Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Shikui Chen on “Design for Discovery: Structural Shape & Topology Optimization in the Age of 3D Printing”

On March 7, 2023, Dr. Shikui Chen discussed the challenges of, and opportunities for, optimal designs of structural shapes using topology optimization and geometric modeling. Dr. Chen established a level-set-based topology optimization framework.  He discussed how 2D to 3D designs allowed topology flexibility.  During the lecture, Dr. Chen also shared

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Dr. Ya Wang on Optically Chopped PIR Sensors for Occupancy Detection Research

On March 27, Dr. Ya Wang, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, presented her innovative research project on passive infrared (PIR) sensors.   PIR sensors currently used in buildings only detect moving objects. This detection may provide false negative detections resulting in inaccurate lighting, temperature swings, and waste of energy.

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