Proposal

Narrative

Do you know how geckos cling to various surfaces even if the surface seems clean and smooth? Do you know some sharks have toothlike skin to conveniently maneuver their locomotion at high speed during self-propulsion? The underlying physics of all these phenomena are related to surface roughness and profiles. This proposal requests funding to purchase a powerful 3D optical profiler that reconstructs surface roughness and profile at a resolution of 1 nanometer. Identification and measurement of surface profiles at the nanoscale are important not only in emerging areas such as biotechnology and nanotechnology research but also in conventional education such as fluid mechanics and material sciences. Acquisition of an advanced 3D optical profiler would help FAU students gain practical knowledge and experiences in the importance of surface characteristics for various engineering and physical problems encountered in our daily life. The addition of this key instrument to FAU will be beneficial to various student bodies in interdisciplinary courses and research activities in many colleges. Besides, the in-class demonstration with the proposed 3D profiler will motivate them to engage in extracurricular research for advanced learning. Classes in the Ocean and Mechanical Engineering department, including Advanced Strength of Materials, Engineering Materials, Fluid Mechanics, in their typical size of 40~50 students (total of ~250 students) benefit from this equipment. If extending to the whole FAU, many colleges and departments such as College of Science (Chemistry, Physics, Geoscience, Biology, etc.), College of Medicine, and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College will benefit from this equipment for course demonstrations and education. The acquisition of the 3D profiler will not only improve demonstration-based teaching but also help faculty teach the students with the most advanced technology to exhibit various material properties for the students’ improved learning.

Facilities

No facility renovations will be required.

Hardware Requirements

The instrument is a single set of equipment and its size is small easily fitting to the benchtop.

Software Requirements

The operating software is available from the manufacturer at no additional cost.

Personnel Costs

There is no request for personnel costs, and the instrument will be maintained regularly by the PI and his graduate students.

Other Costs

No other costs are expected. It is important to note that the company has offered a significant discount, and also agreed to offer training at no cost.

Timeline

The equipment will be ordered as soon as the funding is awarded. The subsequent training courses will be scheduled with the company.

Sustainability

The equipment will come with manufacturer warranties. The PI will train all personnel who will access the profiler. A graduate student in the PI’s group will monitor and maintain the instrument regularly.

Resource Matching

N/A

Implementing Organization

Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering