weiss, Avishai
      Patent No.: 9,983,554
      Issue Date: May 29, 2018
    • Title: "Model Predictive Control of Spacecraft"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano; Kalabic, Uros
      Patent No.: 9,874,879
      Issue Date: Jan 23, 2018
    • Title: "Model Predictive Control of Spacecraft"
      Inventors: Weiss, Avishai; Di Cairano, Stefano; Kalabic, Uros
      Patent No.: 9,764,858
      Issue Date: Sep 19, 2017
    See All Patents for MERL