Sunil K. Agrawal, associate professor of mechanical engineering, is the inventor, along with his graduate students, of such mechanical creatures as Flobot the Robot (which can repair a satellite in space), Spine Robot (which moves like the human spine and does repairs in tight places) and Snake Robot (which works in hazardous environments).

Now, Agrawal has been selected by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation as one of 10 researchers worldwide to receive a 2001-2003 Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award.

The prestigious award includes funding for collaborative research in Germany, travel costs and financial assistance for academic conferences in Europe. To be eligible, a scientist or scholar must be recognized internationally and have had proven success in research.

"The idea of the award is to create international collaboration between German scientists and scientists around the world," Agrawal says. He adds that he is looking forward to spending the next two summers at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, working on the latest research in robotics.

Agrawal studies mechanics and movement science, especially as they relate to the construction of machines that can simulate human motion. He directs the College of Engineering's Mechanical Systems Laboratory, which focuses on the behavior of dynamic systems as they apply to robots and manipulators, high-speed machines and manufacturing. The faculty and students concentrate on mechanisms designed to replace humans in repetitive, labor-intensive jobs.

Agrawal and his German colleagues will be working on refining a cable-suspended robot to carry out long-reach tasks--such as transporting items from one place to another or painting airplanes or aircraft carriers. Most industrial robots are stationary and have limited range of motion, so they can't perform large workspace tasks efficiently.

Cable robots can manipulate platforms suspended on cables that carry tools, but there is a problem getting the longer cables to function properly. Agrawal says the engineers hope to maximize range and control while minimizing vibration and slack.

"It's like manipulating a puppet," he says. Once the engineers do the math and create a prototype, he says, the rest is up to companies or organizations interested in developing the concept for industry or other practical applications.

--Barbara Garrison