Video Highlights
- Biomechanics and Mechanics of Materials
- Control, Design, and Manufacturing
- Energy, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat/Mass Transfer
- MEMS and Nanotechnology
- Biological Engineering and Biotechnology
Biomechanics and Mechanics of Materials
Some of the current research in biomechanics is concerned with the application of continuum theories of mixtures to problems of electromechanical behavior of soft biological tissues, contact mechanics, lubrication of diarthrodial joints, and cartilage tissue engineering. (Ateshian)
In the area of the mechanics of materials, research is performed to better understand material constitutive behavior at the micro- and mesolength scales. This work is experimental, theoretical, and computational in nature. The ultimate goal is to formulate constitutive relationships that are based on physical concepts rather than phenomenology, as in the case of plasticity power-law hardening. In addition, the role that the constitutive relations play in the fracture and failure of materials is emphasized. (Kysar)
back to topControl, Design, and Manufacturing
Control research emphasizes iterative learning control (ILC) and repetitive control (RC). ILC creates controllers that learn from previous experience performing a specific command, such as robots on an assembly line, aiming for high-precision mechanical motions. RC learns to cancel repetitive disturbances, such as precision motion through gearing, machining, satellite precision pointing, particle accelerators, etc. Time optimal control of robots is being studied for increased productivity on assembly lines through dynamic motion planning. Research is also being conducted on improved system identification, making mathematical models from input-output data. The results can be the starting point for designing controllers, but they are also studied as a means of assessing damage in civil engineering structures from earthquake data. (Longman)
Research efforts include task-based design with emphasis on design methodologies for novel robotic systems and mechanisms (Simaan, Advanced Robotics & Mechanisms A.R.M.A.). These research efforts focus on design optimizations and robot synthesis, performance evaluation, path planning, and control for robotic systems. The ongoing research is focused on investigating new methodologies for design of under-actuated flexible robots, design and control of flexible snake-like robots with actuation redundancy, force sensing based on data fusion from multiple sources. Typically the motivating applications behind the ongoing research are from medical robotics area as part of the ongoing research activity in A. R. M. A.. (Simaan)
In the area of advanced manufacturing processes and systems, current research concentrates on laser materials processing and environmentally conscious manufacturing. Investigations are being carried out in laser micromachining; laser forming of sheet metal; microscale laser shock-peening, material processing using improved laser-beam quality; cryogenic lubrication; microtemperature manipulation of metal-cutting processes; development of new, economical, and ecological cryogenic machining and milling systems; and other nontraditional manufacturing methods such as controlled fire polishing for glass scratchitti removal. Both numerical and experimental work is conducted using state-of-the-art equipment, instruments, and computing facilities. Close ties with industry have been established for collaborative efforts. (Yao)
back to topEnergy, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat/Mass Transfer
In the area of energy, one effort addresses the design of flow/mass transport systems for the extraction of carbon dioxide from air. Another effort addresses the development of distributed sensors for use in micrositing and performance evaluation of energy and environmental systems. The design and testing of components and systems for micropower generation is part of the thermofluids effort as well as part of the MEMS effort. (Modi)
In the area of fluid mechanics, study of low-Reynolds-number chaotic flows is being conducted both experimentally and numerically, and the interactions with molecular diffusion and inertia are presently being investigated. Other areas of investigation include the fluid mechanics of inkjet printing, drop on demand, the suppression of satellite droplets, shock wave propagation, and remediation in high-frequency printing systems. (Attinger, Chevray, Modi)
In the area of microscale transport phenomena, current research is focused on understanding the transport through interfaces, as well as the dynamics of interfaces. For instance, an oscillating microbubble creates a microflow pattern able to attract biological cells. High-speed visualization is used together with innovative laser measurement techniques to measure the fluid flow and temperature field with a very high resolution. (Attinger) back to top
MEMS and Nanotechnology
In these areas, research activities focus on power generation systems, nanostructures for photonics, fuel cells and photovoltaics, and microfabricated adaptive cooling skin and sensors for flow, shear, and wind speed. Basic research in fluid dynamics and heat/mass transfer phenomena at small scales also support these activities. (Attinger, Hone, Lin, Modi, Wong)
Research in the area of nanotechnology focuses on nanomaterials such as nanotubes and nanowires and their applications, especially in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). A laboratory is available for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques and to build devices using electron-beam lithography and various etching techniques. This effort will seek to optimize the fabrication, readout, and sensitivity of these devices for numerous applications, such as sensitive detection of mass, charge, and magnetic resonance. (Hone, Wong, Modi)
Research in the area of optical nanotechnology focuses on devices smaller than the wavelength of light, for example, in photonic crystal nanomaterials and NEMS devices. A strong research group with facilities in optical (including ultrafast) characterization, device nanofabrication, and full numerical intensive simulations is available. Current efforts include silicon nanophotonics, quantum dot interactions, negative refraction, dramatically enhanced nonlinearities, and integrated optics. This effort seeks to advance our understanding of nanoscale optical physics, enabled now by our ability to manufacture, design, and engineer precise subwavelength nanostructures, with derived applications in high-sensitivity sensors, high-bandwidth data communications, and biomolecular sciences. Major ongoing collaborations across national laboratories, industrial research centers, and multiuniversities support this research. (Wong)
In the area of microscale power generation, efforts are dedicated to build a micromotor using acoustic energy amplified by a microbubble. (Attinger)
Research in BioMEMS aims to design and create MEMS and micro/nanofluidic systems to control the motion and measure the dynamic behavior of biomolecules in solution. Current efforts involve modeling and understanding the physics of micro/nanofluidic devices and systems, exploiting polymer structures to enable micro/nanofluidic manipulation, and integrating MEMS sensors with microfluidics for measuring physical properties of biomolecules. (Lin)
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Biological Engineering and Biotechnology
Active areas of research in Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory include theoretical and experimental analysis of articular cartilage mechanics; theoretical and experimental analysis of cartilage lubrication, cartilage tissue engineering and bioreactor design; growth and remodeling of biological tissues; cell mechanics; and mixture theory for biological tissues with experiments and computational analysis (Ateshian).
The Hone group is involved in a number of projects that employ the tools of micro- and nano-fabrication toward the study of biological systems. With collaborators in biology and applied physics, the group has developed techniques to fabricate metal patterns on the molecular scale (below 10 nanometers) and attach biomolecules to create biofunctionalized nanoarrays. The group is currently using these arrays to study molecular recognition, cell spreading, and protein crystallization. Prof. Hone is a co-PI of the NIH-funded Nanotechnology Center for Mechanics in Regenerative Medicine, which seeks to understand and modify at the nanoscale force- and geometry-sensing pathways in health and disease. The Hone group fabricates many of the tools used by the Center to measure and apply force on a cellular level (Hone).
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are being exploited to enable and facilitate the characterization and manipulation of biomolecules. MEMS technology allows biomolecules to be studied in well-controlled micro/nanoenvironments of miniaturized, integrated devices, and may enable novel biomedical investigations not attainable by conventional techniques. The research interests center on the development of MEMS devices and systems for label-free manipulation and interrogation of biomolecules. Current research efforts primarily involve: microfluidic devices that exploit specific and reversible, stimulus-dependent binding between biomolecules and receptor molecules to enable selective purification, concentration and label-free detection of nucleic acid, protein and small molecule analytes; miniaturized instruments for label-free characterization of thermodynamic and other physical properties of biomolecules; and subcutaneously implantable MEMS affinity biosensors for continuous monitoring of glucose and other metabolites (Lin).
The Advanced Robotics & Mechanism application lab A.R.M.A. (Simaan) is focused on surgical intervention using novel robotic architectures. Examples of these architectures include flexible snake-like robots, parallel robots and cooperative robotic systems. The current research activity is focused on providing safer and deeper interaction with the anatomy using minimally invasive approaches, surgery through natural orifices, surgical task planning based on dexterity and performance measures, and manipulation of flexible organs. The ongoing funded research projects include NIH-funded grants on designing next generation robotic slaves for incision less surgical intervention (surgery through natural opening), minimally invasive surgery for the throat and upper airways, image-guided insertable robotic platforms for less invasive surgery (surgery that is carried out using a single incision in the abdomen), and robotic assistance for cochlear implant surgery (NSF – funded, Simaan).
Mass radiological triage is critical after a large-scale radiological event because of the need to identify those individuals who will benefit from medical intervention as soon as possible. The goal of the ongoing NIH-funded research project is to design a prototype of a fully automated ultra-high throughput biodosimetry. This prototype is supposed to accommodate multiple assay preparation protocols that allow the determination of the levels of radiation exposure that a patient received. The input to this fully autonomous system is a large number of capillaries filled with blood of patients collected using finger sticks. These capillaries are processed by the system to distill the micronucleus assay in lymphocytes, with all the assays being carried out in-situ in multi-well plates. The research effort on this project involves the automation system design and integration including hierarchical control algorithms, design and control of custom built robotic devices, and automated image acquisition and processing for sample preparation and analysis (Simaan, Yao).
A technology that couples the power of multidimensional microscopy (three spatial dimensions, time, and multiple wavelengths) with that of DNA array technology is investigated in a NIH funded project. Specifically, a system is developed, in which individual cells selected on the basis of optically detectable multiple features at critical time points in dynamic processes can be rapidly and robotically micro-manipulated into reaction chambers to permit amplified DNA synthesis and subsequent array analysis. Customized image processing and pattern recognition techniques are developed including Fisher’s linear discriminant preprocessing with neural net, a support vector machine with improved training, multiclass cell detection with error correcting output coding, and kernel principal component analysis (Yao).
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