MMDL research areas include mechatronics, precision design, smart materials, microelectromechanical systems and microfluidics. The research group is currently focused around the following themes:
- Design, fabrication and testing of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) with a focus on the development of sensors and actuators. Applications so far include adaptive optics, optical switches, and RF MEMS.
- Use of smart materials for the development of sensors and actuators and their integration into smart systems. This work has been mainly focused on the characterization of piezoceramics. Applications include switches, injectors, dispensers, valves, pumps, active vibration control using linearized actuators, chatter reduction.
- Design, fabrication and testing of precision positioning devices and linear motors offering nanometer precision. Applications include stages for microfabrication, robotics, biomedical testing and photonics.
- Design, fabrication and testing of microfluidic components and chips with a focus on digital microfluidics, and high accuracy (picoliter) dispensing. Applications include the development of a lab on a chip and microarraying.
The Mechatronics and Microsystems Design Laboratory houses a large selection of precision instrumentation and data acquisition systems as well as various modelling and analysis software packages.