Shahrzad "Sherry" Towfighian | Source | Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Binghamton University, State Universit...
Shahrzad "Sherry" Towfighian
Towfighian’s research focuses on micro-electro-mechanical sensors/actuators (MEMS) and energy harvesting. Her research group develops mathematical models of electromechanical systems to simulate their behavior and to study the influence of parameters affecting their performance. She validates these mathematical models by making prototypes and characterizing their responses. The common theme in her research is energy conversion and dynamics of micro-scale devices. She is particularly interested in the application of dynamical systems in biomedical devices. Towfighian is a recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) awards. In her recently funded NSF project, Towfighian is creating self-powered shock sensors by combining generators and micro-actuators. This combination enables detecting a threshold force and responding by automatic opening of a micro-switch. This capability enhances the speed and reliability of airbag deployment devices. In a previous NSF project, Towfighian and her collaborator Miles explored a new way of capacitive sensing called repulsive sensors, which can revolutionize billions of miniature devices such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and MEMS microphones that suffer from instability, caused by electrostatic force. For her NIH grant, she investigates the self-powered load sensors for total knee replacements, which helps monitoring the joint health after replacement. This measurement system can be used as a self-awareness device to raise alert when certain activities occur that may damage the implant, thus it can prevent interventions.
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Binghamton University, State University of New York
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
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Binghamton Faculty Focus - Advanced Mechanical Energy Harvesters Will Power Smart Knee Replacements
Shahrzad "Sherry" Towfighian is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and is creating the next generation of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). These new systems are being developed with innovative technology that allows these MEMS devices to be self-powered, greatly enhancing their utility. Using this technology, Towfighian is helping to develop smart knee replacements that will provide valuable pressure-sensing data for patients and doctors. Faculty Profile: https://www.binghamton.edu/mechanical-engineering/people/profile.html?id=stowfigh See more Faculty Focus Videos: https://www.binghamton.edu/communications-and-marketing/media-public-relations/faculty-focus.html http://www.binghamton.edu
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MEMS devices are used everywhere. In the MEMS devices, one major challenge is the non-linearity in the system. For example, if you have a ruler, you want to have uniform spacing on the ruler; you don't want to have non-uniform spacing.
So we tried to create a mechanism that makes these MEMS devices linear, so that the performance is predictable and also better controllable.
