Engineering Commons^™

Solar Absorption Cooling Systems – A Case Study In Egypt, Hesham Safwat, Iman El-Mahallawi

Mechanical Engineering

Climate change with Egypt’s increasingly hot weather and plans towards energy transition, addressing an approach for clean HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition) solutions is becoming requisite. This paper examines the potential of utilizing solar absorption cooling systems in institutional buildings by presenting a case study of a proposed solar absorption cooling system for a library building with an area of 4402 m2, located at the British University in Egypt. The proposed solution is to replace 30% of the existing conventional air conditioning units with a hot-water driven single-effect absorption chiller powered by solar thermal vacuum tube solar collectors, coupled …

A Predictive Framework For Early Detection And Personalised Monitoring Of Parkinson’S Disease Using Artificial Intelligence And Large Language Models, Priyadharshini S

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a multifaceted and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that presents a spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective disease management and improved patient outcomes, yet remains clinically challenging due to symptom overlap and diagnostic limitations. This thesis proposes a comprehensive and interpretable artificial intelligence (AI)-driven diagnostic framework that aims to transform the early detection, personalised monitoring, and treatment recommendation process for PD. The proposed solution integrates deep learning, radiomics, evolutionary optimisation, and large language models (LLMs), ensuring a highly accurate and clinically adaptable system.

The research begins by analysing T2-weighted 3D …

Numerical Simulation Of Frost Formation And Heat Transfer On Fin-And-Tube Heat Exchangers In Turbulent Cross-Flow, Mahsan Farzaneh, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. Balachandar, S. A. Sherif

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Frost formation in fin-and-tube heat exchangers in turbulent cross-flow presents significant challenges in industrial refrigeration applications, affecting heat transfer efficiency and operational reliability. The purpose of this work is to investigate frost deposition and growth on a staggered bank of a fin-and-tube freezer coil under turbulent forced convection conditions. The focus here is on investigating conditions that closely replicate real-world scenarios in large walk-in industrial freezers. Using a direct numerical simulation approach, we examine the flow dynamics and thermal behaviour in the presence of frost, considering turbulent regimes characterized by a Reynolds number in the range 1050≤𝑅⁢𝑒𝐷,avg≤4800, with the characteristic …

Predicting Sleep And Sleep Stage In Children Using Actigraphy And Heartrate Via A Long Short-Term Memory Deep Learning Algorithm: A Performance Evaluation, Robert Weaver Med, Phd, James White, Olivia Finnegan, Hongpeng Yang, Zifei Zhong, Keagan Kiely, Catherine Jones, Yan Tong, Srihari Nelakuditi, Rahul Ghosal, David E. Brown, Russell R. Pate Ph.D., Gregory J. Welk, Massimiliano De Zambotti, Yuan Wang, Sarah Burkart, Elizabeth L. Adams Phd, Bridget Armstrong, Michael Beets Med, Mph, Phd

Faculty Publications

Children's ambulatory sleep is commonly measured via actigraphy. However, traditional actigraphy measured sleep (e.g., Sadeh algorithm) struggles to predict wake (i.e., specificity, values typically < 70) and cannot predict sleep stages. Long short-term memory (LSTM) is a machine learning algorithm that may address these deficiencies. This study evaluated the agreement of LSTM sleep estimates from actigraphy and heartrate (HR) data with polysomnography (PSG). Children (N = 238, 5–12 years,52.8% male, 50% Black 31.9% White) participated in an overnight laboratory polysomnography. Participants were referred be-cause of suspected sleep disruptions. Children wore an ActiGraph GT9X accelerometer and two of three consumer wearables(i.e., Apple Watch Series 7, Fitbit Sense, Garmin Vivoactive 4) on their non-dominant wrist during the polysomnogram. LSTM estimated sleep versus wake and sleep stage (wake, not-REM, REM) using raw actigraphy and HR data for each 30-s epoch. Logistic regression and random forest were also estimated as a benchmark for performance with which to compare the LSTM results. A 10-fold cross-validation technique was employed, and confusion matrices were constructed. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to assess the agreement between research-grade and consumer wearables with the criterion polysomnography. For sleep versus wake classification, LSTM outperformed logistic regression and random forest with accuracy ranging from 94.1to 95.1, sensitivity ranging from 94.9 to 95.9 across different devices, and specificity ranging from 84.5 to 89.6. The addition of HR improved the prediction of sleep stages but not binary sleep versus wake. LSTM is promising for predicting sleep and sleep staging from actigraphy data, and HR may improve sleep stage prediction.

Stokes-Dependent Droplet Collection Efficiency On A Naca 0012 Airfoil From Droplet-Informed Simulations With Statistical Overloading, Arash Shad, Hashnayne Ahmed, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. Balachandar, S. A. Sherif

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate modelling of ice accretion on aircraft wings requires analysing droplet impingement on the surface to optimize the design of ice-protection systems. We perform Euler–Lagrange simulations of a droplet-laden flow impinging on a NACA 0012 airfoil. Our study includes water droplets with eight discrete sizes ranging from 1 to 160 microns. We vary the free-stream velocity of the incoming airflow in the range 60≤⁢𝑈≤⁢240 m s−1 and the chord length of the airfoil in the range 0.5≤⁢𝑐≤⁢2 m. Due to the dilute nature of supercooled clouds, one-way coupling is used in the simulations. The effects of droplet breakup and collision …

A Rigorous Framework For An Improved Messinger/Myers Model Of Ice Accretion Under Conditions Of Variable Property And Unsteady Aircraft Icing, Hashnayne Ahmed, Arash Shad, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. A. Sherif, S. Balachandar

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

We analyse the Messinger/Myers model by critically evaluating simplifying assumptions through a rigorous formulation of the rime ice accretion process. We explore the effects of both constant and variable ice density and thermal conductivity, along with the effects of sublimation from the ice surface. The effects of key factors such as droplet impact rate, ambient temperature relative to the freezing temperature and the temperature difference between the ambient air and the airfoil surface are examined. Under these varying conditions, the present rigorous formulation is used to assess the significance of unsteady effects, variable ice properties and sublimation. We observe that …

Decision Analysis Data Model For Digital Engineering Decision Management, Gregory S. Parnell, C. Robert Kenley, Devon Clark, Jared Smith, Frank Salvatore, Chiemeke Nwobodo, Sheena Davis

Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Decision management is the systems engineering life cycle process for making program/system decisions. The purpose of the decision management process is: "& mldr;to provide a structured, analytical framework for objectively identifying, characterizing and evaluating a set of alternatives for a decision at any point in the life cycle and select the most beneficial course of action". Systems engineers and systems analysts need to inform decisions in a digital engineering environment. This paper describes a Decision Analysis Data Model (DADM) developed in model-based systems engineering software to provide the process, methods, models, and data to support decision management. DADM can support …

An Acoustofluidic Device For Sample Preparation And Detection Of Small Extracellular Vesicles, Jessica F. Liu, Jianping Xia, Joseph Rich, Shuaiguo Zhao, Kaichun Yang, Brandon Lu, Ying Chen, Tiffany Wen Ye, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as powerful vectors for liquid biopsy, offering a noninvasive window into the dynamic physiological and pathological states of the body. However, to fully leverage the clinical potential of sEV biomarkers, it is imperative to develop robust and efficient technologies for their isolation and analysis. In this study, we introduce a novel sharp-edge acoustofluidic platform designed for rapid and effective sample preparation, coupled with sensitive detection of specific sEV populations based on their surface markers. Our approach utilizes acoustically activated sharp-edge microstructures to concentrate bead-bound sEVs within the microfluidic device, facilitating immediate visualization by fluorescence …

The Reactivation Of Moucharaby As Light Ornaments Through Digital Design, Noha Gamal Said, Amal Abu Daya

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Ornaments are considered essential part of architecture, contributing to the atmosphere and sense of place through its diverse visual effects. The Moucharaby is one of the traditional architectural elements that requires technical, professional, and artisanal knowledge to exist. It is closely related to light, affecting the privacy of the space and controlling the movement of the eye. Despite the disappearance of both elements: ornaments and Moucharaby from the modern architectural scene, the recent sustainability trends, parametric design, and modern technologies offer an opportunity to revive these elements. The article describes the experiential methodology of an intensive workshop that took place …

Fresh And Mechanical Properties Of Self-Compacting Concrete Using Kaolin Limestone Blend And Hybrid Slag Blend, Selesca Devi S

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the consequences of mono and hybrid natural fibers on the mechanical and fresh properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC), in response to the growing demand for environmentally friendly building materials. In mono fiber, Abaca fiber (AF) at 0.25% and 0.5% dosage, basalt fiber (BF) from 0.25% to 2% at 0.25% increments, and sisal fiber (SiF) from 0.25% to 1.5% at 0.25% increments were evaluated through slump flow diameter, T500, compressive and tensile strength. AF at 0.25% ensured good flow with 6.6% and 4.16% higher compressive and tensile strength over 0.5% AF. SiF up to 1% improved strength but …

Mode Engineering And Functional Enhancement In Piezoelectric-On-Silicon Mems Resonators With Magnetic Field Sensing Applications, Ugur Guneroglu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation significantly advances the field of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) resonators by exploring novel post-fabrication tuning techniques, electrode configuration effects, and innovative sensor applications for thin-film piezoelectric-on-silicon (TPoS) resonator devices. Driven by the increasing demand for tunable, high-precision and robust MEMS resonators in radio frequency (RF) applications such as sensing, timing, and filtering, this research aim to provide foundational knowledge and practical solutions for overcoming existing technological limitations. The dissertation is organized into three main research thrusts, each addressing critical challenges and opportunities in the design, fabrication, and application of TPoS MEMS resonators.

The first research thrust investigates an innovative …

Bonding Ss316l And In625 Through Laser Powder Bed Fusion And Directed Energy Deposition: A Comparative Tensile Analysis, Christopher J. Bettencourt, Nadia Kouraytem

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Directed Energy Deposition (DED) was used to deposit Inconel 625 (IN625) onto 316L stainless steel (SS316L) substrates fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion. Tensile properties of the resulting multi-material specimens were compared to those of the individual alloys. Two bonding approaches were evaluated: a direct transition and a 50/50 intermediate layer formed by blending equal parts of each alloy during deposition. The multi-material specimens demonstrated higher yield strength than the single alloys. However, samples with the 50/50 transition exhibited brittle failure at the joint, whereas the direct transition behaved more ductile. Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed microcracks at the interface of …

Security Analysis Of Encrypted Mempool, Prabal Das

Master’s Dissertations

With the rapid growth of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), the challenge of Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) has become increasingly significant-particularly on Ethereum. MEV allows malicious actors to manipulate transaction order within blocks, enabling exploitative strategies such as frontrunning and sandwich attacks. In response, recent research has proposed encrypted mempools, which conceal trans- action content until after ordering is finalized, thereby reducing the exploitable surface for MEV. This thesis investigates encrypted mempool, specifically the Shutter protocol, a threshold encryption-based approach designed to mitigate MEV by hiding transac- tion contents during the mempool phase. We analyze its core architecture, under- lying cryptographic mechanisms, …

Towards The Wearable Cardiorespiratory Sensors For Aerospace Applications, Chandan Sheikder

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

In safety-critical aviation operations, adaptive Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) rely on accurate physiological monitoring to mitigate cognitive overload. While cardiorespiratory sensors are promising for real-time cognitive workload assessment, existing studies lack rigorous validation of consumer-grade devices in high-stress aviation contexts and fail to address measurement uncertainty propagation. This study evaluates the Zephyr BioHarness, a commercial wearable sensor, against clinical-grade equipment during arithmetic tasks simulating aviation cognitive demands. By integrating a neuro-fuzzy system with uncertainty propagation methods, we quantify the reliability of heart rate (HR) and breathing rate (BR) metrics for workload estimation. Results demonstrate moderate HR accuracy (RMSE: 4.85 bpm, CC: …

Empowering Precision Forecasting: Self-Supervised Lstm For Hourly Pressure And Temperature Prediction, Anand Shankar, Deepak K. Singh, Mantosh Kumar, Pankaj Kumar, Pradhan Parth Sarthi

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The most important parts of any flight are landing and takeoff, and an aircraft's takeoff configuration must balance the regulated takeoff weight, runway length, and weather conditions to ensure a safe departure and arrival. In addition to runway length, wind, temperature, pressure, and visibility determine the total allowed takeoff weight and the economic viability of any trip. Thus, any meteorological office involved in flight planning and operation at any airport must accurately assess these factors, known as takeoff data. This research paper suggests multivariate self-supervised LSTM-based models to accurately predict the temperature and pressure (MSLP) of the takeoff data. The …

Identifying Individual Factors Which Impact Student Learning In A Desktop Flight Training Simulator, Tim Ryley, Guido Carim Junior, James Mcbroom, Elvira Marques, Chris Campbell, Nnenna Ike

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

With expected global growth in air transport demand and forecasted shortage of pilots, there is a need for faster and cheaper flight training. A range of protocols was used to assess factors such as student’s emotional state, adaptive performance, and situational awareness as possible predictors of flight performance based on the influence of these factors on student flight performance conducted using a Personal Computer-based Aviation Training Devices (PCATD). Factor analysis and regression models were used to identify how these factors related to student performance during a visual flight conducted using a desktop simulator and our findings demonstrated some influence of …

The State Of Uas Operations At Airports, A Perspective From Airport Managers, Damon Lercel, Sarah M. Hubbard

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

As the number of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) operating in our National Airspace System (NAS) increases, so do UAS operations near or at an airport. The accelerating technology in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and related business opportunities will only further increase UAS operations at airports. This continued growth in new UAS technologies and applications introduces new hazards and risks to the airport environment. This proliferation of UAS highlights the importance of airports developing a robust Safety Management System (SMS) that includes specific UAS risk mitigations. There is currently little empirical data regarding UAS traffic around airports and there is no …

Vibration-Based Detection For The Monitoring Of Neonatal Bcpap Respiratory Support To Minimize Duration Of Disconnections, Kaitlyn G. Calabresi, Meera R. Bhat, Lavinia L. Kong, Eli J. Foster, Jonathan Wang, Sangeeta Koilada, Angela Mak, Aastha Kapadia, Niam Mohseni, W. Keith Leung, Suneetha Desiraju, Constanza Miranda

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) is a minimally invasive respiratory support for neonates experiencing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). It exerts continuous, oscillatory air pressure to encourage lung function and development. Neonates’ movement may cause disconnections at the nasal interface. These disconnections are characterized by the cessation of bubbling at the bCPAP respiratory circuit output and frequently go unnoticed until hypoxia develops. Common Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) bCPAP systems lack a built-in alarm or accessory device to monitor for disconnections. As a result, nursing personnel must exercise extreme caution utilizing current bCPAP procedure. If a neonate is disconnected, it …

Advancing Eye-Gaze Writing Systems With Computer Vision, And Dynamic Text Suggestions, Walid Abdallah Shobaki

Theses and Dissertations

Eye gaze writing, a novel interaction modality, has the potential to revolutionize communication for individuals with limited mobility. In our research, we investigated the deep learning algorithms efficiency for real-time eye gaze writing. We have compared many algorithms' performance in many computer vision areas, such as object detection in which we used first YOLOv8, the second algorithm SSD, and the third algorithm is Faster R-CNN, the second computer vision area is the image segmentation in which we used DeepLab and U-Net, and the last computer vision area is self-supervised learning we have used SimCLR algorithm. By evaluating these models on …

Retrospective Study And Predictive Modeling Of The Impact Of Social Determinants Of Health On Sepsis Outcomes, Mwembezi Aaron Nyelele

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sepsis, a life-threatening organ failure caused by the body’s abnormal and harmful response to an infection, remains a major global and national health challenge. In the United States, it contributes significantly to hospital mortality and imposes a substantial economic burden, with billions spent annually on treatment. Early diagnosis is difficult due to the nonspecific nature of sepsis symptoms, often leading to delays in care and poorer outcomes. As the incidence and severity of sepsis rise, identifying factors that influence outcomes is increasingly critical. Emerging research has shown that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), including economic stability, education, neighborhood and built …

Towards Leveraging Social Media Data For Fostering Collaborations Among Non-Profits, Monazil Chowdhury

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations serve a crucial role in tackling a wide range of significant social, environmental, and economic issues. But it is often hard to get a clear picture of their work because their information is spread out and it is difficult to see how they are collaborating. To address this issue we developed a web-based tool to collect scattered data—from a variety of sources, such as the IRS, social media, and the Census, into one easy-to-use resource. The tool begins by taking IRS records and geocoding each nonprofit’s physical address With its coordinates. It then retrieves census tract information from …

Enhancing Winter Climate Simulations Of The Great Lakes: Insights From A New Coupled Lake–Ice–Atmosphere (Cliav1) System On The Importance Of Integrating 3d Hydrodynamics With A Regional Climate Model, Pengfei Xue, Chenfu Huang, Yafang Zhong, Michael Notaro, Miraj Kayastha, Xing Zhou, Chuyan Zhao, Christa Peters-Lidard, Carlos Cruz, Eric Kemp

Michigan Tech Publications

The Laurentian Great Lakes significantly influence the climate of the Midwest and Northeast United States due to their vast thermal inertia, moisture source potential, and complex heat and moisture flux dynamics. This study presents a newly developed coupled lake–ice–atmosphere (CLIAv1) modeling system for the Great Lakes by coupling the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Unified Weather Research and Forecasting (NU-WRF) regional climate model (RCM) with the three-dimensional (3D) Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) and investigates the impact of coupled dynamics on simulations of the Great Lakes’ winter climate. By integrating 3D lake hydrodynamics, CLIAv1 demonstrates superior performance in …

Digital Twins For Circular Economy Optimization: A Framework For Sustainable Engineering Systems, Shubham Gupta

Harrisburg University Other Works

This paper introduces sustainable engineering systems built using digital twin technology and circular economy principles. This research presents a framework for monitoring, modeling, and making decisions in real timusing virtual replicas of physical products, processes, and systems in product lifecycles. A digital twin was used to show that through a digital twin, waste was reduced by 27%, energy consumption was reduced by 32%, and the resource recovery rate increased to 45%. The proposed approach under the framework employs various machine learning algorithms, IoT sensor networks, and advanced data analytics to support closed-loop flows of materials. The results show how digital …

Aeroponic System Optimization For Butterhead Lettuce Growth And Future Sustainability Using Flow Blurring Atomization: An Overview, Taylor J. Johnson

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

The global population has grown by 6 billion people over the last century and is trending toward 9.7 billion people by the year 2050. Agriculture accounts for 70% of global fresh water usage. Technology must be developed to accommodate the increase of food production demanded by the growing global population and the subsequent increase in water usage. Aeroponic technology is a water-efficient vertical farming technology that can reduce water usage by 90% by suspending plant roots in air within a controlled chamber and supplying atomized droplets of a water-nutrient solution directly to the roots.

This study simultaneously tests six droplet …

Design & Development Of Efficient Biometric Authentication And Key Agreement Schemes For Wireless Body Area Network, Aarthi S

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) play a vital role in continuous health monitoring, where sensitive biometric and physiological data must be protected from privacy breaches and emerging quantum-based threats. Conventional security mechanisms are often inadequate due to resource constraints, scalability issues, and vulnerability to advanced attacks. To address these challenges, this research proposes a lightweight, scalable, and future-proof security framework tailored for WBAN applications, focusing on secure communication, privacy preservation, and quantum resilience.

An anonymous Certificate-Based Signcryption–Mutual Authentication and Key Agreement (CBS-MAKE) protocol is introduced to secure extra-body communications while ensuring patient anonymity. The protocol integrates Elliptic Curve Cryptography with …

Research On Node-Improved Energy Dissipation Wear Model For Fretting Fatigue Prediction In Railway Press-Fit Shaft, Hang Wang, Lijun Zhang, Weijian Zhang, Hongtao Li, Hong Chi, Kai Yang, Jixu Zhou, Li Ai

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

As a key component of the traveling system of high-speed trains, the axle is crucial for its safe operation. The current research on the fretting wear and fatigue development of shafts suffers from the problems of low local simulation accuracy of the wear model and the lack of detection and validation methods for the dynamic expansion of wear and fatigue. To this end, this study firstly proposes a new node-improved form of energy dissipation wear model, which is more sensitive to the contact behavior of the asperity body in the overfilled region and the energy transfer process; it exhibits wear …

Wind Tunnel Model Of The Jack Rabbit Ii Field Experiments In The Mock Urban Array: Part 2. Approach Wind Conditions And Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements Of Simulated Chlorine Releases, Paulo V. Lopez, Thomas O. Spicer, Chad T. Smith

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Jack Rabbit II (JR-II) Mock Urban Environment field test was reproduced in a 1:50 scale physical model in the wind tunnel at the Chemical Hazards Research Center of the University of Arkansas. The agreement of the approaching wind characteristics between field test and model was verified using 3D Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV). 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) tests were conducted in the model to obtain velocity measurements in the MUE. Velocity measurements taken before and during a simulated chlorine release were compared. PIV results show the general flow complexity in the last rows of the MUE and the impact …

Isolation Enhancement Based On Tm010 And Te30 Mode Characteristics In A Patch Antennas Using Genetic Algorithm Optimization For Ku-Band Applications, Muddineni Raveendra, U. Saravanakumar, P. Padmaloshani, P. Saam Prasanth Dheeraj, Anand Anbalagan, R. Sreelakshmy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper proposes a novel technique to enhance isolation in rectangular patch antennas by leveraging the mode characteristics of TM010 and TE30 to achieve better than −40 dB between the transmitter and receiver with dual‐polarization features. The primary innovation of this work lies in achieving significant isolation enhancement solely by combining two resonant modes with orthogonal polarizations, without incorporating any additional design elements such as parasitic components or decoupling structures. To validate the isolation enhancement based on these mode characteristics, a pair of rectangular transmitter and receiver patch antennas was designed to operate in the frequency range from 14 to …

Theoretical And Experimental Investigation Of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation: Characterizing Elastin-Like-Polypeptides, Adam D. Quintana

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

This dissertation develops and validates a semi-empirical Flory–Huggins-based interaction model, combined with Cahn–Hilliard simulations, for predicting multi-component liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) in elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) systems. Equilibrium droplet compositions, measured using a PDMS-based microfluidic device, enabled direct parameterization of interaction coefficients. The model was applied to generate phase diagrams and assess composition dependence in ternary mixtures. Cahn–Hilliard simulations were conducted to explore potential phase morphologies under different interfacial conditions. Multi-component Lattice Boltzmann simulations were implemented to model droplet morphology evolution under varying interfacial and diffusive parameters, reproducing experimentally relevant morphologies. A three-phase wetting study revealed conditions for selective wetting and …

The Design And Effect Of Continuum Robot Compliance On Locomotion, Parsa Molaei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Continuum robots, due to their compliant structures and ability to navigate through constrained environments, offer significant advantages in applications requiring safe physical interaction and dexterous motion. However, challenges related to limited structural stiffness, payload capacity, and precise control remain open problems in the field. This dissertation presents novel contributions aimed at addressing these limitations through two main actuation units of continuum robots: tendon-driven continuum robots (TDCRs) and concentric tube robots (CTRs). In the first part, we focus on methods to improve the stability and modify the stiffness of the TDCR. A tendon decoupling strategy is introduced for planar TDCRs. The …