Research Interests

Structural mechanics, building design, robotics, and infrastructure sensing.

Educational Background

B.E. 1968, The Cooper Union
M.S. 1970, Lehigh University
Ph.D. 1972, Cambridge University

Research Activities

My research activities over the years started with earthquake response of structures, the economic losses associated with the performance of water and transportation systems following earthquakes, and earthquake-induced fire losses. I then studied the synthesis of structural systems in architecture, the behavior of historical masonry structures (vaults, arches, and domes), and tensegrity structures.

In the field of robotics I directed research on path planning, geometric reasoning, force-cognitive excavation, tools to find energy-optimal manipulator paths, control of manipulators with flexible links, and dynamically stable (balancing) robots. I also directed work that used spatial grammars in processing spatial constraints in robot task planning applied to coal mining, and rule-based programming applied in simulation and planning for robotized building construction.

Most recently I have been working on devices for civil infrastructure sensing, including MEMS ultrasonic phased arrays, MEMS transducers for acoustic emission testing, inductively-coupled wireless transducers, a microsensor to measure chloride concentration, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices for wireless chemical sensing, SAW devices for wireless strain sensing, SAW and bulk wave devices (combined with microfluidics) to separate microparticles and cells, and ultrasonic monitoring of piping systems under field conditions of operating and environmental variations.