Robots & Design

Design plays a fundamental role in engineering and how well its solutions can be implemented in the real world. Pablo Valdivia y Alvarado Ph.D.

Funding

Adaptation of batoid-fin technology to AUVs and its performance 

  • Project synopsis: Implementation of batoid-fin propulsion ideas on traditional autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) hulls to gauge their applicability or compatibility with current technologies and vehicles.
  • Funding Agency: DSO National Laboratories, Singapore.
  • Amount: SGD 200,000.00 (~$160,000.00)
  • Duration: 05/2014 – 05/2015
  • Role: Principal Investigator

Autonomous airway management (Phase 2)

  • Project synopsis: Development of a handheld  lightweight robotic system to autonomously or semi-autonomously perform endotracheal intubation on the battlefield. The system used a novel flexible tube manipulator to quickly and safely deploy inside a patient’s airway. The mechanism integrated force feedback and video-tracking for real-time active motion compensation and control.  The system also provided feedback to the operator for correct intubation and active liquid clearance.
  • Funding Agency: Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
  • Amount: $779,915.00
  • Duration: 11/2009 – 11/2011
  • Role: Principal Investigator

Actively Compliant Parallel End-Effector Mechanism for Medical Interventions

  • Project synopsis: Development of a proof-of-concept compact, lightweight, and highly compliant end-effector capable of supporting large motions with standard medical payloads and capable of switching to high stiffness modes for precision tasks.  The mechanism consisted of a non-ferrous cable driven parallel end effector with novel a tunable stiffness structure.
  • Funding Agency: Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
  • Amount: $99,999.00
  • Duration: 4/2010 – 11/2010
  • Role: Principal Investigator

Autonomous Airway Management (Phase 1)

  • Project synopsis: Development of a proof-of-concept of a mechanism to autonomously deploy an endotracheal tube through the trachea under austere conditions. The approach used a novel endotracheal tube feeding-flexing-retrieving mechanism integrated with force feedback and video-tracking capabilities for real-time active motion compensation and control based on a tracheal tissue deformation model.
  • Funding Agency: Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
  • Amount: $69,998.00
  • Duration: 2/2009 – 8/2009
  • Role: Principal Investigator

Robotic High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Manipulator System for Critical Systems Transport (CSTAT)

  • Project synopsis: Development of a tele-operated manipulator system compatible with the ARMY’s CSTAT. The 7 degree-of-freedom manipulator used series elastic actuators to ensure safe interaction with patients. The end-effector used doppler ultrasound for position feedback when applying HIFU to cauterize internal tissue and stop internal bleeding on emergency trauma patients.
  • Funding Agency: Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
  • Amount: $849,929.00
  • Duration: 8/2006 – 1/2009
  • Role: Principal Investigator

Robotic Mass Removal of Citrus Fruits

  • Project synopsis: Development of a system of inexpensive, disposable flexible robotic manipulators organized into a pneumatically actuated grid.  Multiple grids, each supporting 16 harvesting mechanisms were used simultaneously.  The picking mechanisms used sharp end effectors to strike the stem of a fruit and remove it from the tree.  Each grid of picking mechanisms also contained an array of color vision cameras used for visual guidance.
  • Funding Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • Amount: $80,000.00
  • Duration: 5/2008 – 12/2009
  • Role: Co-Author

I design simple and elegant mechanisms that exploit natural phenomena to achieve their function by drawing inspiration from nature and a deep understanding of the physics of a problem.