Mechatronics and Manufacturing
The faculty in the Mechatronics and Manufacturing Research Group consists of professors who research theory, analysis, modeling, design, development, instrumentation, control, testing, and practical application of a range of engineering and mechatronic systems, including micro- and nano- electromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) and coupled flexible multibody systems. Key application areas include robotics, manufacturing, biomedicine, marine and aerospace, and industrial automation.
The faculty group is made up of Yusuf Altintas, Mu Chiao, Elizabeth Croft, Clarence de Silva, Hsi-Yung (Steve) Feng, Antony Hodgson, Rajeev Jaiman, Hongshen Ma, Ryozo Nagamune, Robert Rohling, Farrokh Sassani, and Boris Stoeber. Several group members occupy research chairs and also carry out industrial and academic collaborations with substantial funding. An example is the Canada-wide “NSERC CANRIMT Strategic Network in Machining” ($5.4M over 5 years, collaborating with 6 universities).
Dr. Yusuf Altintas — Manufacturing Automation
Current Projects: Chatter stability of machining operations, virtual machining process modeling, simulation and optimization, trajectory generation and motion control of high speed machine tools, dynamics of high speed spindles, precision machining, and sensors and actuators for machine tool testing and monitoring.
Dr. Mu Chiao — MEMS, Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
Current Projects: Micro-energy sources, protein-MEMS interaction, MEMS-based photonic devices, design, fabrication and packing of MEMS for biological applications.
Dr. Clarence W. de Silva — Robotics and Mechatronics
Current Projects: Design, instrumentation (sensing, actuation, communication, etc.) and intelligent control of automated industrial processes; intelligent cooperative robotics for safety/security-critical urban environments; robotic homecare systems; telemedicine; process monitoring and diagnosis; and water quality monitoring.
Dr. Hsi-Yung (Steve) Feng — CAD/CAM/CAI
Current Research: CAD/CAM/CAI (Computer-Aided Design, Manufacturing, and Inspection) with emphasis on: multi-axis CNC machining, precision inspection and computational/coordinate metrology, and geometric modeling based on laser scanned point clouds.
Dr. Antony J. Hodgson — Medical Robotics, Biomechanics
Developing tools for computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery based on phase-processing of 3D ultrasound images to provide realtime 3D imaging information and on mini-robotic devices to enhance accuracy and shorten surgical time; designing a 3D scale model of the human eye to study sensorimotor issues; comparing surgical motor performance in simulators and the live operating room to validate simulators.
Dr. Rajeev Jaiman — Coupled System Modeling and Control, Machine Learning
Current Projects: Fully-coupled flexible multibody systems, Model order reduction and data-driven modeling of nonlinear dynamical systems, Machine learning algorithms and applications to marine/offshore and aerospace engineering applications.
Dr. Hongshen Ma — Microfluidics and Biomedical Device Design
Current Projects: Microfluidic cell sorting by mechanical deformability, low-cost malaria detection device, microfluidic cell sorting by dielectrophoresis, magnetic endotracheal tube sensor, electrical impedance myography.
Dr. Ryozo Nagamune — Robust and Optimal Control
Current Projects: Modeling and system identification, model validation and simplification, controller and estimator design, analysis and implementation, and related optimization and computational algorithms, control applications, wind turbine control, automotive engine control, machine-tool servo, MEMS control, and hard disk drive servo.
Dr. Robert N. Rohling — Robotics, Medical Imaging
Current Projects: New acquisition techniques for ultrasound, navigating large amounts of medical data and images in a timely manner, and calibration of robotic systems and surgical applications.
Dr. Farrokh Sassani — Manufactuing, Automation
Current Projects: Fault detection and diagnosis in hydraulic systems, and kinematic and dynamic modeling and analysis of wheelchair propulsion.
Dr. Boris Stoeber — MEMS, Microfluidics
Current Projects: Flow control in microfluidic devices, complex microflows, microflow characterization methods, micro-optical devices, and biomedical microdevices, and sensor technology.