Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)

Research Advised by Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister

Pister Group:  List of Projects | List of Researchers

An SOI Process for Integrated Solar Power, Circuitry and Actuators for Autonomous Microelectromechanical Systems

Colby Bellew
Albert P. Pisano
2002

A new process has been developed for fabricating integrated, solar-powered microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The process provides for the fabrication of high voltage solar cell arrays, high aspect ratio electrostatic actuators and high voltage switches which can be controlled with a low voltage input. To demonstrate the capabilities of this process, an electrostatic actuator was operated with power provided by an on-chip solar array and controlled with an on-chip power switch.

One of the primary challenges in creating a successful...

A High-Density Carbon Fiber Neural Recording Array Technology: Design, Fabrication, Assembly, and Validation

Travis Massey
Michel M. Maharbiz
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Michael R. DeWeese
2018
Increasingly advanced tools are desired for understanding electrical activity in the brain, whether for basic neuroscience or clinically relevant brain-machine interfaces. Among the many classes of tools available, intracortical neural recording electrodes have the potential advantage of both high spatial and temporal resolution, and depending on the device can be suitable for either acute or chronic applications. To achieve the breadth of desirable characteristics for an acute neural recording array, including minimal...

Filip Maksimovic

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2018

Joseph Greenspun

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2018

Daniel Drew

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2018

Daniel Contreras

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2018

Walking Silicon: Actuators and Legs for Small-Scale Terrestrial Robots

Daniel Contreras
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Michel M. Maharbiz
Liwei Lin
2018

This dissertation presents work on components and actuators for silicon-based walking centimeter-scale robots. The focus on this work was on the actuators used to drive these robots and the linkages that make the basic structure of the robot leg.

Pin-joints are used as the basic unit of the leg linkages. The pin-joints were tested in terms of robustness and demonstrated high maximum tensile loads of over 5mN and compressive loads in excess of 100mN.

Electrostatic inchworm motors were the...

Brad Wheeler

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2019

Low Power, Crystal-Free Design for Monolithic Receivers

Brad Wheeler
Kristofer S.J. Pister
Ali M. Niknejad
Steven D. Glaser
2019

Predictions of the proliferation of hundreds of billions of connected wireless devices have yet to come true. The economics of such deployments becoming feasible require that current wireless modules become smaller, cheaper, and use less power. A typical wireless device combines a RF System-on-Chip with multiple frequency references, passive components, anantenna, and a battery on a printed circuit board. The Single Chip Mote project aims toreduce the size, weight, power, and cost of these devices by eliminating the off...

Alyssa Zhou

Alumni
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor Michel M. Maharbiz (Advisor)
Professor Kristofer S.J. Pister (Advisor)
Ph.D. 2020