Seminar Title: Innovation and Adaptation in Design and Failure Analysis

Abstract: 
The design process is informed by a number of factors, not the least of which is an understanding of how and why components and systems fail.  The ability to rapidly test and evaluate failure mechanisms and processes can be critical to identifying and preventing root causes of failure.  Similar mechanisms can be applied to the design process to create a closed-loop feedback system that is capable of more rapidly converging on a desired final design state, even when presented with evolving design requirements and spaces.

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Daniel Kingsley’s research to date has focused on conceptualization, specification, and design of mechanical systems, specifically robotic systems and actuator design. Dr. Kingsley has twelve years of experience working with biologically-inspired/biomimetic robotics and novel actuation systems. In addition, he is experienced with a wide range of conventional and CNC fabrication processes, rapid prototyping (3D printing) processes, man-machine interface for robotic systems and functional human muscular-skeletal anatomy.  Dr. Kingsley has extensive experience in product design for military applications, with nearly two years spent in theater developing and supporting new technologies in close relation to warfighters.

Dr. Michelle Mancini’s expertise is in failure analysis and safety design reviews of electrical and electronic systems.  She has expertise in evaluating consumer products, electronic devices and household appliances for safety, which includes the analysis of lithium-ion batteries, protection circuitry, device construction and system functionality.  She has extensive experience with high-throughput testing of products for accelerated aging of electrical systems and components. Dr. Mancini has performed numerous on-site and laboratory fire investigations relating to both home and industrial incidents.  She has worked extensively on electrical testing and safety analysis of biomedical devices.  Her expertise includes the evaluation of medical devices for FDA compliance, magnetic resonance imaging compatibility and insurance code application.  Additionally, Dr. Mancini has expertise in performing due diligence investigations for assessing biomedical technology and intellectual property, including market and technology research into current wearable technologies.  Dr. Mancini completed her Ph.D. dissertation in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  In her graduate work, she applied her electrical engineering expertise to problems in neuroscience to greatly improve the selectivity and precision of neuronal stimulation.