Project Grant 2608059

The National Science Foundation Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation awarded $335,000 to The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York (operating as SUNY at Binghamton) on August 15, 2026, under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) for collaborative research on nonlinear electromechanical dynamics for ultra-sensitive gas detection and autonomous actuation.

The project investigates how dynamic pull-in, buckling, multi-frequency excitation, and coupled electrical and mechanical resonances interact to create highly amplified and autonomous dynamical responses in electrostatically actuated microsystems. The research seeks to establish fundamental principles for converting weak physical stimuli into decisive mechanical responses, enabling compact, low-power devices that detect hazardous conditions and respond autonomously without complex external electronics. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide systems serve as representative case studies to experimentally demonstrate these nonlinear dynamical principles. The resulting principles may enable monitoring and warning technologies for advanced manufacturing facilities, hydrogen-based energy systems, environmental monitoring, and biomedical applications.

Performance occurs at Binghamton, New York. The period of performance runs from the award date through July 31, 2029. The project will also contribute to the education and training of students in dynamics, microsystems, and interdisciplinary engineering.