Michel M. Maharbiz (Advisor)

The combination of mobility with wireless networks greatly expands the application space of both robots and distributed sensor networks; such a pervasive system can enable seamless integration between the digital and physical worlds. However, there are a number of issues in both robotic and wireless sensor network (WSN) fields that demand research, and their integration generates further challenges.

A fundamental open problem in robotic systems is the issue of self-contained localization. Especially difficult when considering small scale flying robots, the ability to determine one'...

The field of lab-on-a-chip offers exciting new capabilities for chemical and biological assays, including increased automation, higher throughput, heightened sensitivity of detection, and reduced sample and reagent usage. This area of study has seen remarkable progress in the last decade, with applications ranging from drug development to point-of-care diagnostics. The research presented herein focuses on the development of semiconductor-based optoelectrowetting (OEW) and optoelectronic tweezers (OET) platforms, which can respectively perform operations on droplets and cells/...