XIAO USES AI TO CONTROL RESERVOIR DISCHARGE

A University of Iowa mechanical engineering associate professor is developing an artificial intelligence-powered model to optimize how water reservoirs are used to regulate streamflow during flooding. Shaoping Xiao, who is also a researcher at the Iowa Technology Institute, hopes to improve how hydrological systems are managed in the face of expanding constraints, such as the increased frequency of severe weather events and the growth of urban centers. Flood mitigation is an increasingly complex task that requires high-level coordination. Officials must make time-sensitive decisions with incomplete information. At times, the best solutions may not be feasible. Severe weather presents disastrous consequences to infrastructure, public health, and national security.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Xiao, the principal investigator, a three-year, $547,101 grant for the project to develop applications to help scientific communities of hydrologic systems, control, and robotics. The project will also provide undergraduate research opportunities and outreach activities, including educational materials for K-6 students to learn how climate change affects people’s lives, with emphasis on enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The project is titled “Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering (BRITE) Pivot: Learning-based Optimal Control of Streamflow with Potentially Infeasible Time-bound Constraints for Flood Mitigation.”