Projects

PhD Projects:

1) Magnetic actuation of milli-scale modular and soft robots Aug. 2024 – Present 

• Our research on microrobotics has been featured in numerous media outlets, including SMU News, Interesting Engineering, and Tech Xplore. 

• Controlled robotic motion using a triaxial Helmholtz coil system, with field generation guided by COMSOL simulations.

• Investigated magnetically actuated small-scale robots with embedded permanent magnets to achieve locomotion modes such as tapping and pivoting walking for navigation in confined anatomical environments, with emphasis on improving maneuverability and payload capacity and reducing wall friction.

• Developing a flexible tadpole-like robot capable of both surface and swimming locomotion in fluid media such as water and silicone oil.

2) Characterize the biomechanical properties of helical bacterial flagella Aug. 2024 – Present

• Conducting experimental work on harvested fluorescently labeled bacterial flagella to study bending behavior under varying flow conditions using microscopy.

M.Sc. Projects:

1) Design and control of a 3DOF robotic manipulator                                                               Nov. 2021 – Nov. 2023

• Trajectory tracking and path planning of a robotic manipulator.

• Developing control algorithms for any DOF rigid-flexible robotic systems.

• Optimizing complex systems and processes with metaheuristic algorithms.

Undergraduate Projects:

1) Fabrication and Mechanical Characterization of Fiber Metal Laminates                        Jan 2020 – July 2020

• Participated in building FMLs with the hand-layup technique.

• Precisely cut samples to standard dimensions for tensile, compression, and bearing tests.

• Conducted finite element analysis using ABAQUS to simulate the mechanical behavior of FMLs.

• Validated numerical results through comparison with experimental findings, ensuring accuracy and reliability in the simulation.

2) Plastic Injection Molding: Design, Prototyping, and Modeling                                     March 2019 – May 2019

• Development of plastic product designs and corresponding molds using SolidWorks.

•  Construction of a three-dimensional wooden prototype based on the

• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model.

3) Design and Development of a Three-Stage Gearbox                                                                Nov 2018 – Jan 2019

• • • Analytical design of the three gearbox stages based on failure theories.

    • Creation of a computer-aided design (CAD) model using SolidWorks.

    • Rendering of the CAD model using Keyshot for visualization.

4) Design of Sand-Casting Mold with Gating System                                                                     Nov 2017 – Jan 2018

• • • • Analytical design of the mold and gating system in accordance with industry standards.

      • Creation of the wooden pattern design using SolidWorks to facilitate the sandcasting process.