IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Central New England Chapter Presents Precision Mechatronics: From Wafer Steppers to Flying Broomsticks by David L. Trumper, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Wellesley High School 50 Rice St Wellesley, MA Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Informal Discussion: 6:00 PM Program: 6:30 PM ABSTRACT The speaker will give an overview of his research in precision mechatronics, with topics ranging from magnetically levitated stages for photolithography and scanned probe microscopy, to the online non-contact painting of broom handles (the flying broomsticks project). The presentation will focus on key design principles, with examples taken from operational devices. Photos and videos of functional machines will also be shown. The lithography stages use novel levitation linear motors which allow the control of both levitation and translation motions. Multiple such motors are combined to allow non-contact control of six stage degrees of freedom with nanometer resolution. Such levitation linear motors have also been used in the design of a stage for precision dimensional metrology with sub-nanometer resolution for measuring artifacts such as photo-masks used in semiconductor lithography. A second major topic is the design of fast tool servos for use in diamond turning of precision optics. Such fast tool servos can be used to manufacture parts, which lack symmetry, such as off-axis spheres and eyeglass lenses with toric corrections, and contoured surfaces such as are used in brightness enhancement films. A key idea here is the use of novel rotary fast tool servos, in which the diamond tool is mounted at the end of an arm. Rotation of the arm allows very high acceleration motions of the diamond tool, enabling high production speed. The final topic in the presentation is the use of magnetic suspensions to support a steel tube as it is painted. A factory using this principle was built by the company American Metal Handle, and used to produce painted broom handles in a continuous online process. The presentation highlights the significant challenges associated with levitation and control of long flexible structures, and will show the novel distributed sensing and actuation techniques, which we developed to allow robust suspension of such flexible structures. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY David L. Trumper joined the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering in August 1993, and currently is an Associate Professor. He received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from MIT in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, in 1980, 1984, and 1990, respectively. Following the Bachelor's degree, Professor Trumper worked two years for the Hewlett-Packard Co. After finishing the Master's degree, he worked for two years for the Waters Chromatography Division of Millipore. Upon completing the Ph.D. degree, for three years he was an Assistant Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, working within the precision engineering group. Professor Trumper's research centers on the design of precision electromechanical systems with a specialization in mechatronics, precision motion control, high-performance manufacturing equipment, and magnetic suspensions and bearings. He is a member of the IEEE, ASME, ASPE, and JSPE, is an Associate Editor of Precision Engineering, and is a corresponding member of CIRP. MEETING INFORMATION The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society will meet on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 at Wellesley High School at 6:00 PM for informal discussions and for the formal presentation between 6:30 and 7:30 PM. The group will have a no-host dinner afterwards at Bertucci's, where more conversations can take place with the guest speaker. The meetings are open to the general public, and all are welcome at the dinner afterwards. For more information, contact Rich Maynard at 978-439-5511 x6221 or check the Chapter email address: info@robotics-boston.org DIRECTIONS From Route 128, take either Route 9 or Route 16 west. From the junction of Routes 9 and 16, follow Route 16 (Washington Street) west past the Wellesley Hills commuter rail station (within walking distance of the school, then turn left onto Rice Street. Wellesley High School is on the left. Parking is available in a lot just beyond the school. For a web map showing the location of Wellesley High School, go to the Yahoo map site at http://maps.yahoo.com/ and enter the following information in the indicated locations: Address: 50 Rice St City, State or ZIP: Wellesley, MA The star marker is misplaced slightly to the south. Imagine it about 1 cm toward the top of the map at Rice St. For more information about our Section and Chapter, visit our web site at our new registered domain URL http://www.robotics-boston.org/