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Dr. Mario
Gomes
Assistant Professor
Phone: 585-475-2148
E-mail:: mwgeme@rit.edu
Office: 2189
Biography:
Dr. Mario Gomes joined the faculty in the Mechanical Engineering Department
at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall of 2009. He completed
his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University and then
obtained a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute
of Technology. After working for a few years as a mechanical engineer, he
returned to Cornell University and completed his PhD in Theoretical and
Applied Mechanics. Dr. Gomes previously worked in industry
as a Project Engineer and served as a Lecturer at Arizona State
University.
Dr. Gomes' research interests are in application of multi-body dynamics to a
variety of natural and human-constructed systems. Of particular interest is
the exploitation of natural system behavior to improve the performance of
systems. Dr. Gomes has studied Passive Dynamic Walking systems as an
undergraduate by creating and using simulations of a 2D-knee-jointed walker.
Passive Dynamic walkers are an uncontrolled assembly of sticks and hinges
which, when designed correctly, and given the appropriate initial conditions
can fall in to a stable human-like walking cycle down a ramp. His master's
work was in the field of Passive Haptic displays, where he developed control
approaches for force-feedback systems which were only able to dissipate the
user's energy. These systems are inherently safe for the user since the power
flow is only in one direction, from the user into the system, and not
vice-versa. His PhD work examined the limits of performance for locomoting apes and robots, specifically brachiation (ape-swinging) robots, and passive dynamic
walking robots. By creating physics based computer models, he showed that it
was possible for very simple models to walk across level ground (or brachiate
under flat ceilings) with zero energy required to sustain the motion. A
continuing theme of his previous and current research is that by carefully designing
systems (picking appropriate system parameters) one can design systems that
can achieve the desired results naturally.
Dr. Gomes' current research interests are in fields of
- high altitude wind energy harvesting systems using kites
- locomotion mechanics
- engineering education (project-based learning)
- mechanical energy storage systems
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