Microdevices & Micromechanics Lab

Discover Our Focus

Micro-devices & Micromechanics Laboratory

The Microdevices and Micromechanics Laboratory is a multidisciplinary research and teaching facility at ODU. Our research group focuses on developing microfluidic-based tactile sensors and investigating biomedical and robotics applications of the developed tactile sensors. By using both analytical and experimental approaches, we aim to tackle technical issues associated with different applications of tactile sensors, facilitate their biomedical and robotics applications, and consequently advance our understanding of biology in the human body, including tissue mechanics and the cardiovascular system.

Our research interests are:

  • Microfluidic-based tactile sensors and their biomedical applications
  • Tissue mechanics: mechanical characterization of cartilage tissues
  • Arterial pulse signal measurements for non-invasively monitoring of the cardiovascular system
  • Tumor diagnosis: mechanical characterization of animal tumors
  • Tactile sensors and proprioceptive sensors for soft robotics

Explore Our Research

ODU's Hao and Beskok Win Conference Paper Award
Two Old Dominion University engineering faculty members were selected for the best paper award in their research division in the American Society of Mechanical Engineering 2012 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (More)

  1. Jiayue Shen, Mike Stacey and Zhili Hao, "A Distributed-Deflection Sensor with a Built-In Probe for Conformal Mechanical Measurements of Costal Cartilage at Its Exterior Surface," IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol.18, No. 2, January 2018, pp. 822-829.
  2. Dan Wang Jiayue Shen, Lanju Mei, Shizhi Qian, Jiang Li and Zhili Hao, "Performance Investigation of a Wearable Distributed-Deflection Sensor in Arterial Pulse Waveform Measurement," IEEE Sensors Journal, No. 99, May 2017, 10.1109/JSEN.2017.2704903.
  3. Yichao Yang, Siqi Guo and Zhili Hao, "Mechanical characterization of mouse mammary tumors via a 2D distributed-deflection sensor," IEEE Sensor Journal, Vol. 17, No. 3, February 2017, pp. 604-613.
  4. Jiayue Shen, Wenting Gu, Xavier-Lewis Palmer and, Zhili Hao, "Synchronized Heterogeneous Indentation Behavior of Viscoelastic Materials upon Macroscopic Compression via a Distributed-deflection Sensor," IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol. 15, November 2015, pp. 6524-6533.
  5. Wenting Gu, Peng Cheng, Arindam Ghosh, Yuxi Liao, Boxiong Liao, Ali Beskok and Zhili Hao "Detection of distributed static and dynamic loads with electrolyte-enabled distributed transducers in a polymer-based microfluidic device," Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Vol. 23, March 2013, 035015 (15pp), doi:10.1088/0960-1317/23/3/035015 (featured in IOPselect, included in MEMS and Microengineering for Life Science Applications feature collection by JMM in 2014).

Research Associate Professor Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics
Research Assoc Professor Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics

Probe Station

Image
Probe Station

Vacuum Pump and Vacuum Chamber

Image
Vacuum Pum and Vacuum Chamber

Wedge Bonder

Image
Wedge Bonder

Microfluidic Device

Image
Microfluidic Device

A 3-axis Micropositioner

Image
Wedge Bonder

Agilent Network Analyzer

Image
Agilent Network Analyzer