Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for February
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AME Seminar
Wed, Feb 08, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Leonardo Zepeda-Núñez, Senior Research Scientist Google Research and Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics University of Wisconsin-Madison
Talk Title: Dynamical Weighs: Learning Smooth Latent-Dynamics for Advection-Dominated Systems via Consistency-Constrained Hyper-Networks
Abstract: We present a data-driven, space-time continuous framework to learn surrogate models for complex physical systems described by partial differential equations (PDEs). Our approach involves constructing hypernetwork-based latent dynamical models directly on the parameter space of a compact representation network specially tailored to the state space of the target system. The framework leverages the expressive power of the network with a specially designed consistency-inducing regularization to obtain latent trajectories that are both low-dimensional and smooth. These properties render our surrogate models highly efficient at inference time.
We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on advection-dominated systems. These systems have slow-decaying Kolmogorov n-widths that hinders standard methods, including reduced order modeling, from producing high-fidelity simulations at low cost. We show that our method is able to generate accurate multi-step rollout predictions at high efficiency, for several one- and two-dimensional PDEs. The resulting rollouts are shown to be stable and reflect statistics that are consistent with the ground truths.
Biography: Leonardo Zepeda-Nunez is a Senior Research Scientist at Google Research and an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has held postdoctoral positions at Lawrence Berkeley Lab and University of California, working with Lin Lin and Hongkai Zhao respectively. He received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from MIT in 2015 under the direction of Laurent Demanet, an M.Sc. from University of Paris VI in 2010, and a Diploma from Ãcole Polytechnique in 2009. His research emcompases scientific machine learning with applications to weather and climate, electronic structure computations, wave-based inverse problems, and fast PDE solvers for wave phenomena.
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98775609685?pwd=a2lSd01oY0o2KzA4VWphbGxjWk5Qdz09Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 102
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98775609685?pwd=a2lSd01oY0o2KzA4VWphbGxjWk5Qdz09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Feb 15, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Michelle C. Yuen , Harvard University
Talk Title: Soft robots enabled by functional materials
Abstract: Soft robots have the potential to extend the capabilities currently demonstrated within the field of robotics. By utilizing primarily soft materials in their construction, soft robots are inherently safe to operate around humans, can handle delicate tasks without advanced controls, and are robust to shocks and impacts during deployment. While proof-of-concept devices have been demonstrated, there remains a need for widely applicable, reliable soft robotic components.
In this talk, I will present my work on enabling technologies for soft robotic systems and, more broadly, deformable electromechanical systems. Specifically, I will discuss 1) high-deformation strain sensors for state reconstruction and closed-loop control of soft robots, 2) stretchable electronics fabricated using room-temperature liquid metals, and 3) responsive structures enabled by variable-stiffness materials that can switch reversibly from flexible to stiff. These devices rely upon functional materials -“ materials that have a useful, intrinsic property (e.g., conductivity, thermal-responsiveness) -“ that can be leveraged for robotic needs. Throughout this talk, I will be highlighting the need for co-developed design, materials selection, and manufacturing processes to produce reliable devices that can be fabricated at scale.
The work presented in this talk illustrates a path toward building deformable electromechanical systems that are adaptable and versatile by leveraging soft, functional multi-material systems.
Biography: Michelle C. Yuen is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the Harvard Microrobotics Lab. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 2018, following a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from University of California, Davis in 2013. During her Ph.D. studies, she worked on the design, materials, and manufacturing methods for soft robotic components and systems. She was then awarded a Research Associateship from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to work on next-generation stretchable electronic devices at the Air Force Research Laboratory. Currently, her work leverages her expertise in soft materials manipulation to building deployable inflated structures, soft actuators, and adhesion strategies for marine mammal tagging.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/95805178776?pwd=aEtTRnQ2MmJ6UWE4dk9UMG9GdENLQT09Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 102
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/95805178776?pwd=aEtTRnQ2MmJ6UWE4dk9UMG9GdENLQT09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Feb 22, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: David Doan, Stanford University
Talk Title: Strategies to Achieve Order: Colloidal Self-Assembly and Nano-Enhanced Additive Manufacturing
Abstract: Achieving order is key to the improvement of materials properties in applications such as mechanics, catalysis, and photonics. Colloidal self-assembly has been a field of interest due to its ability to manipulate nanoscale/microscale particles to create periodic structures. However, a challenge in this field is the ability to expand the possible phase space of crystal structures that can be formed. Here, we explore the fundamentals of shape- or entropy-driven self-assembly to achieve different types of order. I will discuss an experimental framework that allows us to fabricate particles of complex shapes using two-photon lithography and assemble them under a gravitational field. I will present experimental, analytical, and computational results for the self-assembly of truncated tetrahedrons on a 2D interface.
I will also present on enhancing mechanical properties through the addition of atomically precise nanoclusters in polymeric structures to create nanocomposites. This, in conjunction with two-photon lithography, allows us to fabricate strong but lightweight structures of arbitrary shapes. We show that these nanoclusters enhance the overall mechanical properties of the structure, above what is expected from simple composite theory.
Biography: David Doan is currently a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University under the supervision of Professor Wendy Gu, with a planned graduation in mid-2023. He received his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford and Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. He is an NSF Graduate Fellow and Questbridge Scholar. His current research focuses on the fundamentals of self-assembly and mechanics but eventually wants to develop more scalable fabrication techniques that connect the nanoscale to the macroscale.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98775609685?pwd=a2lSd01oY0o2KzA4VWphbGxjWk5Qdz09Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 102
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98775609685?pwd=a2lSd01oY0o2KzA4VWphbGxjWk5Qdz09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Mon, Feb 27, 2023 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Janet Ellzey, University of Texas at Austin
Talk Title: Humanitarian Engineering: Educating Bold, Responsible, and Innovative Leaders
Abstract: Humanitarian engineering, the application of engineering solutions to low-income or marginalized communities, is a growing field in the US and worldwide. Sometimes called development engineering, researchers and practitioners focus on culturally appropriate solutions for resource-constrained environments such as refugee camps or low-income communities. Engineering schools are increasingly recognizing the importance of training students in humanitarian engineering and are developing programs using different approaches, from student organizations to full degree programs. At the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Janet Ellzey has built an academic certificate that provides students with several pathways to use their engineering skills to positively impact the world, including a design and build program in which student teams partner with local communities and an innovation program to develop new technologies for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In this talk, Dr. Ellzey will discuss this exciting engineering field, describe the programs at UT-Austin with data on the diversity of students enrolled in the program, and present challenges and opportunities for universities wanting to enter this field.
Biography: Janet Ellzey is a professor of mechanical engineering and the Engineering Foundation Centennial Teaching Fellow in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She received her BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and her PhD from the University of California-Berkeley. After more than 30 years of conducting experimental and computational research in the field of combustion, she pivoted her career to focus on expanding unique educational opportunities for undergraduate students. Recognizing the enthusiasm that the current generation of students has for social justice, she launched a program in humanitarian engineering which she now directs. Through creative partnerships with local communities abroad as well as with major international organizations, she has developed a network to educate the next generation of leaders while positively impacting the world.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98775609685?pwd=a2lSd01oY0o2KzA4VWphbGxjWk5Qdz09Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 102
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/98775609685?pwd=a2lSd01oY0o2KzA4VWphbGxjWk5Qdz09
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
