Events

Applications of Mechatronics in Dual-Stage Nanopositioning and Humanitarian Mine Action

Lecture / Panel
 
For NYU Community

Applications of Mechatronics in Dual-Stage Nanopositioning and Humanitarian Mine Action

Garrett Clayton
Villanova University
Department of Mechanical Engineering

In this talk, two ongoing areas of research in the Mechatronic Systems Laboratory at Villanova University will be presented. 
The first area is focused on novel control algorithms for dual-stage systems (joint project with researchers at the University of Utah.) Dual-stage systems combine a long-range and low-speed actuator with a short-range and high-speed actuator in order to achieve long-range positioning at high-speeds. Typical control algorithms for dual-stage systems split the effort based on frequency. While these algorithms work in some applications, they improperly allocate short-range low-speed trajectories to the lower-resolution long-range actuator. Algorithms that consider range when allocating the control effort will be presented that overcome this issue.
The second area is focused on robotics and mechatronics for humanitarian mine action (joint research program with the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation.) The field of humanitarian mine action has a wide range of problems that can be solved by robotics and mechatronics engineers. An introduction will be given to the field of humanitarian mine action, followed by a discussion of some of the ongoing projects at Villanova, including a low-cost explosive ordnance disposal robot and a novel robot for mine field area reduction.

Biosketch
M. Clayton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Villanova University. His current research interests are broadly spread throughout the area of mechatronics with specific applications in nanopositioning, remote monitoring, humanitarian technologies, and robotics. Dr. Clayton received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Seattle University in 2001 and his Masters of Science and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2003 and 2008, respectively. He is currently an Associate Editor for the IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics and IFAC Mechatronics. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation (GWHF) and a number of small companies. In addition, he has recently received a Fulbright Research/Teaching grant to live and work Cambodia in the summer of 2018.