Goals:
Design and implementation of microfabricated systems for engineering and healthcare applications, including microfluidic systems, optically controlled microrobots, and cell analysis technologies.
Key elements:
Microfabrication, microfluidics, microscopy, optical systems, image processing, machine learning, computer vision, path planning, feedback control systems
Research issues:
Our research group has developed optically controlled microrobots, which are tetherless sub-millimeter actuators. The microrobots can be used to move around objects that are less than a millimeter in size. These microrobots can be used to pattern cells in specific locations, which enables studies on cell-to-cell communications, and can give insight into treating various diseases. Videos of the UH microrobots in action can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/mnmlab
We are also working on various projects that utilize microfabricated devices and systems, including systems that can encapsulate single cells into droplets, deep learning systems for cell analysis, and others.
Meeting time:
Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 pm
Advisor(s):
Aaron Ohta
Partners and sponsors:
UH John. A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Foundation
Majors, preparation, interests:
EE, ME: Interest in microfabrication, microfluidics, optical systems
EE, CEng: Background/interest in programming, control systems, machine learning, AI, deep learning
BioE: Background/interest in cell manipulation, cell analysis
Contact information:
Aaron Ohta, aohta@hawaii.edu