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GRASP on Robotics: Jing Xiao, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, “Perception-Action Synergy in Uncertain Environments”

Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101), Levine Hall 3330 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Many robotic applications require a robot to operate in an environment with unknowns or uncertainty, at least initially, before it gathers enough information about the environment. In such a case, a robot must rely on sensing and perception to feel its way around. Moreover, it has to couple sensing/perception and motion synergistically in real time, […]

ESE Spring Seminar – “End-to-end Learning for Robust Decision Making”

Heilmeier Hall (Room 100), Towne Building 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Because the physical world is complex, ambiguous, and unpredictable, autonomous agents must be engineered to exhibit a human-level degree of flexibility and generality — far beyond what we are capable of explicitly programming. Achieving such rich and intricate decision making requires rethinking the foundations of intelligence across all stages of the autonomous learning lifecycle. In […]

PICS Colloquium “The Dynamics of Gas-Particle Partitioning: Insights from Laboratory, Field, and Modeling studies”

Zoom - email kathom@seas.upenn.edu

Abstract: Ultrafine aerosols can significantly influence Earth’s climate if they are able to grow to sizes large enough to interact with the incoming solar radiation and nucleate cloud droplets. In clear air, aerosol growth occurs via gas-to-particle conversion of condensable trace gases, including sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, ammonia, and myriad oxidation products of […]

MEAM Ph.D. Thesis Defense: “Relationships Between Structure, Dynamics, and Flow in Sheared Amorphous Materials”

Zoom - Email MEAM for Link peterlit@seas.upenn.edu

Amorphous solids, those composed of haphazardly arranged constituents, are found everywhere from our windows as silicate glass, in the ground and foundations as mud and concrete, and our grocery stores as granular piles of oranges. Even though they can be found over a huge range of length scales, it remains a challenge to systematically design […]

PSOC@Penn Seminar: Morgan Huse, PhD

Raisler Lounge (Room 225), Towne Building 220 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Physical Sciences in Oncology Center PSOC@Penn Spring 2022 Hybrid-Seminar Series Towne 225 / Raisler Lounge @ Noon (EST) For Zoom link , please contact manu@seas.upenn.edu

CBE PhD Dissertation Defense | “Understanding the relationship between clot contraction and platelet biology under hemodynamic conditions”

Greenberg Lounge (Room 114), Skirkanich Hall 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Abstract:  "As thrombosis proceeds, platelets in a clot can expose phosphatidylserine (PS), providing a negatively charged surface for thrombin generation. These PS+ platelets have been shown to sort to the perimeter of platelet masses via platelet contraction. However, it remains unclear how thrombin and fibrin affect PS+ platelet sorting within a clot. We used an […]

CBE PhD Dissertation Defense | “The role of clot structure and mechanics on hemodynamics and pharmacology”

Greenberg Lounge (Room 114), Skirkanich Hall 210 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Abstract:  "Hemostatic clots have a core/shell hierarchy comprised of a P-selectin positive core surrounded by a P-selectin negative shell. A new human blood microfluidic assay utilizing a 2-stage assay was developed to interrogate core/shell mechanics. By first perfusing whole blood over a collagen/TF surface and then swapping out the blood for buffer, we were able […]

MEAM Seminar: “The Statistical Mechanics of Granular Clogging”

Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101), Levine Hall 3330 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States

The gravity-driven flow of grains from a hole in a hopper is an iconic granular phenomenon. It’s different from a fluid in that the rate is independent of fill height, and more spectacularly so in that it can suddenly and unexpectedly clog. How does the susceptibility to clogging decrease with increasing hole size, and is […]

MEAM Ph.D. Thesis Defense: “Metal and Air Generate Power for Robots”

Zoom - Email MEAM for Link peterlit@seas.upenn.edu

In many cases, the size and weight of energy storage technologies required to power robotic systems are too large or massive for a robot to carry, leading to limited operational times and long recharging times over which the robot remains unused. Computer-free autonomous decision making based on environmental cues provides exciting alternatives to classic control […]

MEAM Ph.D. Thesis Defense: “Mechanical Properties of Fibrous Network Materials”

Zoom - Email MEAM for Link peterlit@seas.upenn.edu

We discuss mechanical behavior of specific fibrous network materials, including the evolution of tension in fibrin clots, compression of pulmonary emboli, and fracture of Whatman filter paper. The first material, fibrin clots, consist of random networks of fibrin fibers. When clots form by polymerization they develop tensile pre-stresses. We construct a mathematical model for the […]