Chinedum Okwudire

Last updated
Chinedum (Chi) Okwudire
Okwudire-1-wiki.jpg
Born1980
Jos, Nigeria
Alma mater Middle East Technical University (B.Sc.)
University of British Columbia (MA.Sc., Ph.D.)
AwardsNational Science Foundation CAREER Award

International Symposium on Flexible Automation (ISFA) Young Investigator Award SAE Ralph Teetor Educational Award SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award ASME Best Conference Paper on Mechatronics Award Russell Severance Springer Visiting Professor at UC Berkeley Recognized by SME as one of the 25 Leaders Transforming Manufacturing

University of Michigan's Miller Faculty Scholar Award

Contents

Scientific career
FieldsManufacturing Automation, Control Engineering, Mechatronics
Institutions University of Michigan
Doctoral advisor Yusuf Altintas

Chinedum (Chi) Okwudire is a Nigerian-American mechanical engineer and a professor of Mechanical Engineering and Miller Faculty Scholar at the University of Michigan, where he directs the Smart and Sustainable Automation Research Lab. He is also the founder and chief technology officer of Ulendo Technologies, Inc. His research is in the area of manufacturing automation, control engineering, and mechatronics.

Education

Okwudire received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Middle East Technical University in 2003. Okwudire then completed his graduate studies at the University of British Columbia, earning a Masters of Applied Science in 2005 and a Ph.D. in 2009, both in Mechanical Engineering. Okwudire's doctoral thesis was on the modeling and control of feed drive systems for high-speed machine tools, using techniques such as finite element modeling and an adaptive sliding mode controller to improve feed drive servo bandwidth and disturbance rejection ability. [1]

Career and Research

After receiving his doctorate in 2009, Okwudire joined DMG Mori Seiki Co. in 2010 as a senior mechanical engineer and systems optimization team leader before joining the University of Michigan faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor. In 2017, he was promoted to the rank of associate professor, and in 2023 he was promoted to the rank of Full Professor at the University of Michigan. [2] He also served as the Associate Chair of Integrative Systems + Design (ISD) at the University of Michigan from 2019 to 2021. [2]

Okwudire's expertise lies in manufacturing automation, control engineering and mechatronics, with key applications to additive manufacturing (or 3-D printing), nano-positioning, machining, distributed manufacturing, and smart manufacturing systems. [2] He directs the Smart and Sustainable Automation Research Lab at the University of Michigan, which seeks to exploit knowledge at the intersection of machine design, control and computing to boost the performance of manufacturing automation systems at low cost. Okwudire is also the founder and chief technology officer of Ulendo Technologies, Inc., a company that develops advanced software solutions for manufacturing automation.

Okwudire's research at the University of Michigan and Ulendo Technologies, Inc. has played a critical role in the recent emergence of low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers capable of printing at much higher speeds than their predecessors [3] by using software driven vibration compensation to maintain high print quality. The importance of software driven vibration compensation as a tool for boosting FFF 3D printing speeds was originally popularized by research from the Smart and Sustainable Automation Research Lab at the University of Michigan in 2017. [4] [5] As the 3D printing community grappled with how to introduce vibration compensation to open-source firmware, in early 2020, [6] Okwudire encouraged members of the community on a public online forum to explore input shaping as a simpler alternative to the more-advanced FBS (filtered B-splines) approach that his research group had used in their 2017 research. [5] Then, in late 2020, the Klipper firmware team introduced input shaping into the world of open-source 3D printing firmware. [7] The Marlin firmware team has also introduced input shaping to its open-source firmware. [8] The underlying framework for many of the available input shaping algorithms currently available in Marlin is enabled by Fixed-Time Motion contributed to the Marlin open-source project by Ulendo Technologies, Inc. [9] [10]  Okwudire has shown through his research that the FBS algorithm produces better vibration compensation than input shaping because it eliminates vibration without causing corner rounding and other motion errors induced by input shaping. [5] [11] The FBS algorithm has been licensed from the University of Michigan by Ulendo Technologies, Inc., as part of its Ulendo VC suite of software for vibration compensation of 3D printers. [12] In recognition of the impact of his research and entrepreneurship in advancing 3D printing automation, in 2022 Okwudire was named by SME (formerly, the society of Manufacturing Engineers) as one of the 25 Leaders Transforming Manufacturing. [13] Okwudire and his research group have continued their work on developing new methods and algorithms for improving manufacturing automation, for example, their SmartScan algorithm for reducing residual stress and shape distortion in laser-based 3D printing of metals. [14] [15]

Okwudire is also a strong champion for diversity, equity and inclusion in the academe. In 2018, he and Professor Lola Eniola-Adefeso, co-established the NextProf Pathfinder Workshop, [16] [17] a future-faculty program specifically aimed at first- and second-year PhD students, rather than final year PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, as is typical in many other institutions. The goal of the Pathfinder workshop is to equip the attendees – mostly women and students from underrepresented groups – with the knowledge and skills needed to develop strong CVs, early in their PhD process, to make them competitive for faculty positions. The NextProf Pathfinder program has now expanded to include the University of California, San Diego and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Awards

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Control engineering</span> Engineering discipline that deals with control systems

Control engineering or control systems engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with control systems, applying control theory to design equipment and systems with desired behaviors in control environments. The discipline of controls overlaps and is usually taught along with electrical engineering, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering at many institutions around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mechanical engineering</span> Engineering discipline

Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems. It is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering branches.

Mechatronics engineering, also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and software engineering, and also includes a combination of robotics, computer science, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Michigan College of Engineering</span> Engineering school of the University of Michigan

The University of Michigan College of Engineering, branded as Michigan Engineering, is the engineering college of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Engineering has an enrollment of 7,133 undergraduate and 3,537 graduate students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manufacturing engineering</span> Branch of engineering

Manufacturing engineering or production engineering is a branch of professional engineering that shares many common concepts and ideas with other fields of engineering such as mechanical, chemical, electrical, and industrial engineering. Manufacturing engineering requires the ability to plan the practices of manufacturing; to research and to develop tools, processes, machines, and equipment; and to integrate the facilities and systems for producing quality products with the optimum expenditure of capital.

Behrokh Khoshnevis is the President and CEO of Contour Crafting Corporation and the Louise L. Dunn Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), where he has affiliations with the Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, Astronautics Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering and Industrial & Systems Engineering departments. He is the Director of the Center for Rapid Automated Fabrication Technologies (CRAFT) at USC. He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow Member of the National Academy of Inventors and is a Fellow of the American Society for the Advancement of Science. He is also a Fellow member of the Society for Computer Simulation International, a Fellow member of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineering and a Fellow member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He is also a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniela L. Rus</span> American computer scientist

Daniela L. Rus is a roboticist and computer scientist, Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), and the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the author of the books Computing the Future and The Heart and the Chip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hendrik Van Brussel</span> Belgian roboticist

Hendrik (Rik) Van Brussel is a Belgian emeritus professor of mechanical engineering of the KU Leuven, world-renowned for his research on robotics, mechatronics and holonic manufacturing systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fused filament fabrication</span> 3D printing process

Fused filament fabrication (FFF), also known as fused deposition modeling, or filament freeform fabrication, is a 3D printing process that uses a continuous filament of a thermoplastic material. Filament is fed from a large spool through a moving, heated printer extruder head, and is deposited on the growing work. The print head is moved under computer control to define the printed shape. Usually the head moves in two dimensions to deposit one horizontal plane, or layer, at a time; the work or the print head is then moved vertically by a small amount to begin a new layer. The speed of the extruder head may also be controlled to stop and start deposition and form an interrupted plane without stringing or dribbling between sections. "Fused filament fabrication" was coined by the members of the RepRap project to give an acronym (FFF) that would be legally unconstrained in its use.

MABEL is a robot engineered in 2009 by researchers at the University of Michigan, which is well known for being the world's fastest bipedal (two-legged) robot with knees. MABEL is able to reach speeds of up to 3.6 m/s (6.8 mph). The name MABEL is an acronym for Michigan Anthropomorphic Biped With Electronic Legs. The creators include J.W. Grizzle, Jonathan Hurst, Hae-Won Park, Koushil Sreenath, and Alireza Ramezani. MABEL weighs 143 pounds with most of its weight being in the top torso area. The legs contain large springs and are jointed to form knees. The robot is attached to a safety boom for lateral stability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smart manufacturing</span> Broad category of manufacturing

Smart manufacturing is a broad category of manufacturing that employs computer-integrated manufacturing, high levels of adaptability and rapid design changes, digital information technology, and more flexible technical workforce training. Other goals sometimes include fast changes in production levels based on demand, optimization of the supply chain, efficient production and recyclability. In this concept, as smart factory has interoperable systems, multi-scale dynamic modelling and simulation, intelligent automation, strong cyber security, and networked sensors.

Predictive engineering analytics (PEA) is a development approach for the manufacturing industry that helps with the design of complex products. It concerns the introduction of new software tools, the integration between those, and a refinement of simulation and testing processes to improve collaboration between analysis teams that handle different applications. This is combined with intelligent reporting and data analytics. The objective is to let simulation drive the design, to predict product behavior rather than to react on issues which may arise, and to install a process that lets design continue after product delivery.

NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology was established in 1985 and offers ABET and ATMAE accredited programs in engineering and engineering technology. The college offers degree programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, engineering technology, and industrial technology.

Panos Papalambros is a Greek American academic best known for his work on design optimization of products and complex systems, and for his leadership in advancing transformative engineering design research and education, including establishing Design Science as a rigorous scientific discipline. He is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he has been recognized as the James B. Angell Distinguished University Professor Emeritus and the Donald C. Graham Professor Emeritus of Engineering. He also served as Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning; Professor of Art and Design; and Professor and founding Chair of the Integrative Systems and Design Division, College of Engineering, at the University of Michigan. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Marlin is open source firmware originally designed for RepRap project FDM 3D printers using the Arduino platform.

Daniel J. Inman is an American mechanical engineer, Kelly Johnson Collegiate Professor and former Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Kon-Well Wang is an American academic and engineer, best known for his research work in structural dynamics, especially in the emerging field of adaptive structures & material systems, with applications in vibration & noise controls. acoustic & elastic wave tailoring, shape morphing & deployment, energy harvesting, structural health monitoring, and vehicle and robotic system dynamics. He is the A. Galip Ulsoy Distinguished University Professor of Engineering and the Stephen P. Timoshenko Professor of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at the University of Michigan (U-M).

Elizabeth A. Holm, Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Professor of Engineering, is chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan. Her research focus is computational materials. She worked at Sandia National Laboratories for 20 years before joining the faculty of Carnegie Mellon in 2012. She is a Fellow of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and Fellow of ASM International. She was the 2013 President of the society. She is internationally known for her theory and modeling work on microstructural response, interfaces, carbon nanotubes, and additive manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galip Ulsoy</span> Turkish American academic

Ali Galip Ulsoy is an academic at the University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor, where he is the C.D. Mote Jr. Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and the William Clay Ford Professor Emeritus of Manufacturing.

Carolyn Conner Seepersad is an American mechanical engineer, Woodruff Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, and editor-in-chief of the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design. Topics in her research include additive manufacturing, stereolithography, the integration of design simulation with rapid prototyping, and the use in vibration isolation and impact protection of 3d structures with unusual mechanical properties such as anisotropic or negative stiffness.

References

  1. ↑ Okwudire, Chinedum (2005). Finite element modeling of ballscrew feed drive systems for control purposes (Thesis). University of British Columbia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Chinedum Okwudire". Mechanical Engineering. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  3. ↑ "A New Batch of 3D Printers Can Print Models in Half the Time". Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World. 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  4. ↑ "University of Michigan professor doubles 3D printing speeds using vibration-mitigating algorithm". 3ders.org. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  5. 1 2 3 Duan, Molong; Yoon, Deokkyun; Okwudire, Chinedum E. (December 2018). "A limited-preview filtered B-spline approach to tracking control – With application to vibration-induced error compensation of a 3D printer". Mechatronics. 56: 287–296. doi:10.1016/j.mechatronics.2017.09.002. ISSN   0957-4158. S2CID   125236862.
  6. ↑ "[FR] (Practical algorithm provided) Vibration compensation · Issue #16531 · MarlinFirmware/Marlin". GitHub. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  7. ↑ "Releases - Klipper documentation". www.klipper3d.org. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  8. ↑ thinkyhead (2023-10-03). "Input Shaping". Marlin Firmware. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  9. ↑ thinkyhead (2023-10-03). "Fixed-Time Motion". Marlin Firmware. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  10. ↑ "Eliminating Ringing in 3D Prints: Ulendo's Innovative Software Solution « Fabbaloo". Fabbaloo. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  11. ↑ Okwudire, C.; Ramani, K.; Duan, M. (2016). "A trajectory optimization method for improved tracking of motion commands using CNC machines that experience unwanted vibration". CIRP Annals. 65 (1): 373–376. doi: 10.1016/j.cirp.2016.04.100 . ISSN   0007-8506.
  12. ↑ "Products". Ulendo Software. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  13. 1 2 Wolff, Ilene. "25 Leaders Transforming Manufacturing". www.sme.org. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  14. ↑ Ramani, Keval S.; He, Chuan; Tsai, Yueh-Lin; Okwudire, Chinedum E. (April 2022). "SmartScan: An intelligent scanning approach for uniform thermal distribution, reduced residual stresses and deformations in PBF additive manufacturing". Additive Manufacturing. 52: 102643. doi:10.1016/j.addma.2022.102643. ISSN   2214-8604. S2CID   246991618.
  15. ↑ "New 3D printing technique reduces part deformation". Materials Today. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  16. ↑ "NextProf Pathfinder". nextprofpathfinder.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  17. ↑ "Dr. Chinedum Okwudire Earns 2022 ISD Distinguished Faculty Award | Integrative Systems + Design | U-M". isd.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  18. ↑ "NSF Award Search: Award#1350202 - CAREER: Dynamically Adaptive Feed Drive Systems for Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing". nsf.gov. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  19. ↑ "Okwudire receives MLK Spirit Award | Mechanical Engineering". me.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  20. ↑ "Okwudire selected as 2018/2019 Russell Severance Springer Visiting Professor at UC Berkeley | Mechanical Engineering". me.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  21. ↑ "Six receive 2019 Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Awards | The University Record". record.umich.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  22. ↑ "Spring Awards Announcement – Mechanical Engineering". me.engin.umich.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.