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Education

Ph.D.  Mechanical Engineering                                              University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2000

M.S. Mechanical Engineering                                                   University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 1994

B.S. Mechanical Engineering                                                 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1987

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Courses Taught

ELECT 341, Electrical and Mechanical Interface Devices, Engineering science and application of sensors, actuators, control circuits and state space control systems.  Includes introduction to PLC programming and PC based data acquisition and control.  Lab based hands on experiences and student small team projects.

MECH 290, Mechanics of Materials I, Introduction to solid mechanics.

MECH 332, Mechanical Design, An upper level engineering science and application course for mechanical design concentration of the Engineering Technology program, in this course students learn the application of engineering science to the design of common machine components.

MECH 337, Mechanical Design Drafting, A capstone design experience course where students utilize combined skills learned in prior coursework to complete a team design project.

MECH 392, Mechanics of Machinery I, Engineering science course involving the study of force-motion relationships and machinery applications.

MECH 393, Mechanics of Machinery II, Engineering design application of dynamics to design, synthesis, analysis, iteration, and prototype of complex motion planar mechanisms and three dimensional applications.

MECH 449, Coop/Education Experience, Mentoring of students through the cooperative education experience.

MECH 499, Independent Study, Several sections taught with topics including Advanced Dynamics, Design of Mechanical Systems, Design of PC Based Control Systems.

MFGE 106, Impacts of Engineering Design, A general education technology course in which societal and technical aspects of technological advances are examined.

MFGE 293, Engineering Mechanics, An engineering science course covering topics and applications of statics and dynamics.

MFGE 405, Capstone I Concurrent Design, A senior level course for MFGE program, where team projects are used to teach the modern industry process of concurrent product and process design.

RD-100, Introduction to Engineering Technology, Overview of program plans, college success, and careers available for program graduates.

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Research Interests

Haptic Interfaces for Virtual and Physical Teleoperation            This research involves the design, development and evaluation of robotic human-computer interface devices through which human movement is used to control the remote pointer, and the contact forces of the remote pointer are reflected back to the human operator, through the haptic interface.  One key contribution in this area is the use of decoupled actuation and alternating position/force control to achieve more realistic touch sensations simulating contact with rigid surfaces.

Applied Mechanical Design and Development                                    In this research, I work with entrepreneurs and companies to assist in the product realization of conceptual ideas.   Ideally projects will involve student teams to assist in the development of prototypes and documentation.  Some recent projects include:  design of an ice resistant boat dock, design of a compact fishing information device, concept design of an automated food processing work cell, modification of a laser leveling device mounting system to improve low volume manufacturing competitiveness.  I have also worked in the area of loading dock equipment design, with emphasis on dock leveling devices and vehicle restraints.

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Professional Organizations

American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 17 years 

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Industry Background

Project Manager Research and Development, Rite Hite Corporation, 1990-1999 

President, Advanced Power Systems, Inc., 1989-1990

Mechanical Engineer, Turbine Consultants, Inc., 1987-1989

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Publications

Recent Papers

2001, Design and Control of a Force-Reflecting Haptic Interface for Teleoperational Grasping, accepted by ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, in press.

2000, DECAFF: Experimental Study on Human Haptic Perception, 2000 ASME International Congress and Exposition, Orlando FL, November 2000.

1999, Design of a Multi-Finger Haptic Interface for Teleoperational Grasping, 1999 ASME International Congress and Exposition, Nashville, TN, November 1999.

1999, A New Method for Design and Control of Haptic Interfaces for Display of Rigid Surfaces, 1999 ASME International Congress and Exposition, Nashville, TN, November 1999.

1998, A Novel Design Methodology for High Performance Drive Screw Actuators, ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, Volume 120, Number 1, pp 80-83, March 1998.

1997, Haptic Feedback for Virtual Reality Computer-Aided-Design, 1997 ASME International Congress and Exposition, Dallas, TX, November 1997.

1996, State-of-the-Art Virtual Reality Hardware for Computer-Aided-Design, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Volume 7, page 457-465, December 1996.

1996, Overcoming Critical Speed Limitations in Drive Screw Systems, Presented at the 1996 ASME International Congress and Exposition, Atlanta, GA, November 1996..

1996, Virtual Reality Hardware Devices for Computer-Aided-Design, Presented at the UIC/Argonne Lab Virtual Reality Workshop, Chicago, IL.

 Patents

2001, Self-Unlatching Dock Leveler Lip With Damped Descent, U. S. Patent 6,311,352 B1

2001, Safety Leg System for Dock Leveler, U. S. Patent No. 6,276,016

2001, Vehicle Restraining Device, U. S. Patent No. 6,238,163

2000, Manually Positioned Wheel Chocking Apparatus, U. S. Patent No. 6,092,970

2000, Vehicle Restraint and Improvements, U. S. Patent No. 6,010,297

1998, Wheel Activated Vehicle Restraint System, U.S. Patent No. 5,762,459

1996, Vehicle Restraining Device, U.S. Patent No. 5,582,498

1996, Drive Screw System with Nested Mobile Supports, U.S. Patent No. 5,531,557

1996, Vehicle Activated Safety Leg Control System for a Dock Leveler, U.S. Patent No. 5,440,772

1995, Vehicle Restraining Device, U.S. Patent No. 5,375,965

1995, Lip Extension and Control Device for Dock Levelers, U.S. Patent No. 5,323,503

1994, Dock Leveler with an Improved Automatic Material Handling Vehicle Barrier, U.S. Patent No. 5,311,628

1994, Releasable Locking Device, U.S. Patent No. 5,297,921

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Technical Requirements and Student Support

Contact me for content related questions and ASK 5000 for questions related to your browser, operating system, email, etc. Stout students may download software at from the Stout Downloads page.

Check out these two excellent sources for software, plug-ins and other online information:

• Student Support Document
• Technical Requirements