BRIAN PATRICK TREASE

BRIAN PATRICK TREASE

Mechanical Engineer, Member of Technical Staff

Section 355 Instrument Mechanical Engineering

Robotic Manipulators and Deployable Booms Group

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA

www.umich.edu/~btrease

INTERESTS

mechanical design, kinematics, compliant mechanisms, actuation, smart structures and materials, biomimicry, genetic algorithms, and optimization

CURRENT POSITION (NASA/JPL)

Mechanical Support Engineer – Phaeton Mast Dynamics, NuSTAR Inertia Measurement Unit

9/09–present

Simulant Cognizant Engineer – Brushed Wheeled Sampler R&D and New Frontiers Proposals

5/09–present

Research Engineer – Miniature Fluidic Shear Sensor, Department of Transportation Grant

4/09–present

Mechanism Concept Engineer – Jason 3 On-flight Calibrator Mechanism Proposal

7/09–9/09

Mechanism Cognizant Engineer - Space Interferometry Mission (SIM)

1/08–9/09

Mechanical Analysis/Design/Support Engineer – New Frontiers Proposals: Galahad and Comet Odyssey

8/08–6/09

EDUCATION

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Ann Arbor, MI

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (2007)

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (2002)

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Sridhar Kota

G.P.A.: 8.50 (8=A, 9=A+)

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO

Toledo, OH

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (1999)

University Honors Program

Minor: Business Administration

Advisor: Dr. Steven Kramer

G.P.A.: 3.969 / 4.0 scale (summa cum laude)

Class Rank: 1st

MASON HIGH SCHOOL, Class of 1995

Erie, MI

Valedictorian; Vice-President of Class

Hugh O'Brian Youth Foundation Ambassador

Science Olympiad

Perfect Attendance

Cross Country, Swimming, and Track

SELECTED AWARDS

2002 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow

2000 Tau Beta Pi Fellow

1999 Outstanding Engineering Student Award for the State of Ohio

1999 UT College of Engineering Outstanding Senior Award

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

8/02 - 12/07

Graduate Research Fellow

Ann Arbor, MI

Compliant Systems Design Laboratory (CSDL), The University of Michigan

Dissertation Title: Topology Synthesis of Compliant Systems with Embedded Actuators and Sensors

Also participated in many novel research and design projects, including:

“Revolutionizing Prosthetics” (DARPA initiative), 9/05–11/07
- Researched as part of a multi-institute initiative to design, fabricate, and test a high degree-of-freedom, neurologically-controlled, electromechanical arm prosthesis
Biomimetic aquatic propulsion (in collaboration with Naval Research Labs), 5/02–7/05
- Designed, optimized, and prototyped components for a biomimetic hydrofoil/fin for an Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV)
“cTouch,” a 2-D Haptic Human User Interface (in collaboration with UM Haptix Lab), 5/03–11/07
- Supervised one undergraduate student for one year, providing guidance on modeling strategies and fabrication techniques

ASME Student Mechanism Design Competition, 2004

Entered two projects, one of which was selected as a finalist, entitled “Statically-balanced Compliant Four-bar Mechanism for Gravity Compensation” (PDF)
As a finalist, presented at the annual ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference

Presenter, Graduate Student Research Symposiums, The University of Michigan (2001, 2002, and 2006)

First Place in Mechanical Design Category in 2001

5/02–8/02,
6/01–8/01

Engineering Intern

Albuquerque, NM

Sandia National Laboratories, Microelectronics Development Laboratory

MEMS Device Design Department, Supervisor: Jim Allen

Created electro-thermo-mechanical models and conducted physical tests on thermally-activated micro-actuators to provide device characterization and model validation
Sandia 3-Day MEMS Introductory Short Course

9/01 - 5/02

Graduate Student Research Assistant

Ann Arbor, MI

NSF Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Machining Systems, The University of Michigan

Performed parametric modeling using ADAMS software for multiple projects related to design and manufacturing

6/00 - 8/00

Engineering Intern

Dayton, OH

Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Air Vehicles Directorate Summer Research Program

Supervisors: Major Brian Sanders and Dr. Sridhar Kota

Analyzed a compliant, shape-adaptive wing for Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) with finite element analysis software
Surveyed, classified, and compared smart actuator technologies
Summary Report: A Survey and Comparison of Smart Material Linear Actuators (PDF)

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles

In Press: B. Trease and S. Kota, "Design of adaptive and controllable compliant systems with embedded actuators and sensors," ASME Transactions, Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 131, Number 11, November 2009. [DOI: 10.1115/1.3149848 ]

R.B. Gillespie, T. Shin, F. Huang, and B. Trease, "Automated Characterization and Compensation for a Compliant Mechanism Haptic Device," IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2008. [DOI: 10.1109/TMECH.2007.915066]

B. Trease, Y. Moon, and S. Kota, "Design of Large-Displacement Compliant Joints," ASME Transactions, Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 127, Number 4, July 2005. [DOI: 10.1115/1.1900149]

S. Kota, K-J. Lu, Z. Kreiner, B. Trease, J. Arenas, and J. Geiger, "Design and Application of Compliant Mechanisms for Surgical Tools," Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, November 2005, Vol. 127, Issue 6, pp. 981-989. [DOI: 10.1115/1.2056561] (Technical Brief)

Conference Papers

B. Trease and S. Kota, 2007, "Adaptive and Controllable Compliant Systems with Embedded Actuators and Sensors," Proceedings of SPIE - Smart Structures and Materials 2007, San Diego, CA, March 18-22, 2007.

B. Trease and S. Kota, 2006, "Synthesis of Adaptive and Controllable Compliant Systems with Embedded Actuators and Sensors," Proceedings of IDETC’06, ASME 2006 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences, Philadelphia, PA, September 10-13, 2006.

B. Trease, K.J. Lu, and S. Kota, 2003, "Biomimetic Compliant System For Smart Actuator-Driven Aquatic Propulsion: Preliminary Results," Proceedings of IMECE’03, 2003 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Washington, D.C., November 16-21, 2003.

Y. Moon, B. Trease, and S. Kota, 2002, "Design of Large-Displacement Compliant Joints," Proceedings of DETC’02, ASME 2002 Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, Montreal, Canada, September 29-October 2, 2002.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Invited Guest Lecturer, ME350: Design and Manufacturing II (1/07–2/07)

Prepared and taught four 80-minute undergraduate lectures on bearing and spring design

Graduate Student Instructor, ME350: Design and Manufacturing II (9/04–12/04, 1/06–4/06)

Developed course outline, website, schedule, homework, labs, projects, and exams for junior-level mechanical design course with term projects
Taught weekly lab sessions and software instruction sessions
Provided guidance, coaching, and review of team projects

Invited Guest Lecturer, “Introduction to ADAMS Software,” UM Mechanical Engineering courses

Analytic Product Design, Winter 2004
Design and Manufacturing II, Fall 2003

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE

5/99 - 5/00

Engineering Intern

Holland, OH

Dana, Corp., Spicer Driveshaft Division, Design Analysis Team

Supervisor: Mr. Daniel Beitzel

Designed, developed, modeled, and tested driveshafts, steering shafts, universal joints, and spline elements

8/98 - 5/99

Engineering CO-OP

Toledo, OH

EnVitCo, Inc. - Glass Melter/Nuclear Waste Vitrification Systems

5/96 - 8/98

Engineering CO-OP

Perrysburg, OH

AVCA Corp. (Engineering/Architecture Consulting Firm)

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Peer Reviewer

Since July 2003, reviewed research journal articles for Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines (3 articles), Journal of Biomechanical Engineering (2 articles), Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering (2 articles), Journal of Mechanical Design, and International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering
Since February 2002, reviewed conference papers for ASME International Design Engineering Technology Conferences (4 papers), ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition

Committee Member

ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Mechanism & Robotics Committee, 4-year term (2010-2014)

Competition Coordinator

2009 ASME Student Mechanism and Robotics Design Competition

COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVITIES

Volutneer, FIRST Robotics

Great Lakes Regional Competition, Ypsilanti, MI, March 2007
Southern California Regional Competition, USC, CA, March 2008

Volunteer, ASME Regional Student Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, May 31, 2007

Judge for the Old Guard Web Design Competition

Member, Michigan BLUElab (Better Living Using Engineering)

Designed, developed, and fabricated a public gallery exhibit focused on collaborative problem-solving and sustainable engineering entitled “Mass Collaboration = Innovation,” 2006

Co-creator and Speaker, NSF Fellowship Application Seminar, The University of Toledo, 2004

Invited Panelist, “Lessons Learned: Engineering in an Overseas Environment,” The University of Michigan, 2004

Invited Panelist, NSF Fellowship Application Seminar, The University of Michigan, 2002

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)