Syncretizing Science and Art Into Ultra-Precision Machine Design

该研究奖为开发一套用于设计高精度挠性机构的工具提供资金。挠性机构是众多精密机械的核心部件，广泛应用于科学和工程领域。由于目前的方法不足以设计这类机器，本项目旨在开发运动学和机构学理论和计算工具，以分析复杂的挠性机构并根据规定的设计要求综合它们。工程师们宝贵的实际设计经验将通过一份经过仔细设计和分析的常用挠性元件、接头和积木的数字目录得到充分利用。这些理论、工具和设计目录将被整合到一个具有先进人机界面的专用计算机辅助设计程序中。如果成功，新的设计工具将显著加快设计进程，缩短研发周期，并导致更多高精度器件的创新，如纳米定向器、纳米操纵器、MEMS扫描镜。这些设备进一步使生物学、纳米技术、天文学等广泛领域的科学家能够更有效地探索未知世界。通过将研究成果纳入本科和研究生课程，我们希望用这种创新的设计工具培养下一代精密工程师。为了最大限度地发挥这项研究的影响，我们将通过(1)分发挠性设计软件和设计目录，(2)与国家实验室的科学家互动，以及(3)在国内和国际会议上组织研讨会，向工业界、学术界和公众传播研究成果。我们还将开发夏令营和互动虚拟现实演示项目，以推广K-12、预科新生和女性学生。

This research award provides funding for the development of a set of tools for designing high precision flexure mechanisms. Flexure mechanisms are the central part of numerous precision machinery that are used in a wide range of science and engineering applications. Since the current approaches are inadequate for designing these kinds of machines, this project aims to develop kinematic and mechanism theories and computational tools that analyze complex flexure mechanisms and synthesize ones for prescribed design requirements. The valuable practical design experience from engineers will be fully exploited via a digital catalogue of commonly used flexure elements, joints and building blocks that will be carefully designed and analyzed. These theories, tools and design catalogue will be integrated into a dedicated computer-aided design program with advanced human-computer-interfaces.If successful, the new design tools will significantly speed up the design process and shorten the research and development cycle and lead to innovation of many more highly precision devices such as nanopositioners, nanomanipulators, MEMS scanning mirrors. These devices further enable scientists in a wide range of fields such as biology, nanotechnology, astronomy explore the unknown world more efficiently. By bringing the research results into undergraduate and graduate curriculum, we hope to educate the next generation precision engineers with this innovative design tool. To maximize the impact of this research, we will disseminate the research results to industry, academia and general public by (1) distributing flexure design software and the design catalogue, (2) interacting with scientists in national labs, and (3) organizing workshops at national and international conferences. We will also develop a summer camp and interactive virtual reality demonstration programs to outreach k-12, pre-freshman and women students.