- Actuator system development
- Shape memory alloy based actuator for aerospace, biomedical, and oil exploration applications
- Piezoceramic actuators for precision positioning
- Sensor system development
- Piezoceramic based sensors for impact detection and structural health monitoring
- Fiber optical based sensors for biomedical applications and civil applications
- Vibration control and damping: active, passive, and semi-active
- Structural health monitoring
- Advanced and nonlinear controls
- Hysteresis compensation
- Innovative teaching equipment development
- Real time control system and embedded control system development
Technical Challenges
- As offshore oil exploration goes into deeper and deeper water, new actuation technology with fast response and less weight penalty is needed
- Modern aerospace systems require with high power-to-mass ratio actuation system
- A unified early stage strength monitoring and later health monitoring method is needed for concrete structures
- Orthopedic research requires new strain sensors that are small and capable of large strain measurements
- Cardiovascular research requires pressure sensors that can be delivered via catheters with zero drift.
- Most of smart actuators possess hysteresis and hysteresis compensation is of great importance for accurate and stable controls
Recent Accomplishments*
- Developed a novel mini-displacement sensor based on optical fiber Bragg gratings
- Developed an innovative sensor for large strain measurement for biomedical applications
- Invented a novel variable area exhaust nozzle for jet engines
- Developed the piezoceramic based smart aggregator for health monitoring of concrete structures
- Designed a sliding mode based robust controller for shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and successfully applied to several SMA actuated systems.
- Developed an automatic impact detection and health monitoring system for over-height trucks colliding with bridges
- Designed an innovative self-sensing SMA actuation system
- Developed several innovative teaching equipment
* Many of these accomplishments are outcomes of collaborative work with support from federal and state funding agencies, such as NSF, NASA, and ODOT.
Value
- Smart actuator may play an important role in ultra-deep sea oil exploration
- Smart materials technology will result in smaller and more accurate biomedical sensors
- Piezoceramic based smart aggregators will enable low-cast health monitoring of concrete structures
- Advanced control methods will make smart actuator more accurate
- State-of-the-art research with benefit teaching via development of innovative teaching equipment