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About

Susy Thomas is a control systems researcher whose work focuses on advancing sliding mode control (SMC) theory for nonlinear systems and robotic applications. Her primary contributions lie in developing novel reaching law approaches that address the persistent challenge of chattering—a critical barrier to practical SMC implementation. Thomas introduced the power rate exponential reaching law, which significantly improves controller performance by reducing chattering while maintaining robust tracking. Her most cited work, "Sliding mode controller design for MIMO nonlinear systems: A novel power rate reaching law approach for improved performance" (2018), has garnered 32 citations, establishing her as a contributor to modern SMC methodology. She further extended these concepts to discrete-time systems, proposing a novel discrete reaching law that reduces quasi-sliding mode bandwidth for robotic manipulators. Her earlier research on variable structure model following control for industrial robots (1997) laid foundational work in robotic control. Thomas's innovations are particularly valuable for practitioners seeking to deploy SMC in real-world systems where chattering mitigation is essential for actuator longevity and precision. Her work continues to influence researchers developing robust controllers for nonlinear and robotic systems.