Maurizio Porfiri
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CAREER: Guidance and control of fish shoals using bio-mimetic robots:
We are developing a comprehensive dynamical systems framework for studying leadership effectiveness in fish shoals comprising live and bio-mimetic robotic fish. We are advancing behavioral models and mathematical methods for analysis and control of complex networks to understand and control the dynamics of fish shoals. We are developing miniaturized robotic fish using multifunctional sensors and actuators based on emerging smart materials. This research will be integrated with an innovative educational experience at the New York Aquarium for elementary, middle, and high school students.
This research is supported by the National Science Foundation. |
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Applying Mechatronics to Promote Science (AMPS):
AMPS is a collaborative relationship between Polytechnic Institute of New York University and six New York City middle schools involving professors, graduate Fellows, and middle school faculty.
An array of exciting activities will (1) engage middle school students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) studies through mechatronics-enabled science labs and robotics competitions; (2) entice students to pursue STEM education and careers; and (3) provide technology literacy and professional development to teachers.
AMPS will enrich graduate education of 9 Fellows, annually, by enabling them to seamlessly integrate their mechatronics and robotics focused education and research into middle school curriculum. Fellows will use mechatronics-enabled science labs and robotics-based lesson plans to engage middle school students in hands-on scientific explorations.
This research is conducted in conducted in collaboration with different faculty at Polytechnic Institute of New York University and is supported by the National Science Foundation. |
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Little eddies and small vibrations: untapped sources for energy harvesting in aquatic environments:
We are seeking to establish a fundamental understanding of the spectrum of energy scavenging modalities in marine environments towards the development of self-sustained multifunctional marine microsensors. We aim at exploiting ambient mechanical vibrations and coherent fluid flow structures for energy harvesting.
Practicality dictates that harvesters for underwater applications be lightweight, require small forces and low frequencies to elicit motion, produce sufficient electrical power to run a set of microdevices, and operate in wet conditions. Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMCs) meet all of these requirements and are thus selected for this study.
This research is conducted in collaboration with Sean D. Peterson and is supported by the National Science Foundation. |
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Shock and vibration modeling of marine composites:
We are investigating mechanical behavior of advanced marine composites under extreme loading conditions, such as underwater, in-air, and combined blast loading, vibrations, and impact. The effort entails the development of science-based mathematical models for advanced materials interacting with encompassing fluids, the experimental analysis of underwater vibrations of flexible structures, and the development of constitutive models for marine composites at high strain rates.
This research is conducted in collaboration with the Composite Materials and Mechanics Laboratory and is supported by the Office of Naval Research. |
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Citizen Science uncovers Brooklyn Atlantis: An inter-disciplinary exploration of the dynamics of networks of humans and machines in peer production settings:
We are seeking to lay the foundations for the analysis and design of peer production systems consisting of socially interacting volunteers and machines that jointly perform distributed tasks. The envisioned implementation targets the unique scientific and societal domain offered by cyber-enabled citizen science environmental control in the highly polluted Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The proposed "Brooklyn Atlantis" citizen science system consists of an array of mobile instrumented buoys for water monitoring with wireless capabilities, controlled by volunteers using a web-based peer-production system.
This research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Oded Nov and is supported by the National Science Foundation. |
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Collaborative research: Geometry of group behaviors with application to fish schooling:
We are testing the hypothesis that collective behavior is a manifestation of an inherently low-dimensional structure underlying the group motion. This project seeks to classify collective behaviors through the topological analysis of the corresponding manifolds and the study of measurable properties defined thereon. The project focuses on the fish schooling phenomenon in the universal animal model of zebrafish. Experiments and simulations will be synergistically integrated to produce a comprehensive dataset for validation of the proposed data-driven dynamical systems framework while contributing to mathematical modeling of biological groups.
This research is conducted in collaboration with Erik M. Bollt and is supported by the National Science Foundation. |
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Completed projects:
Smart material-based experimental platform for studies of free locomotion in fluids (2009-2012) - supported by the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
Modeling, design and testing of syntactic foam core sandwich structures for marine applications (2007-2011) - supported by the Office of Naval Research.
Development of a novel functionally gradient composite material (2007-2011) - supported by the National Science Founadtion.
Alternative methods for feeding sea animals (2007-2009) - supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society. |
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