bfinio's blog

I work in the Microrobotics lab here at Harvard, where we focus on the construction of biomimetic insect-sized microrobots. Traditional machining techniques are insufficient to create parts on this small scale, so we utlize laser-machined composite materials (such as carbon fiber), which are relatively rigid, and thin polymer films, which are relatively flexible. These materials can be sandwiched together in sheets to create compliant flexure joints, analagous to macro-scale revolute joints.

• Amazon.com reviews 
• Content (by chapter):
• Stress
• Strain
• Mechanical Properties of Materials
• Axial Load
• Torsion
• Bending
• Transverse Shear
• Combined  Loadings
• Stress Transformation
• Strain Transformation
• Design of Beams and Shafts
• Deflections of Beams and Shafts
• Buckling of Columns
• Energy Methods

- I took one undergraduate classical Solid Mechanics course.

- Mechanical Engineering undergraduate degree (Bucknell University).

-Strengths - most of the concepts aren't new since they were introduced in undergrad solids. I've never used index notation before and it's been a long time since I took multivariable calc and diff eq. so my math is a little iffy.

-Microrobotics Lab (Woodgroup)

-Autonomous biomimetic microrobotics