Nan Du

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About

Nan Du is a leading figure in the field of automated manufacturing systems (AMSs), with a primary focus on deadlock control and system reliability. Her most-cited work, a 2019 survey on robust deadlock control policies for AMSs with unreliable resources (41 citations), provides a critical synthesis of strategies to prevent system stagnation—a challenge that can cripple production. Du’s research addresses a key gap: while many deadlock control policies assume perfect resource reliability, her work systematically explores how to maintain system liveness when resources fail, offering both theoretical foundations and practical solutions. This contribution is vital for modern smart manufacturing, where flexibility and resilience are paramount. Beyond this survey, Du has advanced the field by developing novel Petri net-based approaches that integrate fault tolerance into deadlock prevention, bridging the gap between abstract control theory and real-world industrial application. Her work has been instrumental in shaping robust control design, earning her recognition among peers and making her a go-to researcher for students and engineers tackling reliability issues in complex automated environments.