Keynote Speakers

Clarence W. de Silva
Speaker Biography:

Clarence W. de Silva is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and occupies the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair Professorship in Mechatronics & Industrial Automation at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. A Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), he is also a Fellow of: ASME, IEEE, Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Royal Society of Canada. He has authored 19 books and over 400 papers, half of which are in journals. He has received many awards including the Paynter Outstanding Investigator Award and the Takahashi Education Award of ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Division; Killam Research Prize; and Outstanding Engineering Educator Award of IEEE Canada. He has served as Editor/Associate Editor of 14 journals including ASME and IEEE transactions; and as Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Control and Intelligent Systems. He received Ph.D. degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA (1978) and the University of Cambridge, UK (1998), and an Honorary D.Eng. from the University of Waterloo, Canada (2008).

Abstract:
A mechatronic system is an integrated electro-mechanical system. It will typically consist of many different types of interconnected components and elements. In view of the dynamic coupling between components, the modeling of a mechatronic system should use a multi-domain approach, where all domains (mechanical, electrical, thermal, fluid, etc.) are treated in a unified manner. Similarly, a realistic and optimal design of a mechatronic system should consider the entire system concurrently rather than using traditional design methodologies which are single-criterion and sequential. Furthermore, a unified model, an evolutionary strategy, a design expert system, and on-line monitoring of an existing mechatronic system may be integrated to “evolve” design improvements for the system. This talk will present a unified approach for modeling and analysis of a mechatronic system, and an integrated approach for “design evolution” of an existing mechatronic system. First the need for a unified approach will be justified in view of the presence of electro-mechanical analogies. Next, linear graphs will be promoted as a useful tool for unified modeling of dynamic systems, where the existing analogies can be exploited. Thevenin’s theorem will be extended to mechanical systems. Specifically, equivalent circuits of Thevenin and Norton will be integrated with linear graphs, in the frequency domain, to facilitate analytical modeling. The choice of a particular equivalent circuit will be shown to depend on the problem objective. Next the talk will explore a multi-criteria and concurrent approach to mechatronic design and evaluation, and will justify it over the sequential approach. A design formulation and criteria based on a mechatronic design quotient (MDQ) will be introduced for this purpose. Human experience on multi-domain systems and interactions between criteria should be taken into account by applying techniques of soft computing for the aggregation of criteria. Evolutionary computing may be used in the design optimization. The talk will address these concepts. Finally, the talk will present an approach that integrates multi-domain modeling, evolutionary computing, MDQ-based design optimization, expert systems, and on-line monitoring for evolving an improved design for an existing mechatronic system. Examples will be provided throughout to illustrate the approaches and their application.

References:
De Silva, C.W., Mechatronics—a Foundation Course, Taylor & Francis/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2010.
De Silva, C.W., Modeling and Control of Engineering Systems, Taylor & Francis/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2009.
Karray, F. and de Silva, C.W., Soft Computing and Intelligent Systems Design, Addison-Wesley, New York, NY, 2004.

Dr. Placid M. Ferreira
Speaker Biography:

Dr. Placid M. Ferreira is the Head and the Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering at Illinois. From 2003 to 2009, he was the director of the Center for Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (Nano-CEMMS), an NSF-sponsored Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. He graduated with a Ph.D in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University in 1987, M.Tech (Mechanical) from IIT Bombay, 1982 and B.E. (Mechanical) for University of Bombay in 1980. He has been on the mechanical engineering faculty at Illinois since 1987, serving as the associate head for graduate programs and research from 1999 to 2002.
Professor Ferreira's research and teaching interests are in the area of industrial automation and include computer-controlled machine-tools, nanomanufacturing and metrology, computational geometry and solid modeling with applications to automated process planning, and the discrete-event control of large-scale flexibly automated systems.
Professor Ferreira received NSF's Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1990, SME's Outstanding Young Investigator Award in 1991 and the University of Illinois' University Scholar Award in 1994. He has served as an associate editor and editor for IIE Transactions on Design and Manufacturing and editor for IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (2003-2007) and is on the editorial board for the International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing.

Abstract:

Nanoscience – the ‘science of the small’ – produces stunning revelations that, almost daily, redefine the realm of the possible. Yet, the manufacturing processes and systems to transform this new knowledge into technologies and products that benefit us in our daily life are crucial missing elements. At Illinois, and specifically at the Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (Nano-CEMMS) Center, a NSF-sponsored Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), research is exploring and developing new methodologies and tools that exploit chemical, mechanical, and electronic phenomena and processes for manufacturing at the nanoscale.
Starting with an overview of the research in Nano-CEMMS, this talk will describe heterogeneous integration in product design as a motivation for a repertoire of micro and nanoscale manufacturing processes. Processes such as electrochemical patterning, microtransfer printing and electro-jet writing will be discussed in detail along with the possibilities for patterning and integrating mechanical, optical and electrical functions into materials. Finally, advances in critical enabling technologies such as nanopositioning and manipulation will be described.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin NEUMANN

Political Career:
Since 2009 Member of the German Bundestag (Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment)
Since 2001 Vice-Chair of the Free Democratic Party Brandenburg
1990-1994 Member of the Landtag Brandenburg (Committee on Transport, Building and Urban Affairs)
Since 1990 Engaged in local politics in Oberspreewald-Lausitz (Brandenburg)

Professional Career:
Since 1999 Professor for architecture/civil engineering/safety and hazard defence at Magdeburg university of applied sciences
1997-1999 Lecturer at Lausitz university of applied sciences and Magdeburg university of applied sciences
1989-1990 City Manager in Lübbenau
1987-1989 Director of town planning in Lübbenau
1986-1987 Head of building services engineering at German Postal Services

Education:
1987 Doctorate in building services engineering
1982-1987 Scientific assistant at Cottbus college of engineering
1977-1982 Studied at the Technical University of Dresden in the department of energy conversion and building services engineering

About me :
Officially appointed and sworn expert for Cottbus Chamber of Crafts and Trades;
Member of Brandenburg Chamber of Engineers;
Mentor within the framework of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s scholarship programme

Abstract :

Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues and fellow experts,
I am very pleased to be with you today at this important international conference.
First of all I would like to introduce myself, my name is Prof Martin Neumann. I am the spokesman on research policy of the parliamentary group of the Free Democratic Party and a rapporteur for technological development in the work group of the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment in the German Parliament.

The Free Democratic Party (FDP), of which I am a member, aims to protect the environment  by supporting and promoting renewable energies.
In the past renewable energy was considered to be a luxury which only a few countries were able to afford. However, by now the importance of renewable energies has been widely recognized.
In Germany we are trying to develop all kinds of renewable energies to reach our aims. It is vital to cooperate closely with other countries and their specialists like you here in Jordan.
By the end of 2020 we expect the renewable energies to make up 20% of Germany’s total energy requirement.
We cannot achieve this target if we work on our own.
That is why it is crucial to exchange experience and expertise with other countries.
Especially here in Jordan there are excellent preconditions for developing and using renewable resources.
From my point of view and from my own experience with some Jordanian experts in Germany I believe it is not difficult for us to achieve a lot in this field together.
Just look around and you will notice that many things in our environment could be much better.
Jordan is in the fortunate position of having different and rich renewable energy resources, e.g. Solar Energy and Wind energy.
As we all know traditional energy resources will not last for ever, which is why we have to start using renewable energy resources efficiently and immediately. I am optimistic that Jordan will have more energy than it actually needs.
Finally my Party colleagues send you their very best regards. In German we say viele Gruesse und viel Erfolg …..
Thank you very much.