Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Tunable Plasmonic Thermal Emitter Using Metal-Coated Elastomeric Structures, Robert Zando

Masters Theses

This project was focused on the creation of a gold-coated grating structure capable of inducing a surface plasmon polariton within the mid-infrared region, enhancing emissions at specific wavelengths based on the grating periodicity. The grating structure was formed on a silicone elastomer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), in order to give the structure, the ability to have the periodicity dimensions of the grating altered by applying a stress, thereby changing the location of the emission enhancement, giving the device the potential to be used as an infrared strain sensor.

Creation of the structure employed a top-down, micro-scale fabrication technique referred to as Direct …

Ubot-7: The Design Of A Compliant Dexterous Mobile Manipulator, Jonathan Cummings

Masters Theses

This thesis presents the design of uBot-7, the latest version of a dexterous mobile manipulator. This platform has been iteratively developed to realize a high performance-to-cost dexterous whole body manipulator with respect to mobile manipulation. The semi-anthropomorphic design of the uBot is a demonstrated and functional research platform for developing advanced autonomous perception, manipulation, and mobility tasks. The goal of this work is to improve the uBot’s ability to sense and interact with its environment in order to increase the platforms capability to operate dexterously, through the incorporation of joint torque feedback, and safely, through the implementation of passive and …

Thermal Response Characterization And Low Fluid Velocity Measurements Using Specialized In-Situ Thermocouples Via The Loop Current Step Response Method, Alexander Hashem Hashemian

Masters Theses

In this study, a specialized balanced-leads thermocouple was developed to perform in-situ thermal response characterization via the LCSR test method. Thermal response characterization of installed thermocouples is essential in order to obtain accurate positional temperature data in rapid transient applications. An analytical model is presented that fully describes the thermocouple system based on a first-principles approach to the heat transfer physics of the sensor. In conjunction with the LCSR test, the full model presented yields quantifiable characterization parameters useful for determining accurate positional temperature data. It is necessary to employ a balanced-leads thermocouple for this experimental procedure in order to …