Work At University of Michigan
Affiliations at University of Michigan (2012-2016)
- Former Campus Outreach Officer (and active member) of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, University of Michigan
- Former member of Vibration and Acoustics Laboratory: Microsystems , University of Michigan
- Former member of Lahann Lab, University of Michigan
Simple Legged Microrobots: Locomotion Based on Contact Dynamics and Vibration
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Vibration and Acoustics Laboratory: Microsystems
(w/ Prof. Kenn Oldham) 
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We were interested in a family of simple, small-scale robots with multiple sets of high-frequency actuated compliant elastic legs and a rigid body. We developed a dynamic model (derived from beam theory) to describe the motion of these simple small-scale robots in the presence of variable properties of the underlying terrain. The motion of the small-scale robots results from dual-direction motion of cantilever-beam legs, with impact dynamics increasing the robot's locomotion complexity. This model is modal in nature, meaning it is invariant to the specific robot design.
We verified the model using two different centimeter-scale robot prototypes having an analogous actuation scheme to millimeter-scale microrobots. In accounting for the interaction between the robot and ground, a dynamic model using the first two modes of each leg shows good agreement with experimental results for the centimeter-scale prototypes, in terms of both magnitude and the trends in robot locomotion with respect to actuation conditions. |
Fabrication of Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering
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Lahann Lab (w/ Prof. Joerg Lahann)
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During my sophomore year at Michigan, I helped design several fluidic device prototypes in attempts to control fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds. In addition, I designed and conducted experiments to characterize the prototypes and determine the best device. Using this device in conjunction with the lab's existing microfiber scaffold manufacturing process, I designed and fabricated novel scaffold architectures in efforts to create anisotropic tissue engineering scaffolds.
Next, over the summer as part of the SURE Program at Michigan, I designed and implemented a LabVIEW / CAD interface to expand the capabilities of the lab’s existing mechatronic manufacturing process for tissue engineering scaffolds. I then used these new capabilities to continue to innovate novel scaffold architectures. Finally, over the course of my Junior year, I used the new capabilities of the lab's scaffold manufacturing process that I had implemented over the summer to continue to develop new scaffold architectures. I focused on optimizing these designs for the cell culture process used in the lab. I also worked on expanding the library of materials we could use for fabricating scaffolds as well as interfacing our previously designed fluidic devices (see Undergraduate Researcher below) with the scaffold fabrication system to realize further capabilities. |
