Student News
Jumping Ahead Matthew Woodward Takes a Leap Forward in Robotics
Matthew Woodward
Doctoral candidate Matthew Woodward (M.S. 2010) has developed a miniature pro- totype robot that both jumps and glides. His robot is the first to incorporate two high-performance functions. Woodward began his innovative work as a masters student in a class taught by Professor Metin Sitti. His initial goal was to
add a jumping mode to a climbing robot. Woodward quickly became so intrigued by the advanced research taking place in the Nano-Robotics Lab at MechE that he stayed to earn his doctorate, with Sitti acting as advisor. Like Sitti, Woodward has relied on the natural world for inspiration. “Animals have, in many cases, developed strate- gies for integrating locomotion modes,” Woodward explains. “For example, the vampire bat uses its flying structure to actually jump. It can consume its own body weight and still jump off the ground high enough to get its wings open and fly away.” Woodward also noticed that insects’ jumping legs and birds’ flying wings have almost identical components, except
for the small intercon- nections. “I started thinking about not what a structure does—but
what it could do,” he says. “Birds could potentially jump, with some small design changes. Because I’m an engineer, I can make those changes.” Woodward’s vision resulted in a three-inch robot with eight-inch flying legs that can currently jump 20 feet and glide back down. He’s looking forward to getting his creation “up and jumping” outdoors this year for testing and refinement. Possible applications for the relatively inexpensive robot might include interplanetary exploration, search and rescue missions, general environmental studies, and surveillance. Woodward, a Santa Barbara native, came to MechE largely for its interdisciplinary capabilities. “I chose Carnegie Mel- lon because of the close collaboration between the Robotics Institute and the Department of Mechanical Engineering,” Woodward notes. “I originally came thinking I’d only be here a year. Now I’m staying four or five.”•
SAE Race Team Cooks Up Philanthropy “Racing Against Hunger” Raised Awareness and Sparked Donations
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arnegie Mellon’s Society of Automotive Engi- neering (SAE) Race Team participated in the national USA Weekend’s “Make A Difference Day” on October 21, 2011, by collecting food and donat- ing a self-published cookbook to the Greater Pitts- burgh Community Food Bank. The charitable event, held in the Scaife Hall Garden, featured a racing demo of the SAE team car and a bagpipe parade. MechE students Hugh Ross and Mike Ornstein
were among those who helped create the event, dubbed “Racing Against Hunger,” to help raise awareness of hunger and malnutrition. In addition to food donations, team members presented Food Bank officials with a unique cookbook called What’s Cookin’: Engineering One- Dish, No-Fuss Meals.
The team also enlisted the help of the H.J. Heinz Company, which donated bottles of its famed Heinz 57 sauce. “We are so very pleased that Heinz helped us, because our team
14 CARNEGIE MECH
car this year drew the competitive racing number 57,” says Adjunct Faculty John Wiss. Other food contributors included the Oakmont Bakery, the Frick Park Market in Point Breeze, and Ruggeri’s Deli in Squirrel Hill. In recognition of their efforts, the SAE Race Team won a 2011 Communitas Award. The annual Com- munitas Awards are an outgrowth of the pro bono recognition program of the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). Founded in 1995, AMCP fosters and supports the efforts of its members who contribute their unique marketing and commu- nication talents to public service and charitable organizations. Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank CEO Jermaine Husser notes that the SAE students were able to energize the entire University community with their creativity and drive. “Their action to help others is the real hope for the future of this region and this nation,” Husser says.•
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