Academic Papers
Below are papers written by me and papers written with my colleagues. If you would like to read them, please email me at tina.tinyan.li@gmail.com and I can email you a copy.
Detecting and Tracking of Dynamic Objects Using RGB-D and Computer Vision Applied to Probabilistic Robotics
Klaas Krutein, Ruchit Patel, Tina Li
December 2018
Professor Ashis Banerjee, University of Washington
ME 599: Advanced Robotics
In the field of mobile robots, a major obstacle is detecting and tracking moving objects (DATMO). This is of particular interest for autonomous robotic systems that do not just need to detect obstacles but to identify, track, and react based on what objects they are interacting with. This research presents a primitive approach to detect and track dynamic objects in an indoor environment for a static mobile robot that uses a particle filter and computer vision to estimate the state of the dynamic objects through a probabilistic approach. In addition, the research lays a foundation to assist in autonomous navigation in self-driving vehicles as detecting and tracking objects are essential in order for the vehicle to make safe decisions and traverse through busy environments.
Tail Stabilization of Single-Legged Jumping Robot
Xingjian Yang, Haonan Peng, Erik Sonnenberg, Vania Cheng, Tina Li
December 2018
Professor Sawyer Fuller, University of Washington
ME 586: Bio-Inspired Robots
Stabilization is needed for locomotion through all types of terrain, especially when jumping. For dynamic legged robots, the control of these robots is challenging due (a) under-actuation of the robot required by power-density (power per unit volume) constraints, (b) inertial coupling and Coriolis forces, (c) variable ground effects, and (d) hard-to-measure transitions. Because of these challenges, research has been done on developing locomotion platforms to couple the actuation affordances, or action possibilities offered to the robot from its environment, to particular DOFs at certain phases of the gait cycle.
This research aims to solve the control problem dealing with variable ground effects, or foot-terrain interaction. A simulation of a single legged robot through use of an actuated lever arm representative of a tail is developed. This will be modeled as a spring-mass damper system with a torque actuated tail that will be perturb through a compressed spring at an angle and simulating its trajectory and ability to stabilize itself. Four control strategies are examined. Model validation with a physical robot will be conducted on different terrains.
Ingestible Sensors
Tina Li
June 2018
Professor Jae-Hyun Chung, University of Washington
ME 567: Nano-Biosensors
A paper about the working principle, theory, fabrication methods, current applications and results, and evaluation for ingestible sensors.
Research Proposal: Using Ultrasound to Quantify Changes in Diabetic Plantar Soft Tissue
Tina Li
March 2018
Professor William Ledoux, University of Washington
ME 527: Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
Diabetes affects 30.3 million people where foot ulcers affect 15% of diabetic patients. About 40-70% of all non-traumatic lower limb amputations occur with people in diabetes where foot ulcers precede about 85% of all amputations. From these statistics, foot ulcers are the primary cause of amputations. By quantifying the change in mechanical properties on plantar soft tissues using 1D transient elastography, knowledge and understanding can be gained on the formation of foot ulcers for diabetics and thereby can treat and prevent them, thus reducing the risk of amputation. Currently, no study has been done that quantifies mechanical properties of the plantar soft tissues and compares the results of diabetics to non-diabetics. Measurements of thickness and stiffness were conducted for six diabetic participants and six non-diabetic participants using a 1D transient elastography system, FibroScanTM. The results showed that thickness and stiffness were stiffer in diabetics than non-diabetics, which corroborated well with previous studies done by Williams et al., 2015 and Wang et al., 2011.
Recharging a Pacemaker with a Myosin II Generator
Anyi Chen, Tina Li, Stefan Zelenovic
December 2017
Professor Nathan Sniadecki, University Washington
ME 511: Bioframeworks
The goal of this project is to find a method to prolong the life of pacemakers in order to improve the quality of life for the user. To do so, Myosin II is used to power a small electric generator, which would recharge the battery in the pacemaker when necessary. This is a similar concept to the bio-battery that uses blood glucose to produce energy. One of the major challenges with both designs is their dependence on the resources available in the human body, and operating without affecting the body[1]. To circumvent these issues, the current design will use resources injected into the device. This paper examines the biological use, regulation, motor parts, and mechanical specifications of Myosin II and describes the current Myosin II generator design.
Project Report Papers
Below are papers written by me and my colleagues. In addition to the papers, posters were made for each project listed. If you would like to read them, please email me at tina.tinyan.li@gmail.com and I can email you a copy.
Accessible Art
Lucy Jiang and Tina Li
June 2019
Professor Kat Steele and George Zatloka, University of Washington
HuskyADAPT, Accessible Design and Play Technology
Art provides people with a form of communication that fosters creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking — it evokes emotions, inspires others, and empowers creators in a unique way. Our challenge is to develop an accessible, collaborative, affordable, and participatory project that expands access to opportunities for creating and experiencing art to people of all abilities. Over the course of six months, our team designed a micro-installation which features tactile and auditory elements, making art more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Although it took time to narrow down our idea, we focused on methods of making art as interactive as possible. We prototyped circuits, apps, and other mechanisms extensively, and we tested multiple times with people in our primary user group to garner important feedback. We were able to iterate upon our design using user feedback as well, adapting the project to be even more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. In June 2019, we hosted a micro-installation event at a local venue to demonstrate our project idea and collect more feedback from students at the University of Washington. Ultimately, our hope is to provide a new platform for accessible art to the community.
Designing a Prosthesis for a Tethered Biomechatronic Actuation System
Donghao Li, Tina Li, Yudong Lin, Muhao Zhang
June 2018
Dr. Patrick Aubin and Anthony Anderson
Professor Vipin Kumar
University of Washington and Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in Seattle, Washington
Currently, biomechatronic instruments provide huge potential in supporting researchers about human motions and the design of tethered prosthesis for recovery training use. However, the difficulty in quantifying human motion casts limitations to the capability of these products to emulate both human motion patterns and biological energy transmission. The general idea of research biomechatronic actuation systems is to analyze the numerical relations between muscular motions and actuation power input. Our project is to design a light-weighted bracket structure mounted on a wearable prosthesis for a tethered biomechatronic actuation system. The bracket is comprised of a U-shape aluminum structure and pulley, aiming at transmitting mechanical power from control panels, maintaining constant moment arm and providing space for mounting sensors of control use. After conceptual design, we decided to manufacture an add-on bracket for the prosthesis. We performed several iterations to fulfill our requirements. Particularly, the maximum torque load is about 178 N•m, the maximum compression on stoppers is about 2200 N, and the range of flexion is from -10° to +20°. During the winter quarter, we computed the ranges of important geometric values for the bracket and analyzed required mechanical properties of materials. The simulation results suggest that the structure of bracket is within strength requirements with basis material Aluminum 6061-T6. In spring quarter we designed several benchtop test and further improve our design based on results. In last test, our structure successfully withstand 420 lbs loading without obvious distortion or damage.
FlushCut: A Reusable Fibula Cutting System
Hrishikesh Pathak, Balakumaran Gopalarethinam, Tina Li, Conner Stevens,
Benjamin Dobin
June 2018
Dr. Jeffrey Houlton (University of Washington Medical Center), Dr. Randy Bly (Seattle Children's Hospital)
Professor Jonathan Liu, University of Washington
In the United States, there are currently 8,000 to 10,000 T4 oral cancer patients each year. T4 oral cancer requires partial or entire replacement of the lower jaw (mandible). This is done by harvesting a patients fibula bone, and reshaping it to resemble the shape of the former mandible. This procedure is also used to treat cases of serious facial trauma or other benign tumor growths. It is a very complex procedure, typically taking anywhere from 10 - 12 hours to complete, and running a price tag of $80,000 - $100,000. In order for this surgery to be a success, the cut pieces of fibula must lie flush within 1 millimeter of accuracy for the jaw to heal properly. The most commonly used technique is to do this surgery entirely freehand, often using only tongue depressors, when measuring the lengths and angles to be cut. This is done by holding the tongue depressor up to the jaw, making a mark, and then going back to the fibula in order to attempt to make an accurate cut. This process often is long and strenuous, and the only alternative is very expensive and can oftentimes only be used on specific cases. For this reason, we are developing an entirely mechanical tool that would allow surgeons the ability to quickly and easily make accurate cuts. The key to this tool is its ability to be easily adaptable into hospitals, by not requiring additional tools or extensive training. This tool will allow surgeons to shave down operation times by around 50-60 minutes per surgery, boasting $3500 - $4200 savings per case from time savings alone. It will also have the potential to greatly improve aesthetic results for maximal patient satisfaction, while reducing chances for the inset of infection or a failed operation from a misaligned jaw, adding more value to the device. The market for this product is small, but virtually unexplored, and this device has the potential to make a tremendous impact in improving the lives of patients, while making surgeons jobs easier. The device is currently still in development, and we are in the process of machining our finalized design for the cutting tool in order to be tested, along with a method of easily producing precise measurements of the area to be cut.
Left-Atrial Esophageal Fistula Prevention
Amanda Levenson, Karley Benoff, Tina Li, Zhi-yan Chen
December 2017
Arun Sridhar, MD, Nazem Akoum, MD, Sravanthi Parasa, MD
Professor Jonathan Posner, Jonathan Liu, Eric Seibel, Kat Steele, Soyoung Kang, University of Washington
Engineering Innovation in Health
Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common heart arrhythmia, a condition where the heart beats irregularly. In the U.S. alone, AFib is estimated to affect 2.7-6.1 million people. If initially recommended medication(s) fails to treat AFib symptoms sufficiently, affected patients must pursue a second layer of treatment; this involves altering the electrical signals from the heart. One method of doing this is radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the left atrium. RF ablation involves running a catheter through a vein into the left atrium, where the tip is heated via RF waves to create scar tissue. Unfortunately, a rare but fatal side effect of RF ablation is left atrial esophageal fistula (hereafter referred to as fistula). Fistula is the development of a hole in the esophagus, which can lead to a host of complications, including death. Although only 0.1-1.5% of RF ablations are reported to result in fistulas, the mortality rate lies at 40-80%. We are developing a device to accurately measure and control the temperature of the esophageal tissues during RF ablation, with the goal of mitigating the number of occurrences of fistulas. This device has the potential to (1) decrease the development of lesions in the esophagus due to ablation, which develop into fistulas, and (2) improve the efficiency of RF ablation. Future work will include observing RF ablation procedures, interviewing cardiologists and AFib patients, and developing prototypes to be tested and improved upon.
Christmas Wonderland
Jonathan Chiu, Wei Lun Lian, Darren Wong, Minshik Kang, Tina Li
December 2014
Professor Reza Ghorbani, University of Hawaii at Manoa
ME 213: Intro to Engineering Design
The purpose of “Design Project” is to give undergraduate students an idea of what it is like to be an engineer. Each team is required to design and create a 10-15 minute show to entertain 6 year old audience using a variety of skills, such as but not limited to: Solidworks, 3D printing, woodwork, programming, and circuitry. Each individual member must also create a computer aided design (CAD) and 3D print a part that will contribute to the final product. The whole project must meet safety regulations. Designing is essential to all engineering students. In this particular project, mechanical engineering students are encouraged to take this chance to gain exceptional experience, which will help prepare them for their near future.
Project Proposal, Preliminary Design Review (PDR), Client Pooposal, Critical Design Review (CDR), Midterm Report for Manoa Astronomical Technologies
Main: Donovan Macanas, Tina Li, Shane Brown, Kent Harada
Underclassmen: John Bredall, Karen Calaro, Colin Happ, Bryant Higa, Nicole Clare Hortizuela, Ryan Matsumoto, Andrew Millard, Clinton Ng, Heather Situ, Reginald Tolentino, Joseph Yee
Advisor: A Zachary Trimble
University of Hawaii at Manoa
August 2016 - May 2017
Our team, Manoa Astronomical Technologies aimed to cultivate an interdisciplinary Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) program in which students will experience the design process, learn team dynamics, and gain technical skills through tasks focusing on reducing optical by improving collimation for Pioneer 01-A. We improved the design of the telescope produced in 2015-2016, Pioneer 01-A along with growing the Manoa Astronomical Technologies program to develop future leadership for the program from within the team.
Measuring Telescopic Mirror Malformation using the Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor and Differentiating Between Spectral Aberration and Mirror Imperfection
Andrew Millard, Joseph Yee, Tina Li
Professor A Zachary Trimble, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Manoa Astronomical Technologies’ (MAT) goal is to construct and test a Newtonian telescope capable of getting images of stellar objects, such as local planets. The newest telescope named Pioneer 01-B and its predecessor Pioneer 01-A is to be compared by field imaging tests and deformation analysis on the primary mirror. The instrument that (MAT) decided to use to evaluate the mirror’s aberrations and deformation was the Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor. The Shack-Hartmann instrument is utilized by attaching it an eyepiece onto the focuser on the Newtonian telescope. The data it receives is dependent on the wavefront it receives from the mirrors. This data enables us to find abnormalities in the mirror in relation to the entire telescope.
Lab Reports
Below are papers written by me and papers written with my colleagues. If you would like to read them, please email me at tina.tinyan.li@gmail.com and I can email you a copy.
A Pedobarography Study: Modeling Foot Pressure Using Gait Model
Tina Li, Jackson Poscablo, Ryan Roque
May 2017
ME 402: Dynamics Systems Lab, Professor Peter Berkelman, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Analyzing Repeatability, Accuracy, and Error of a Mill Using Statistical Process Control (SPC)
Jonathan De Leon, Kent Harada, Jeremy Layugan, Tina Li
April 2017
ME 342: Manufacturing Processes Lab, Professor Scott Miller, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Analyzing and Quantifying Accuracy of a Stereolithography 3D Printer
Tina Li
April 2017
ME 342: Manufacturing Processes Lab, Professor Scott Miller, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Using an Arduino as a Pedometer
March 2017
ME 402: Dynamics Systems Lab, Professor Peter Berkelman, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Characteristics of a CNC Mill
Jonathan De Leon, Kent Harada, Jeremy Layugan, Tina Li
March 2017
ME 342: Manufacturing Processes Lab, Professor Scott Miller, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Using Strain to Measure Force on a Cantilever Beam
February 2017
ME 402: Dynamics Systems Lab, Professor Peter Berkelman, University of Hawaii at Manoa
The Effects of Rolling of Brass on Material Properties
Jonathan De Leon, Kent Harada, Jeremy Layugan, Tina Li
February 2017
ME 342: Manufacturing Processes Lab, Professor Scott Miller, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Determining Material Properties of an Aluminum Sample Through Compression Testing
Jonathan De Leon, Kent Harada, Jeremy Layugan, Tina Li
February 2017
ME 342: Manufacturing Processes Lab, Professor Scott Miller, University of Hawaii at Manoa
First-Order Time Response of Thermal System
Tina Li
January 2017
ME 402: Dynamics Systems Lab, Professor Peter Berkelman, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Determining Material Properties of a 1018 Steel Sample Through Tensile Testing
Tina Li
January 2017
ME 342: Manufacturing Processes Lab, Professor Scott Miller, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Design Report: Designing a Better Chillsner
Chad Nakaoka, Cody Murakami, Sean Saito, Tina Li, Ileana Argyris, Wei Lun Lian
December 2016
Heat Transfer Lab, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Designing a Glider that Can Fly at Least Thirty Yards
Tina Li
December 2016
Fluid Mechanics Lab, Professor Marcelo Kobayashi, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Comparing Numerical and Experimental Data for the Cooling of Metal Spheres and the Investigation of the Leslie Box
November 2016
Tina Li
Team members: Cody Murakami, Zachary Radner, Edward Relin, and Sean Saito
Heat Transfer Lab, Professor John Allen, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Understanding Temperature Measurement Instruments and Sensors with Data Acquisition
Tina Li
October 2016
Heat Transfer Lab, Professor John Allen, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Optimizing the Efficiency of Wind Turbines Through Various Designs
Tina Li
October 2016
Fluid Mechanics Lab, Professor Marcelo Kobayashi, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Calibrating a Drone Model Based on the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) Theory
Tina Li
October 2016
Fluid Mechanics Lab, Professor Marcelo Kobayashi, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Understanding Extended Surfaces and Their Rate of Heat Transfer and Temperature Distribution for an Adiabatic Tip
Tina Li
September 2016
Heat Transfer Lab, Professor John Allen, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Alternative Material Selection and Manufacturing Process: Acoustic Guitar
Matthew Barrett-Wright, Shayde Bennett-Jeremiah, Royce Kuromoto, Jeremy Layugan, Tina Li, Sean Saito
May 2016
ME 341: Manufacturing Processes, Professor Jingjing Li, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Other Papers
Below are papers written by me. If you would like to read them, please email me at tina.tinyan.li@gmail.com and I can email you a copy.
Robot Ethics
Tina Li
December 2016
Ethics, Professor John Allen, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Progression of Gene Therapy
Tina Li
April 2016
Honors 291B: Sophomore Seminar - Biological Sciences, Professor Zoia Stoytcheva, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Gene Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis
Tina Li
April 2016
Honors 291B: Sophomore Seminar - Biological Sciences, Professor Zoia Stoytcheva, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Which Is Better for Studying Genetic Diseases: Mice or Rhesus Macaques?
Tina Li
March 2016
Honors 291B: Sophomore Seminar - Biological Sciences, Professor Zoia Stoytcheva, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Introduction to Gene Therapy
Tina Li
February 2016
Honors 291B: Sophomore Seminar - Biological Sciences, Professor Zoia Stoytcheva, University of Hawaii at Manoa