Research
Hope students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members, striving to answer novel research questions in a variety of engineering fields.
Impact-Loaded Structures
Dr. Veldman’s research seeks to understand how thin-walled metallic structures respond to high
impact loading. Finite element analyses are first used to predict the response of
a clamped structure to a projectile impact. Then these results are validated through
direct comparison with laboratory experiments.
Nerve Stimulation for Phantom Limb Pain
Dr. Polasek and her students are working toward designing a non-invasive, home-based therapy
for treating phantom limb pain using electrical stimulation. In particular, better
methods to activate nerves from the surface of the skin are being developed. Computer
models are used to make initial predictions of effective electrode locations that
are then tested on people with and without amputated limbs.
Responsive Material Systems
Photomechanical materials are specialized materials that convert light energy to mechanical
work. Dr. Smith’s research group works on developing photomechanical materials that
can be easily shaped or printed into engineered device components. This interdisciplinary
project combines optical and mechanical testing, computer simulation and chemical
synthesis.
Tetrahedral Walker Robotics Technology
Dr. Abrahantes and his students focus on developing a robotic system that can easily
travel over rough terrain. The robot design is based on shape-changing geometry with
trusses that lengthen and shorten, thus allowing it to move through a tumbling motion.
To enable fluid movement, this project focuses on intensive computational modeling
and development of control strategies for the robot and pairs this with experimental
validation.
Structural Monitoring of Civil Infrastructure
Civil infrastructure is highly exposed to the environment and also can be subject
to degradation due to normal everyday use. Dr. Peckens’ research team seeks to understand how these loads impact such structures over extended
periods of time. Wireless sensor nodes are developed in the laboratory and used to
monitor structures for fatigue and degradation. Data collected from the monitoring
is analyzed for trends and insight into the system behavior.
Physical Property Modeling from Equations of State
In chemical process design, engineers need general methods for predicting physical properties of various substances as both liquids and vapors. Chemical engineers commonly use cubic equations of state such as Soave-Redlich-Kwong and Peng-Robinson. Dr. Misovich's research team uses common equations of state to predict vapor-liquid phase equilibrium or Pressure-Volume-Temperature behavior and apply mathematical methods to generate data for physical properties from these equations.