News

Dr. Greg Agnes and Dr. Brian Trease from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California visited Brigham Young University to discuss the use of compliant mechanisms in space with the BYU CMR lab.

Two visiting scholars from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands recently visited BYU to conduct research on compliant mechanisms with the CMR. Nima Tolou and Pieter Pluimers began their study in September 2011 and returned in January 2012 and March 2012, respectively. Their research involved ground-breaking work in statically balanced compliant mechanisms, including microsystems fabricated using a carbon nanotube fabrication process.

Dr. Robert J. Lang visited the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research Group (CMR) on November 1 to discuss possible research collaboration in origami-inspired compliant mechanism design. He also presented as part of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar Lectures, where he displayed a mathematical approach to origami.

Three BYU Mechanical Engineering graduate students won first and second place in the 5th Annual Micro- and Nano-Systems Conference Photo Contest held as part of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences in Washington, D.C. August 28-31, 2011. Greg Teichert and Greg Holst won first place for their entry “Spatial MEMS Mechanism for Cell Restraint,” and Walter Fazio won second place for his entry “Carbon-Infiltrated Carbon Nanotube Cell Restraint Device.”

Student teams from BYU won several awards at the ASME Mechanisms & Robotics Conference in Washington, D.C., August 28-31, 2011.

As part of the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Seminar Lectures, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology, Dr. Pierre Larochelle presented his research in the synthesis and analysis of spherical and spatial robotic mechanical systems for motion generated tasks. Visiting BYU campus September 30th, he discussed his recent results and challenges in using computers to engineer robotic mechanical systems. His discussion involved two specific challenges that, if overcome, could transform the design of robotic mechanical systems.

Larry Howell, professor of mechanical engineering, spoke to students in a devotional address titled, “Faith: An Essential Principle of the Gospel.” Watch the talk now at http://www.byutv.org/watch/b2670564-e766-4c00-9f22-edda3e6078f1.

Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Larry Howell was a keynote speaker at the Second International Symposium on Compliant Mechanisms in Delft, The Netherlands, May 20, 2011.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Brian Jensen the CAREER award, an honor given to the most promising junior faculty in the nation who are recognized as outstanding teachers, scholars and researchers.

Three BYU Mechanical Engineering students have been awarded the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship. Among the awardees was Greg Teichert, a member of the BioMEMs research group. He received the prestigious awards after a rigorous selection process, and will benefit from a three-year annual stipend, a generous cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, and an international travel allowance, as well as the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited institution of graduate education he chooses.

Two students from BYU’s Mechanical Engineering Department made a clean sweep at the ASME Micro-and Nanosystems Photo Contest. Walter Fazio won 1st and 3rd places, and Greg Holst won 2nd place. The contest was held as part of the annual ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & International Conference on Micro- and Nanosystems held in Montreal, Canada, from August 15-18, 2010.

Professor Larry Howell received the Mechanisms & Robotics Award in the Design Engineering Division at the 2009 American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Design Engineering Conference (IDETC) held in San Diego, California. The Mechanisms & Robotics Award is given by the ASME Design Engineering Division to a scholar in this field for cumulative contributions to the field of mechanism design or theory. Having continued distinction in this field is a prerequisite to receiving this prestigious honor; receiving this award denotes a lifetime of achievement in design engineering.

Undergraduate student Sterling Anderson and ME Professor Dr. Brian Jensen received the "Compliant Mechanisms Award: Applications" in recognition of a prize winning paper. The award is presented annually to the authors of the best paper demonstrating an application of compliant mechanisms. The award was received at the ASME Mechanisms & Robotics Conference held in Brooklyn, New York, from August 4th-5th. This conference is the premier conference for work in compliant mechanisms, with papers from many researchers all over the world. This is the second year that BYU has won the award.

Eric Stratton, an MS student in the CMR won 2nd place in the ASME International Student Mechanisms and Robot Design Competition, Graduate Division with his entry entitled, "Posterior Compliant Load-sharing Spinal Implant." The competition involved contestants submitting their written reports to academic and industrial judges.

As part of an ongoing effort to encourage collaboration and cooperation in the field of compliant mechanism research, the Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) Lab invited Professor Mary Frecker of Penn State University to visit Brigham Young University. While at BYU on March 31, 2008, Professor Frecker presented information in morphing wing technology for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Morphing wings use compliant mechanism technology to change their size and shape. They enable the UAV to adapt during flight to meet changing requirements such as speed and distance capabilities.

On 25 February, 2008, Professor Katsuo Kurabayashi of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan visited the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) Lab. Several students and two professors made presentations on work being done in the fields of compliant mechanisms and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). After the presentations, Professor Kurabayashi shared information related to his current research.

On February 19, 2008, the National Science Foundation awarded the Compliant Mechanisms Research Lab a three-year research grant for developing a new class of mechanisms called "Lamina Emergent Mechanisms" (LEMs). LEMs are compliant mechanisms which are fabricated from one or more planar layers of material (lamina). When actuated, LEMs emerge from their initial planar state.

The International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, sponsored by ASME, were held the first week of September 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference is attended annually by approximately 1,000 engineers from the industry and academia. The CMR lab was represented at the conference by five ME professors and 15 students or recent graduates from the program. Students took part by presenting papers and participating in the ASME Mechanism Design Competition. The BYU team was excited to bring home three awards (see related stories).