The knife-edge method is a commonly used technique to characterize the optical profiles of laser beams or focused spots. In this paper, we present a micro knife-edge scanner fabricated in a silicon-on-insulator substrate using the micro-electromechanical-system technology. A photo detector can be fabricated in the device to allow further integration with on-chip signal conditioning circuitry. A...

This report deals with the field of micro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS. MEMS encompass the process-based technologies used to fabricate tiny integrated devices and/or systems that integrate functionalities from different physical domains into one device. Such devices are fabricated using a wide range of technologies, having in common the ability to create structures with microand even nan...

As one of variable valve timing (VVT) approaches, the electromechanical valve actuator (EMVA) uses solenoid to actuate valve movement independently for the application of internal combustion engine. This paper proposed an EMVA structure by incorporating the hybrid magneto-motive force (MMF) implementation in which the magnetic flux is combined by the coil excitation and permanent magnets. Makin...

We have developed and report on a simplified cardiopulmonary bypass technique for experiments on implantable ventricular assist devices in calves. We used an electromechanical implantable ventricular assist device with a double cylindrical cam in three calves. Cannulas for the ventricular assist system were designed to be inserted between the left atrium and the descending aorta. We used the ou...

We describe here a wearable, wireless, compact, and lightweight tactile display, able to mechanically stimulate the fingertip of users, so as to simulate contact with soft bodies in virtual environments. The device was based on dielectric elastomer actuators, as high-performance electromechanically active polymers. The actuator was arranged at the user's fingertip, integrated within a plastic c...

A 64 x 128 real-time infrared (RTIR) complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS)/ silicon-on-insulator (SOI) scene generation integrated circuit (IC) is described. The RTIR IC offers real-time dynamic thermal scene generation. This system is a mixed-mode design, with analog scene information written and stored into a thermal pixel array. The design uses micro-electromechanical sensors (MEMS) ...

This paper proposes a novel flexible piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasound transducer, which is based on PZT and a polyimide substrate. The transducer is made on the polyimide substrate and packaged with medical polydimethylsiloxane. Instead of etching the PZT ceramic, this paper proposes a method of putting diced PZT blocks into holes on the polyimide which are pre-etched. The device works i...

The paper reviews quantum and classical effects which arise in physics of nanotube devices. Knowledge of nanotube electronic structure has been used for a calculation of quantum capacitance and quantum terms in van der Waals energy. Combining analytical theory and quantum mechanical micromodels I worked out a description for nanoelectromechanical devices, for example, electromechanical switch. ...

Electric variable transmission is a new electromechanical energy conversion device structure, which is especially suitable as the driving force distribution device for hybrid electric vehicles. This paper focuses on the power management strategy of hybrid electric vehicles based on an electric variable transmission, and a kind of hierarchical control ideology is proposed. The control strategy i...

On-chip sample processing is integral to the continued development of lab-on-a-chip devices for various applications. An active microfluidic mixer prototype is proposed using ionic electroactive polymer actuators (IEAPAs) as artificial cilia. A proof-of-concept experiment was performed in which the actuators were shown to produce localized flow pattern disruptions in the laminar flow regime. Su...