UWF professor awarded $196K NSF grant for robotics

University of West Florida Assistant Professor of electrical and computer engineering Dr. Minh Quang Ta has been awarded a $196,215 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop robotic technologies for manipulating biological cells and other microscopic objects with greater precision and dexterity. 

“The grant will strengthen robotics research at UWF and will enhance collaboration opportunities with researchers in biology, biomedical and marine sciences,” said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of UWF’s Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering.

Working with objects at the microscopic scale is challenging because they are extremely small, fragile and difficult to control using conventional robotic techniques. This project will investigate new robotic methods to enable more reliable and dexterous manipulation in microscopic environments. Working together as a robotic hand, multiple robotic micro-fingers that are optically actuated by laser beams will be designed to grasp, move, rotate and roll cells and other microscopic objects with greater precision.

Learning algorithms will also be developed to enable the robotic system to perform manipulation tasks with greater dexterity and flexibility. These capabilities could ultimately support advances in biomedical research, cell manipulation, lab-on-a-chip technologies, precision manufacturing and other applications that require precise interaction with microscopic objects.

“Manipulation at the microscopic scale presents many challenges that cannot be addressed simply by scaling down conventional robotic systems,” Ta said. “I am grateful for the support from the National Science Foundation and UWF, which gives us the opportunity to explore new approaches to these challenges and advance our research in robotic manipulation.”

The project will also provide research and training opportunities for UWF students in robotics, control and interdisciplinary engineering. Students will gain hands-on experience throughout the research process, from concept development to experimental studies.

For more information about the Dr. Muhammad Harunur Rashid Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, visit uwf.edu/ece. For more information on the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering, visit uwf.edu/hmcse.