Theory Archives | Paul Bupe, Jr

R&D Case Study: Developing the OptiGap Sensor System

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Update: You can follow the discussion of this article around the web on HN, Adafruit, Hackaday, and Hackster.io!

This article explores the research and development journey behind my new sensor system, OptiGap, a key component of my PhD research. I’m writing this in a storytelling format to offer insights into my decision-making process and the evolution leading to the final implementation. It should hopefully provide a glimpse into the sometimes-shrouded world of PhD research and may appeal to those curious about the process. For a deeper dive into technical specifics, simulations, and existing research on this subject, my dissertation is available online here.

Soldering to Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Wire is Really Hard

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Over the past couple of years we’ve been working on a rather cool new class of robots called Soft Curved Reconfigurable Anisotropic Mechanism(s), or SCRAM, under this National Science Foundation EFRI project. For my latest paper, Electronically Reconfigurable Virtual Joints by Shape Memory Alloy-Induced Buckling of Curved Sheets, I spent a lot of time working with shape memory alloy (SMA) wire while developing a SCRAM device. Much of this time was spent trying to figure out exactly how to solder to SMA wire, specifically a nickel (Ni) – titanium (Ti) alloy called nitinol. My conclusion after all that time? Soldering to SMA wire is really hard!

Indoor Localization – An Introduction

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Localization, in the context of robotics, is the process of determining the location of something within an environment. This article serves as a basic introduction to indoor localization, covering the commonly used techniques and technologies.