Microsystem technology allows us to fabricate electronic-, mechanical- and microfluidic systems with (sub-) cellular dimensions. Combining these technologies in single system will enable completely new applications especially for the bio-medical field. This talk will highlight contributions from my own research projects: The small size and short time scales of micromechanical systems require advanced imaging techniques and exceptionally sensitive measurement tools. At M.I.T. we developed a light microscopy-based measurement system which enables nm-precision, three-dimensional motion measurements from technical microelectromechanical systems and from the hearing organ. With custom-designed micromechanical probes we measured mechanical properties of biological material like cells and membranes and resolved forces in the pN-range. Together with our vibration measurement system, we are able to acquire multiple orthotropic mechanical properties like displacement, force and mechanical impedance of rigid and deformable structures. At the IBM Zürich Research Laboratory we have developed a life-sized, micromechanical inner ear model with 3600 mechanical sections. I will show first response curves measured from our prototype. Finally I will give a short overview of my current work on automatic speech recognition and introduce our efforts to model neuronal information processing in the human auditory system.
Sprecher: Dr. Werner Hemmert Wann: Freitag, 28. Juli 2006, 16:00 Uhr (s.t.) Wo: Hörsaal B, Universität Klagenfurt