Constantinos Mavroidis - US grants

This grant provides funding for a CAREER award. This project has two principal research goals. First, it will propose analytical solutions for the geometric design problems of spatial mechanisms and robotic systems using polynomial elimination methods. Second, procedures to manufacture mechanisms and robotic systems using Rapid Prototyping techniques will be developed and experimentally verified. This project has three educational goals. The first goal is to develop an advanced educational infrastructure to teach an upgraded and renovated version of the undergraduate and graduate courses on Advanced Design of Mechanisms. The second educational goal of the project is the initiation of undergraduates in research with the incorporation of a novel course entitled "Experimental and Computational Research on the Design of Mechanical Systems". The third goal is to establish collaborative projects on engineering design and robotic systems with the science and technology high schools of New Jersey, with the objective to attract new students in this field.

Manufacturing industries, robot technologies and design education will benefit from the proposed unified framework for designing complex mechanical and robotic systems by integrating advanced computer based design tools such as Computational Methods, Computer Aided Design packages, Virtual Reality with Haptic Interfaces and Rapid Prototyping. In addition this CAREER project includes broader impact activities such as foreign collaborations, participation of underrepresented groups and cooperation with New Jersey high schools.

This project studies the development of protein-based nano-motors and nano-robots. The goal is to develop novel and revolutionary biomolecular machine components that can be assembled and form multi-degree of freedom nanodevices that will be able to apply forces and manipulate objects in the nanoworld, transfer information from the nano to the macro world and also be able to travel in the nanoenvironment. These
machines are expected to be highly efficient, economical in mass production, work under little supervision and be controllable. The vision is that such ultra-miniature robotic systems and nano-mechanical devices will be the biomolecular electromechanical hardware of future planetary, military or medical missions. Some proteins, due to their structural characteristics and physicochemical properties constitute potential candidates for this role. The specific aims of this project are: a) To identify proteins that can be used as motors in nano / micro machines and mechanisms. We will focus our studies on the mechanical properties of viral proteins to fold or unfold depending on the pH level of environment. Thus, a new, powerful, linear biomolecular actuator type is obtained that we call: Viral Protein Linear (VPL) motor. Various viral proteins will be studied and from them different VPL motors will be produced; b) To develop dynamic models and realistic simulations / animations to accurately predict the performance of the proposed VPL motors; c) To perform a series of biomolecular experiments to demonstrate the validity of the proposed concept of VPL motors; d) To study, both computationally and experimentally, the interface of the proposed protein motors with other biomolecular components such as DNA joints and carbon-nanotube rigid links so that complex, multi-degree of freedom machines and robots are formed.

The broader impact and outreach activities of this project are: a) the initiation of undergraduate students in research; b) the establishment of collaborative projects on nanotechnology with the science and technology high schools of New Jersey with the objective to attract new students in this field; c) the organization of a special session at the annual ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) on nano-robotics; and d) the development and maintenance of a webpage on bio-nano-robotic systems.

The goal of this project is the design, fabrication, control and testing of novel, lightweight actuators that will be able to apply large forces and achieve large displacements using compact mechanisms. The proposed concept for novel actuation devices is based on a hybrid combination of Electro-Rheological Fluids (ERF) and electromagnetic actuation concepts. The proposed new class of actuation devices is called ECFS (Electrically Controlled Force and Stiffness) actuators. Design, fabricate and control compact prismatic joints mobilized by ECFS actuators will be studied. Extensive tests will be performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ECFS actuators. Furthermore, the possibility of using the ECFS actuators to power the joints of force-feedback devices and haptic interfaces will be investigated.
The broader impact and outreach activities of this project are: a) the initiation of undergraduate students in research; b) the establishment of collaborative projects on engineering design and robotic systems with the science and technology high schools of New Jersey with the objective to attract new students in this field; c) the organization of a special session at the annual ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) and of a focused section in one issue of the journal IEEE / ASME Transactions on Mechatronics on the design, modeling and control of advanced actuators; d) the development and maintenance of a webpage on ERF based devices; and e) the establishment of international collaborative activities in the area of advanced actuators.

This project will study the development of protein-based nano-motors and nano-robots. The goal is to develop novel and revolutionary biomolecular machine components that can be assembled and form multi-degree of freedom nanodevices that will be able to apply forces and manipulate objects in the nanoworld, transfer information from the nano to the macro world and also be able to travel in the nanoenvironment. These machines are expected to be highly efficient, economical in mass production, work under little supervision and be controllable. The vision is that such ultra-miniature robotic systems and nano-mechanical devices will be the biomolecular electro-mechanical hardware of future manufacturing, biomedical and planetary applications. Some proteins, due to their structural characteristics and physicochemical properties constitute potential candidates for this role. The specific aims of this project are: (1) To identify proteins that can be used as motors in nano/micro machines and mechanisms. The focus of the study will be on the mechanical properties of viral proteins to open or close depending on the pH level of environment. Thus, a new, powerful, linear biomolecular actuator type is obtained,Viral Protein Linear (VPL) motor. Various viral proteins will be studied and from them different VPL motors will be produced. (2) To develop dynamic models and realistic simulations/animations to accurately predict the performance of the proposed VPL motors. (3) To perform a series of biomolecular experiments to demonstrate the validity of the proposed concept of VPL motors. (4) To study the interface of the proposed protein motors with other biomolecular components such as DNA joints and carbon-nanotube rigid links so that complex, multi-degree of freedom machines and robots powered by the VPL motors are formed.

The educational, broader impact and outreach activities of this project are: (1) The development of a new, inter-departmental course on the design of nano-machines; (2) The initiation of undergraduate students in research; (3) The establishment of collaborative projects on nano-technology with the science and technology high schools of New Jersey with the objective to attract new students in this field; (4) The organization of symposia and journal special issues on bio-nano-robotics; (5) The development and maintenance of a webpage on bio-nano-robotic systems; and (6) The establishment of international collaborative activities in the area of nano-technology.

This is an award for developing a pulsed high-field quasioptical Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectrometer for research, education, and training in biotechnology and nanomaterials. Five faculty will use the instrument to carry out research in several areas as follows: Electrostatic mapping of proteins by high-field spin labeling; Characterization of novel materials for spintronic devices; Measurements of interfacial interactions in nanocomposite fuel cell and catalytic membranes; Characterization of protein-based nanodevices. The extension to pulsed methodology will provide important capabilities that will lead to new applications in biotechnology and materials science. These include (1) detailed characterization of spin-spin distances and distance distributions on the molecular scale using double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy, (2) the ability to measure the microscopic local electric field at a label introduced into a protein or nanostructure using the linear electric field effect (LEFE), (3) high resolution of detailed dynamic behavior in macromolecules and nanostructures via spin relaxation measurements. The instrument will be operated as a continuation of the existing continuous-wave high-field ESR facility at the university.

This award will implement a training program for the rapidly growing research area of high-field ESR. Internships will be available for students to increase the breadth of their training in new high-field ESR methods. The university has a co-op education program, and qualified undergrads will do their co-op semester in the ESR facility. The university has many outreach programs for underrepresented groups, including students in the inner city area.

PI: Mavroidis, Constantinos
Proposal Number: 0828772

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States; with approximately 730,300 new cases and about 160,000 deaths in the United States annually. Approximately 80% of stroke survivors present an early motor deficit, with about 50% having chronic deficits. Loss of mobility due to muscle weakness and spasticity and thus impaired gait is a major contributor to post-stroke disability. Novel treatments are needed to serve as training aids for reestablishing efficient gait patterns, and as assistive devices to address residual motor impairments and functional limitations. During the last ten years, robotics and mechatronics have emerged as new research areas of great relevance to rehabilitation. Robotics and mechatronics offer the promise of sensitive, objective measurements and mobility assistance by using novel wearable and computer controlled active devices. The proposed project brings together experts in robotics, precision manufacturing, biomechanics, and stroke medicine with the goal of considerably improving the quality of life of stroke patients.

The research goals of this project are to develop and test a novel, smart and portable Active Knee Rehabilitation Orthotic Device (AKROD) designed to train stroke patients to correct knee hyperextension during stance and stiff-legged gait (defined as reduced knee flexion during swing). The knee brace will provide variable damping and torque actuator capabilities controlled in ways that we hypothesize foster motor recovery in stroke patients. Two different components of the device will be developed: a resistive (variable damper) and an active (torque actuator) component. The variable damper component of the brace will be used to facilitate knee flexion during stance by providing resistance to knee buckling. Furthermore, the knee brace will be used to assist in knee control during swing, i.e. to allow patients to achieve adequate knee flexion for toe clearance and adequate knee extension in preparation to heel strike. The torque actuator component will be used to encourage patients to actively extend the knee during midto-terminal stance, facilitate knee flexion during initial swing, and again encourage knee extension during mid-to-terminal swing. Algorithms for establishing appropriate control of the knee brace will be developed. Using data from both normal volunteers and hemiplegic stroke survivors, we will create training programs for the knee orthosis to assist patients in re-establishing a natural gait pattern.

The intellectual merit of the proposed project is the major enhancement of gait retraining in stroke patients and considerable improvement of orthotic intervention in the home and community settings. A wearable and portable smart training orthosis, as the one developed and tested in this project, could be used by patients throughout daily activities, with constant reinforcement of the targeted gait pattern. This constant reinforcement of gait retraining in a real-world environment has the potential to provide more effective and faster gait retraining, improving one's ability to ambulate.

The educational, broader impact and outreach activities of this project include: the initiation of undergraduate students in research, the establishment of collaborative projects in biomedical engineering and robotics with the science and technology high schools of Massachusetts, the organization of a conference special session, a seminar series and a webpage on portable and wearable rehabilitation devices, the performance of graduate and undergraduate student internships in industry, and, in partnership with NU's School of Technological Entrepreneurship (STE), the organization of a one semester I-cubator (student)project on market analysis and business planning for new technologies on wearable active knee orthoses.

This 3-year GOALI project will be performed jointly by Northeastern University (NU) of Boston, MA, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (SRH) of Boston, MA (a Harvard Medical School affiliated institution) and WGI Inc. of Southwick, MA.

The research objectives of this 3-year project, are: 1) The development of a robotic device, called Robotic Gait Rehabilitation (RGR) Trainer, which will generate force-fields applied at the patient?s pelvic area to facilitate treadmill gait retraining in patients with abnormal gait patterns; 2) The design and implementation of high level impedance control strategies to achieve a smooth human-robot interaction thus facilitating gait retraining; 3) The testing of the RGR Trainer for treadmill gait retraining in post-stroke patients, integrating the novel haptic feedback in the pel-vic area with previously developed visual feedback. The intellectual merit of the proposed pro-ject is the study of patient-robot interaction via haptic feedback provided through the pelvis and the study of the integration of haptic and visual feedback modalities during robot-assisted reha-bilitation in post-stroke patients.
The educational, broader impact and outreach activities of this project are: 1) The initiation of undergraduate students in rehabilitation robotics; 2) The establishment of collaborative projects on biomedical engineering and robotics with Massachusetts high schools; 3) The organization of a special session on robotics and treadmill gait retraining at a major conference; 4) The estab-lishment of a webpage in the area of robotic and treadmill gait rehabilitation devices.

This research project will study human-machine interaction such as haptic and medical sensing devices to customize and embed sensors (e.g. force) to accommodate wearer-specifications. Many mechatronic devices that interact with the human body require wearer-specific geometry to function adequately. Examples include instrumented /sensorized orthotic, haptic and medical devices and safety and computer interface equipment. The project will yield a novel sensor design and such methodology. Fabrication of the sensor will be achieved with Layered Manufacturing (LM) processes capable of creating multiple different materials within the same part to combine flexible and rigid structures.

This project will enable the development of low cost, sensorized smart interfaces with increased comfort that can facilitate the routine use of these devices at home for medical, computer and other daily activities requiring monitoring capability. In addition, this project will initiate undergraduate students (including students from under-represented groups) to research in mechatronics applied to rehabilitation. Collaborative projects on mechatronics with the science and technology high schools of Massachusetts will be established.

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating advanced, compact ac-tuator technology, called Gear Bearing Drive (GBD) Technologies to fill a technology gap in the robotics and motion control industry that requires a new generation of actuators able to exhibit a number of desirable characteristics ranging from high power density and high efficiency, high positioning resolution, high torque capacity and torsional stiffness, lightweight designs and low-cost packages. The Gear Bearing Drive or GBD is a compact mechanism with two key abilities. It operates as an actuator providing torque and as a joint providing support. This is possible be-cause of the novel combination of external rotor (outrunner type) DC motor technology and Gear Bearing technology. The GBD is a bearingless powered joint with large power density. It utilizes a unique two stage planetary gear arrangement that allows a high reduction ratio while maintain-ing a compact form factor. The project accomplishes its goals by completing three specific ob-jectives: A) To fully analyze, characterize and experimentally test existing preliminary proof of concept prototypes of GBD; B) To develop and fully characterize experimentally advanced pro-totypes of GBD optimized using design for manufacturing approaches; C) To integrate a series elastic and torque sensing element with the GBD to facilitate human-machine interaction in GBD powered systems.
In this project Northeastern University will be partnering with the start-up company Foodinie to investigate commercialization of the GBD. Foodinie, located in New York City, aims at de-veloping and commercializing novel robotic systems for assistance of the elderly at home. Food-inie is interested in developing both a novel robotic system actuated by the GBD and GBD actu-ated joint modules that could be sold as standalone components to other manufacturers. The PI and Northeastern University have recently been issued US patent 8,016,893 (Sep. 13, 2011) for this invention.
The intellectual merit of the proposed project is the design, advanced prototyping and thor-ough testing of an innovative compact, advanced actuator assembly that could find immediate commercial application in important markets such as rehabilitation, medicine, aerospace and others. The GBD will considerably improve the torque density and mechanical efficiency of ac-tuated robotic joints, and enhance the portability and effectiveness of robotic systems engaged in biomechanical applications such as rehabilitation robots and wearable exoskeletons.
The current market size for robotic devices is 12 billion dollar with an expected expansion to 25 billion over the next 5 years. This market includes established manufacturing, defense and aerospace industries and emerging medical/health markets in prosthetics, bionics, and rehabilita-tion robotics. The GBD has potential to permeate all of these markets to varying degrees. These market opportunities seem large and with the validation attained from this investigation, we ex-pect to be able to attract and secure venture capital support for commercialization of the GBD.
The specific educational, broader impact and outreach activities of this project are: 1) The in-itiation of undergraduate students (including students from under-represented groups) in research in robotics; 2) The establishment of collaborative projects in advanced actuators and robotics with the science and technology high schools of Massachusetts with the objective to attract new students in this field; 3) The organization of a one semester I-cubator (student) project on market analysis and business planning for the proposed GBD technologies; 4) The establishment of a seminar series and of a webpage in the area of advanced actuators for robotic systems; and 5) The performance of graduate and undergraduate student internships in industry.

This project investigates a new type of cyber-physical system (CPS), comprising magnetic nanoparticles in a fluidic environment such as human tissue whose motion is controlled by a computer via a magnetic field. The research aims to develop computational and experimental tools to perform the dynamic modeling, closed loop control and experimental validation of such a system of nanoparticles under guidance and observation using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) environment. The envisioned CPS infrastructure is composed of a new computational platform to perform 3D simulation, visualization and post-processing analysis of the aggregation and disaggregation process of magnetic nanoparticles within a fluidic environment like the small arteries and arterioles or fluid-filled cavities of the human body. It also includes the development of robust control algorithms for the guidance of a swarm of magnetic nanoparticles in a MRI environment. Experimental validation is to be performed in clinical MRI scanners and in customized laboratory test-beds that generate controllable magnetic fields able to move magnetic nanoparticles in fluidic environments.

Potential applications of this basic research include nano-robotic drug delivery systems, composed of a system of magnetic nanoparticles guided by MRI scanners for targeted drug delivery in the human body. The project integrates education through participation of graduate and undergraduate students in the research, and involvement of the PI and graduate students in several outreach activities for students in high and middle schools.

This project is focused on a major enhancement of gait retraining in stroke patients and improvement of orthotic intervention in the clinical settings. Researchers have developed a wearable and portable smart training orthosis that could be used by patients throughout daily activities, with constant reinforcement of the targeted gait pattern. The trainer targets both the primary and secondary gait deviations. This constant reinforcement of gait retraining in a real-world environment has the potential to provide more effective and faster gait retraining, improving one's ability to ambulate.

The proposed project will investigate the feasibility of providing to hospitals and clinics advanced technology, in order to better facilitate stroke patients' recovery of motor function for better quality of life. A major portion of the project will focus on the understanding of the relevant issues in healthcare with respect to neuro-rehabilitation. As a result of this project, researchers hope to develop a sustainable model for providing the healthcare providers with advanced robotic devices for rehabilitation of patients post-stroke. This in turn could have a broader impact on the quality of life of thousands of stroke victims.