2026-09-18T21:15:28Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/1140622021-07-05T14:03:20Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131023
Hiroshi Ishii.
Umapathi, Udayan
Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
2018-03-12T19:28:14Z
2018-03-12T19:28:14Z
2017
2017
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/114062
1026501589
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2017.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-93).
In this thesis, I propose aqueous droplets as a form of programmable material that can computationally transform its physical properties. Liquid matter can undergo physical transformation through interfacial forces and surface tension. I introduce a system called DropletIO to regulate interfacial forces through a programmable electric field. The system can actuate and sense macro-scale (micro-liter to milli-liter) droplets on arbitrary planar and curved surfaces. The system can precisely move, merge, split, and change shape of droplets and thus enables a range of applications with human interactivity, information displays, parallelized programmable chemistry and dynamically tunable optics. DropletIO system uses electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) to manipulate droplets. EWOD is a physical phenomenon where a polar droplet on a dielectric surface is attracted to a charged electrode. I constructed EWOD arrays with integrated actuation and sensing on inexpensive printed circuit boards that can scale to arbitrarily large areas and different form factors. Additionally, in this thesis I discuss how semiconductor device scaling applies to electrowetting for smaller volume droplets and hence miniaturized programmable lab-on-a-chip. Droplet based microfluidics is extensively used in biology and chemistry. In this thesis I describe two novel fluid manipulation mechanism for microfluidics. First, I show an approach for splitting aqueous droplets on an open digital microfluidic platform and thus a system capable of performing a complete set of microfluidic operations on an open surface. Second, I demonstrate how electrowetting platforms can handle large volume fluids, and hence enable a new direction in programmable fluid handling called digital millifluidics.
by Udayan Umapathi.
S.M.
93 pages
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Program in Media Arts and Sciences ()
Droplet IO : programmable droplets for human-material interaction
DropletIO : programmable droplets for human-material interaction
Programmable droplets for human-material interaction
Thesis
application/pdf
Publication
unknown
unknown
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