The class of 2013 REU students, with their UMD mentors.
The 2013 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Miniature Robotics closing symposium was held on Friday, Aug. 9.
The 10-week program offers exciting research opportunities for undergraduate students across the country in miniature robotics. These small robots, with overall sizes between 1 mm and 100 mm, have the potential to significantly enable and enhance capabilities in manufacturing, medicine, reconnaissance, exploration, food safety, and search and rescue. Because of their size, miniature robotics offer a truly interdisciplinary systems research challenge that encompasses mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, and computer science among other topics.
Students develop research projects, attend technical tutorial seminars, visit local government labs involved in miniature robotics research, attend professional and academic development seminars, and tour Maryland?s top-notch facilities supporting robotics research including the UMD FabLab and Neutral Buoyancy Research Facility. Coffee talk discussions provide an informal setting for students and mentors to discuss technical and non-technical topics. The program is headed by Assistant Professor Sarah Bergbreiter (ME/ISR).
The closing symposium program gives each student the chance to prepare and present a presentation on their summer research. In 2013 the following projects were presented at the symposium:
Developing new Wing Structures for the Robo Raven Platform Deepak Lingam Huch Bruck, faculty mentor Luke Roberts, graduate student mentor
Developing an Autonomous Modular Miniature Robot for Dynamic Air-Ground Robotic Networks Joey Ni Nuno Martins, faculty mentor Yonatan Gefen, graduate student mentor
TeRPinator 4.0: Swarmation Esther Jang and Roberto Villalba Derek Paley, faculty mentor Frank Lagor, graduate student mentor
COC-CB Composites, Fabrication and Electrical Characterization Andrew Wilson Don DeVoe, faculty mentor Eric Kendall, postdoctoral mentor
Integrating Flexible Solar Cells into Flapping Wing Miniature Air Vehicles Savannah Nolen Hugh Bruck, faculty mentor Ariel Perez-Rosado, graduate student mentor
Development of a Lightweight and Small Underactuated Hand for Use on Quadrotors Emma Capman Nuno Martins, faculty mentor Nitay Ravin, graduate student mentor
Examining Vision Sensors for Small Robots Max Frantz Sarah Bergbreiter, faculty mentor Ivan Penskiy, graduate student mentor
Multi-material legs for 3D-Printed Millibots Asa Eckert-Erdheim Sarah Bergbreiter, faculty mentor Dana Vogtmann, graduate student mentor
Fly Ear-Inspired Sensing: Virtual Coupling John Rattray Miau Yu, faculty mentor Haijun Liu, postdoctoral mentor
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August 14, 2013
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