Dan Dolan

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Dan Dolan’s research sits at the intersection of mechatronics, control systems, and engineering education, with a focus on bridging theory and hands-on design. His most cited work, “Inverted Pendulum Design with Hardware Fuzzy Logic Controller” (2008, 5 citations), demonstrates his expertise in real-time control implementation. In this project, Dolan designed and built an inverted pendulum robot using a Mamdani fuzzy logic controller on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), employing integer arithmetic to simplify the controller and boost throughput—a practical innovation for embedded systems. His second most cited paper, “Mechatronics for Multidisciplinary Teaming” (2020, 4 citations), co-authored with Elaine Linde and Michael Batchelder, reflects his commitment to collaborative engineering education at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. This work emphasizes how mechatronics projects can foster teamwork across disciplines, preparing students for real-world engineering challenges. While his citation counts are modest, Dolan’s contributions lie in applied, educational contexts—showing how fuzzy logic and FPGA-based control can be made accessible and effective. His career highlights a dedication to integrating hardware and software in mechatronic design, making complex control theory tangible for students and practitioners alike.