Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Utah State University

Anette E Hosoi

Youzhi Liang

Karl D Iagnemma

Regan Andrew Zane

Alexander H Slocum

Julio C Guerrero

Amos Greene Winter, V

Brian Chan

Michael Evzelman

Alexander Joshua Wiens

Qing Zhang

Jose R Alvarado

Irmgard Bischofberger

Tianshi Fang

Yongbin Sun

Matthew F Demers

A microfluidic pumping system configured to prevent backflow from an outlet of the system toward an inlet of the system. The microfluidic pumping system comprising a gear housing that has an inlet and an outlet and that houses a drive gear, an idler gear and a drive shaft. The system further includes a front end plate that is coupled to a first surface of the gear housing and a rear end plate that is coupled to a second, different surface of the gear housing. Also coupled to the gear housing is a first and second Halbach magnet arrays that is disposed between the front end plate and the rear end plate. The first and second Halbach magnet arrays include one or more solenoids and the first Halbach magnet array is disposed proximate to the drive gear and the second Halbach magnet array is disposed proximate to the idler gear.

Adaptive self-sealing microfluidic gear pump

Underwater robotic systems are disclosed. In some instances, a robotic system may include a body, a flexible fin, and a rotatable mass associated with the body such that angular acceleration of the rotatable mass causes a reaction torque that rotates the body to deform the flexible fin to create thrust in water.

Actuation system for swimming robots

The systems and methods described herein are directed towards a solid state pumping system that utilizes an electric field applied across a channel formed within the solid state pump to move electro-rheological (ER) fluid from an inlet fluidly coupled to a first end of the channel to an outlet fluidly coupled to a second end of the channel. The solid state pumping system may include first, second and third plate with the second plate disposed between the first and third plate. The second plate may include a channel having first and second circuits coupled to opposing sides of the channel. In an embodiment, in response to a voltage applied thereto, the first and second circuits can provide an electric field voltage across the channel such that in response to the electric field voltage the ER fluid moves from the first end to the second end of the channel.

Solid state pump using electro-rheological fluid

A method or corresponding apparatus in an example embodiment of the present invention relates to penetrating a particulate substrate using a compact, low-energy, reversible, and dynamic device for burrowing through particulate substrates. In one preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes at least one vessel and a displacement module coupled with the vessel. The actuation of the displacement module fluidizes the particulate substrate proximate to the vessel and thereby reduces resistance of the particulate substrate to movement of the vessel and causes further penetration of the apparatus through the particulate substrate. The example embodiment utilizes volume contraction and localized fluidizing to move through substrates.

Method and apparatus for penetrating particulate substrates

A self-propelled mechanical crawler adapted to move on a medium. One example of such a crawler includes a foot, a wave generator adapted to drive a periodic wave in the foot, and a wave transfer mechanism coupled between the wave generator and the foot. The wave transfer mechanism may be adapted to translate the periodic wave produced by the wave generator into a corresponding periodic deformation in the foot so as to generate forces in the medium to propel the crawler.

Mechanical crawler

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Anette E Hosoi