Category Archives: Outreach

TECH TOUR DAY TWO: A TOUR DE FORCE AT MICHIGAN TECH

Matt Roush of the Engineering Society of Detroit visited NAS Lab as part of his Tech Tour: 

Mahmoudian’s Nonlinear and Autonomous Systems Laboratory was established in 2011, when she got to Michigan Tech. It’s researching the use of robots for novel applications, such as restoring power to areas devastated by natural disasters. “We’re seeking solutions for the effective use of robots in complex environments like disaster relief, where it’s not easy to predict what’s going to happen,” she said. “We’re developing robots and software to bring down costs, increase endurance and increase efficiency.”

Included are unique underwater gliders that don’t have propellers. Instead, they’re propelled by water — tiny battery-power motors pull water in and push it out, and the “wings” on the glider make it rise and fall as it’s pushed through the water. The lab has received funds from the Office of Naval Research to develop a fleet of the underwater gliders for a variety of applications.

And it’s working on a fleet of land-based robots to help deploy a microgrid for cell towers or a field hospital after a disaster. Mahmoudian is also involved in Michigan Tech’s summer programs for middle school and high school students, who build simple gliders and test them in the lab.

Full Story: http://technologycentury.com/2014/11/02/tech-tour-day-two-a-tour-de-force-at-michigan-tech/

Lake Superior Water Festival

Water Fesitval 2013

“High school students from the five western UP counties will spend today at Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center, learning about the Great Lakes, water research and careers they might consider in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Water Festival is sponsored by the Western UP Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education, based at Michigan Tech….”

Assistant Professor Nina Mahmoudian and her NASlab team introduced GUPPIE and ROUGHIE underwater swimmers.

Full Story: http://blogs.mtu.edu/greatlakes/2013/10/2013-lake-superior-water-festival/

Tech Students Help Patients in India Get a Leg Up

India Knee Project

“Assistant professors Mo Rastgaar and Nina Mahmoudian co-advised the team.

“We were impressed with the maturity and enthusiasm that the students showed throughout this process,” said Mahmoudian. “This wasn’t an easy design. The human factor and added challenge of working within cultural constraints took this project beyond a typical design….”

Full Story: http://www.mtu.edu/news/stories/2013/june/story91339.html

Lake Superior Water Festival at Great Lakes Research Center

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“The Water Festival enthralled 1,019 students in grades 4-8 classes from Houghton (Grades. 6-8), Hancock (Gr. 8), Calumet (Grades 4, 5, 8), Lake Linden-Hubbell (Grades 4, 8), Dollar Bay (Grades 4-6, 8), Jeffers (Gr. 7), Stanton Twp. (Gr. 4-8), and Ewen-Trout Creek (Gr. 4-6) schools, in addition to triggering excitement amongst their teachers and the parent chaperones who accompanied them.”

GUPPIE: An autonomous underwater swimmer
Students will learn about underwater gliders, the simple physics behind the vehicles’ locomotion, and their applications. GUPPIE will be presented in action to the students and the role of itscomponents explained. Students will then try to design and deploy their own underwater vehicle.

Dr. Nina Mahmoudian, Dept of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Byrel Mitchell and Eric Wilkening, MTU Students,Dept of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. Location: 204 GLRC

Full Story: http://www.wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/water_festival/water_festival/index.html

News Announcement: http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/previous.php?issue=20121002