Advanced Micro/nano-robotics

Overview of micro/nano-robotic systems, physics of reduced length scales (scaling effects in the physical parameters, surface forces, contact mechanics, and micro/nano-scale dynamical phenomena), basics of micro/nano manufacturing, microfabrication and soft lithography, biomimetic design strategies for mobile micro-robots, principle of transduction, material properties and characteristics of micro/nano-actuators (piezoelectric, shape memory alloy, and a variety of MEMS and polymer actuators), control requirements and challenges of micro/nano-actuators, micro/nano sensors for mobile microrobotic applications, micro/nano-manipulation (scanning probe microscopy, operation principles, designing experiments for nanoscale mechanical characterization of desired samples). Pre-requisite: Graduate Standing required