Facilities and Software

PI: Nathan Wei

1.5 m x 1.5 m open-section wind tunnel with 648 individually controllable computer fans, located in the GRASP Treehouse. A full Optitrack motion-capture system enables precisely controlled flight tests of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in tailored turbulent wind conditions. Flow measurements will be conducted with a fully automated, robot-mounted anemometry system.

PI: Ani Hsieh

The multi-robot Coherent Structure Testbed (mCoSTe) is is an indoor laboratory experimental testbed that consists of a fleet of 10 micro-Autonomous Surface Vehicles (mASVs) and three experimental flow tanks: a Low Reynolds number (LoRe) Tank, a High Reynolds number (HiRe) Tank, and a Multi-Robot (MR) Tank. The LoRe, HiRe, and MR Tanks are respectively 10 cm2 x 2 cm, 3600 cm2 x 30 cm, and 4.5m x 3m x 1.5 m in size. Flow fields generated in each of these tanks are tracked particle imaging velocimetry (PIV). The MR Tank is designed to enable experimental validation of motion control and coordination strategies for a team of 5 – 10 mASVs, which are individually too large for the LoRe and HiRe tanks. The mCoSTe flow tanks are specifically designed to create both time-independent and time-varying flow fields that exhibit dynamic features similar to those observed in the ocean. The LoRe Tank is developed by Dr. Phil A. Yecko and there is one housed at Cooper Union and a second one at Montclair State University overseen by Dr. Eric Forgoston. 

PIs: Paulo Arratia and Doug Jerolmack

Facilities include equipment for rheology and soft-matter physics measurements, microscopes, and a sediment flume.

The Center hosts facilities for nanofabrication and nanocharacterization. The McBride Lab is based here, and other groups utilize the Center's resources and facilities.

Some of the capabilities of the McBride Lab and Singh center include microfluidic device fabrication, micro- and nano-engineering of precise surface textures, single-droplet studies including advanced contact angle measurements, surface functionalization and thin-film coating development, and advanced microscopy/detection techniques including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, profilometry, and detection of micro/nano-plastics.

Several labs are current collecting sensors and platforms for field measurements of various environmentally relevant quantities, including microplastics pollution, atmospheric turbulence, precipitation, and sediment transport.

A 100 ft x 50 ft x 50 ft netted outdoor flight arena is available on UPenn's Pennovation Campus for testing field equipment in a semi-controlled setting.

PI: George Park