MODELING AND CONTROL OF A PERMANENTLY MAGNETIZED SPHERE’S MOTION BY FIELD MANIPULATION

The author would like to sincerely thank the following individuals: Firstly, my academic advisor Dr. Eduardo A. Misawa whose support and advice greatly facilitated this project. Secondly, my academic committee, specifically Dr. Prabhakar R. Pagilla. His guidance, mentorship, and not to mention the many hours of time sacrificed to examining draft manuscripts proved to be invaluable to my educational experience. I would also like to thank Dr. Gary Young for his support during my teaching assistantship which provided a crucial aspect of the doctoral candidacy experience. In addition I would like to thank Dr. Kenneth L. Pottebaum of Seagate Technology, LLC for his professional guidance and counseling regarding the balance of school and academia. Moreover, I would like to thank Dr. Ryan T. Ratliff of the Boeing Company for his assistance in, and clarification of, various technical difficulties. Furthermore, I would like to thank Leon E. Boomershine and Wenjie Li. Without assistance from these two individuals it is doubtful that the experimental hardware setup for this project would have been completed in a timely fashion. Finally, I must offer an extreme amount of gratitude to my wife, Heather D. Duvall, for her unflinching support in my academic endeavors and the many sacrifices for which she has had to endure. Without the support of these individuals, it is inconceivable that this body of work would be completed and this particula