University of Michigan

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Techno-sciences, Inc. (corporation)

Anupam Pathak

Diann Brei

Jonathan E Luntz

Nancy L Johnson

Alan L Browne

Paul W Alexander

Nilesh D Mankame

Xiujie Gao

Christopher Burton Churchill

Pablo D Zavattieri

John Andrew Shaw

Christopher Lavigna

Tian Shen

Sarah Napier

Rajiv Ghosh

Sei Jin Park

An apparatus for and method of conditioning a thermally activated shape memory alloy wire for use in an application, wherein the apparatus includes an adjustable hard-stop and the preferred method includes pre-determining a minimum activating current, allowable strain, and a loading magnitude and form based on the wire configuration and application, and further includes applying a double-exponential model to determine a final recoverable strain over fewer cycles.

Apparatus for and method of conditioning shape memory alloy wire

A handheld device for canceling unintentional muscle movement. The device includes a base comprising a handgrip for a user to hold, a gripping element linked to the base for releasably connecting the handheld device to an object, a sensor that detects movement of the base, a controller linked to the sensor, and at least one actuator that operates under control of the controller to cause movement of the gripping element in a direction that at least partially counteracts the detected movement of the base.

Tremor stabilizing system for handheld devices

In a self-contained actively-controlled stabilization system within a hand-grip, all components are contained within the handgrip, and one generic handgrip can be attached to a variety of devices for a wide range of applications, thereby increasing portability, reducing weight and bulkiness, and decreasing complexity and application dependence. The handgrip includes a sensor, a controller and an actuator which preferably employs at least one shape memory alloy wire. The actuator drives a platform mechanism which may be configured such that the elevation and azimuth degrees of freedom are coupled or uncoupled. Direct, rotational and other platform mechanisms may be used with the invention.

Stabilizing hand grip system

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Anupam Pathak