Contributed papers are solicited for a special section in the Journal of

Process Control on the control of micro- and nano-scale assembly.  



The control of a large number of small particles into ordered structures can

enable novel optical, mechanical, and electronic properties, but the

practical difficulties of real-time sensing, actuation, and dynamic modeling

limit current practice.  For example:



- Typically, nano- and micro-scale assembly systems have many fewer

actuators than particles, limiting the controllability of the system. 

However, when the particles are indistinguishable, it may still be possible

to drive the system toward a desired structure.  



- Sensing is also challenging, due to the slow speed and invasive nature of

scanning probe imaging methods and the limited information provided by

noninvasive optical methods.  



- The system dynamics are typically nonlinear and stochastic, as well as

high-dimensional;  this makes model generation and validation more

difficult, and also limits the applicability of many existing controller

design techniques.



Original research contributions are invited, as well as tutorial or review

papers.



Papers are due by November 1, 2013, and should be submitted online:

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-process-control/