A white paper on future NJIT research for the new president of NJIT from the NJIT Faculty Senate Research Committee

The NJIT Faculty Senate Committee on Research, Scholarship, and Creative Academic Activities (Research Committee) drafted a white paper on recommendations for Future NJIT Research that represents the consensus of the Research Committee. It was approved unanimously by the Faculty Senate and sent to the new president of NJIT. There are three main sections 1) Faculty Governance - where we recommend a) decentralizing both authority and responsibility in support of increased innovation and productivity based on Transparency, Communication, and Equity and b) eliminating the disconnect between the Institute’s vision and mission and the P&T process to strengthen interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research; 2) Graduate Students & Postdocs – where we recommend increasing the number of PhD students and postdoc researchers, and; 3) Resources – where we recommend enhancing and efficiently utilizing resources for research, including efficient allocation of space, TA lines, support staff, equipment, etc

A Magnetic-Field-Assisted Milli-Scale Robotic Assembly Machine: An Approach to Parallel Robotic Automation Systems

Utilizing large numbers of microrobots to heterogeneously integrate small devices to build advanced structures has long been a goal in the field of manufacturing automation. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel milli-scale robotic assembly machine with highly parallel capabilities and assisted with a programmable magnetic field. The prototype machine consists of a 16 × 16 array of electromagnets. Using this machine, we have successfully demonstrated the manipulation of up to nine milli-scale robots simultaneously. Moreover, two microrobots have been operated to demonstrate the proof of concept of two simultaneous pick-and-place light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The design and modeling of the microrobots is discussed

Energy Gap-Refractive Index Relations in Perovskites

In this study, the energy gap-refractive index relations of perovskites are examined in detail. In general, the properties of perovskites are dependent on the structural reorganization and covalent nature of their octahedral cages. Based on this notion, a simple relation governing the energy gap and the refractive index is proposed for perovskites. The results obtained with this relation are in good accord with the literature values and are consistent with some well-established relations

Additive Manufacturing of Sensors for Military Monitoring Applications

The US Department of Defense (DoD) realizes the many uses of additive manufacturing (AM) as it has become a common fabrication technique for an extensive range of engineering components in several industrial sectors. 3D Printed (3DP) sensor technology offers high-performance features as a way to track individual warfighters on the battlefield, offering protection from threats such as weaponized toxins, bacteria or virus, with real-time monitoring of physiological events, advanced diagnostics, and connected feedback. Maximum protection of the warfighter gives a distinct advantage over adversaries by providing an enhanced awareness of situational threats on the battle field. There is a need to further explore aspects of AM such as higher printing resolution and efficiency, with faster print times and higher performance, sensitivity and optimized fabrication to ensure that soldiers are more safe and lethal to win our nation’s wars and come home safely. A review and comparison of various 3DP techniques for sensor fabrication is presented