Cells are known to respond to external stimuli such as chemical, physical and mechanical cues from their microenvironments. In this work, we developed the technology to to complement the previously reported studies that deal with substrates' mechanical property by developing thin polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) membrane microdevices using microfabrication technology. Typically, multiples...
The macroscale mechanical and physical properties of materials are inherently linked to the underlying microstructure. Traditional continuum mechanics theories have focused on approximating the heterogeneous microstructure as a continuum, which is conducive to a partial differential equation mathematical description. Although this makes large scale simulation of material much more efficient...
The goal of this dissertation was to elucidate the coalescence of vacancies in the cubic polytype of silicon carbide in a nuclear reactor relevant system. Large-scale empirical potential atomistic simulations were employed and the exploration of long time-scale behavior was performed through a new application of the parallel replica dynamics...
A dynamic model of the rolling process that includes the material strain-hardening and work roll flattening effects was developed based on homogeneous deformation theory. By coupling this new dynamic rolling process model with a structural model for a mill stand, a single-stand chatter model expressed through a state-space representation was...
There is a need for cyclic robots that interact with lower limbs. Such robots will bring new programmability to exercise, rehabilitation, psychophysiology, and physiology, allowing for complete customization of the foot pedal path and dynamics. These robots are novel to the robotics research ¯eld as well, since conventional robotic designs...
This thesis studies the in-hand manipulation problem of repositioning finger contacts on an object by controlled sliding. In this thesis we investigate two versions of the problem. First for a multifingered hand with circle patch contacts, we present a framework for planning the motion of the hand to create an...
Stringent demands in the sheet forming industry related to rapid and customized part realization coupled with rigorous requirements on geometric accuracy and product properties have outpaced the capabilities of traditional forming processes. As an emerging novel technology, Double-Sided Incremental Forming (DSIF) offers much higher flexibility with the complete elimination of...
Demands in the aerospace, automotive and biomedical sectors for low-volume sheet metal parts made from materials with high specific strength are growing due to the needs imposed by rapid product development cycles, and personalized products to mention a few. However, high strength-to-weight ratio materials, such as Ti6Al4V, are usually difficult...
Segregation of granular materials with different particle properties (e.g.,~size and density) is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature and industry. In this thesis, different segregation mechanisms are studied in steady granular heap flows. Flow kinematics and segregation in transient granular flows are also explored. ', '\t', 'First, this thesis studies segregation...
Research on rat whiskers offers knowledge in neuroscience analogous to humans\' sense of touch and inspiration for efficient sensing robotics. The present work investigates the rat whisker system from a mechanical engineering perspective. First, key quasi-static and dynamic properties were quantified in Chapter 2 for individual whiskers in an array,...