Mechanical Engineering
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FALL 2015 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING A BIG YEAR FOR HAPTICS Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin host world conference, grow startup company f June’s World Haptics “This round of funding allows Tanvas to Conference was any indication, move from working on key engineering dis- coveries and building our patent portfolio,” more researchers are Peshkin said. “Now we are able to hire more getting in touch with touch. people, move toward products, and build relationships with consumer electronics IAnd mechanical engineering companies.” professors J. Edward Colgate and As their company gains momentum, Colgate and Peshkin, too, have had a Michael Peshkin are right at the successful year. In October, the pair forefront of the excitement. was inducted into the Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. In March, they were inducted into the National Colgate was the general co-chair of the Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election as largest conference in the event’s history. fellow to the NAI is a high professional Nearly 450 researchers and students distinction accorded to academic inventors from academia and industry crowded into who have demonstrated a prolific spirit Northwestern’s Norris University Center of innovation in creating or facilitating for a week of workshops, presentations, outstanding inventions that have made and hands-on demonstrations. All projects a tangible impact on the quality of life, revolved around haptics, a tactile feedback economic development, and the welfare technology that allows users to interact of society. with the digital world through touch. The team also made a fascinating One of the most popular tables during research discovery this winter that provides TOP: Michael Peshkin and Ed Colgate. the hands-on demonstrations was that insight into how the brain makes sense BELOW: Mondher Cherif, chief scientist of Tanvas, of Tanvas, a company founded by Colgate of data from fingers. Published in the explains the new haptics technology to guests at this year’s World Haptics Conference. and Peshkin. Tanvas, formerly known as Proceedings of the National Academy of Tangible Haptics, is developing a surface Sciences, the experiment presented two technology that allows users to feel what virtual bumps on a touchscreen, with the “By leveraging the virtual bump illusion, they see on their touchscreens. Attendees distance between them varying across we were able to design a meaningful lined up to try the device and marveled at trials, to subjects participating in the study. experiment that shed light on the way the the ability to feel bumps and textures on a When the bump and finger spacing were brain integrates information from multiple flat glass screen. identical, subjects reported feeling two fingers,” Colgate said. “Our big finding was Tanvas is already having a good year. The bumps as one. In this case, the brain thinks ‘collapse’ — the idea that separate bumps company recently received a $5 million invest- it is too coincidental that there should be felt in separate fingers are nonetheless ment from Chicago venture fund R7 Partners, two bumps at the same time, so it registers experienced as one bump if their separation trading firm Peak6, and Northwestern. the bumps as one. happens to match that of the fingers.” FROM THE CHAIR Institute, the Master of Science in a long and distinguished career Dear friends and colleagues, Engineering Design and Innovation with the Tribune Company, serving program, and Design for America as chairman and CEO. Stan’s euters recently ranked the myself) is being taken to the next (DFA). DFA, founded by Professor leadership and generosity led to the world’s most innovative uni- level by Marchuk and PhD student Liz Gerber, is now a network of 29 establishment of the Wilson-Cook Rversities, using a combination David Meyer, who ran a successful student-run design studios across Professorship in mechanical engi- of measures based on patents and Kickstarter campaign to develop the country. DFA held its annual neering and the gift that led to the research publications (“The World’s an inexpensive programmable Leadership Studio at Northwestern naming of the McCormick School of Most Innovative Universities,” oscilloscope and function generator in August, and more than 90 DFAers Engineering and Applied Science. www.reuters.com, September that uses the student’s laptop from 28 studios spent four days Stan was a gentleman, a leader, and 15, 2015). Northwestern ranked as a display, allowing electronics applying human-centered design a trusted adviser, and his impact number six. prototyping out of the lab (page 7). principles to help those touched by on Northwestern, Chicago, and the This led me to reflect on the ways The department’s leadership in Down syndrome. nation was enormous. mechanical engineering drives inno- innovative teaching was once again Two new campus-wide initiatives I am pleased to present this vation at Northwestern. Certainly recognized with the University’s originated from the department in newsletter highlighting some of there is the innovative research, most prestigious teaching award. In the past year: the Northwestern the recent innovations coming out patent licensing, and startups by May 2015, Professor Walter Herbst Initiative for Manufacturing Science of our department. Thank you for faculty in our department. This was awarded the Charles Deering and Innovation (page 6) and the taking the time to look through newsletter contains a sampling of McCormick Clinical Professorship Institute for Cellular Engineering it, and I wish you a healthy and the exciting new research coming in Teaching Excellence. Students Technologies (iCET). iCET, directed fruitful 2015–16. out of our department, including praised Walter’s positivity, his belief by Professor Horacio Espinosa, research that shows how to keep in their creativity, and the way he focuses on the creation of tools a surface dry underwater (page 4). inspires them to do more than for cell manipulation and analysis One of the promising new startups they thought possible. Including and combines our historic strength originating from research in our Professors Todd Murphey and in mechanics with emerging department is Tanvas, a company Neelesh Patankar (2014), our opportunities in medicine. led by Professors Ed Colgate and department received three of the In September we welcomed Michael Peshkin (page 1). ten Charles Deering McCormick our newest faculty member Mike Our faculty members are inno- Professorships awarded University- Rubenstein (below). We also vating in teaching, too. The portable wide in the past two years. mourned the passing of Stanton lab (“lab-in-a-backpack”) concept In addition to innovative teaching, Cook, Mechanical Engineering adopted by ME 233 Electronics mechanical engineering is leading Advisory Board member and Kevin Lynch Design (Peshkin) and ME 333 the way in teaching innovation. longtime friend and supporter of Chair and Professor of Introduction to Mechatronics Our faculty members play Northwestern. Stan was a graduate Mechanical Engineering (Professor Nick Marchuk and leadership roles in the Segal Design of our department and went on to Department Welcomes Rubenstein Mike Rubenstein joined the department in September n expert in swarm robotics, Mike with his custom-designed Kilobot robots Rubenstein joined the department has been featured in Science, BBC News, Athis September as an assistant Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, professor. He has a joint appointment with and NPR. Kilobots are now commercialized Northwestern’s Department of Electrical and being used by many other research Engineering and Computer Science. groups around the world, including two “I am excited to join Northwestern and groups with more than 900 robots each. collaborate with its strong robotics team This fall, Rubenstein is teaching a special to create the next generation of robot topics course called “Swarms and Multi- swarms,” Rubenstein said. robot Systems,” which surveys the state-of- Swarm robotics is the design and the-art in robotic swarms and challenges programming of simple robots to perform students to program swarm behaviors. complex, collective tasks—similar to ants Rubenstein is also developing low-cost working together to transport larger objects. robots designed for STEM education. Mike Rubenstein displays his 1,024-robot swarm. As a researcher at Harvard University, The inexpensive, easy-to-use robots are Rubenstein designed and built a 1,024-robot attractive for classrooms and have been won the affordable education robot design swarm, which is the first swarm of this scale. used by more than 300 students. For these challenge, sponsored by the African His work on controlling shape formation commercially available robots, Rubenstein Robotics Network. 2 Northwestern University • McCormick School of Engineering ROBOTICS MASTER’S STUDENTS COMPLETE FIRST YEAR The first cohort featured students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds he first Master of Science in Robotics class has successfully completed the one-year, inter disciplinary program, led by the Department of Mechanical TEngineering in cooperation with several other departments. The program, intended to prepare students with a variety of technical backgrounds for careers in robotics, allows students to participate in courses and research spanning mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. “We have a wide variety of academic backgrounds in the program, ranging from economics and psychology