Danny Grant, Ph.D (October 99)

Experience

Consultant Haptic Technologies, Montreal, PQ.

1997 - 1999

  • Designed a high resolution optical sensor for a force feedback mouse, which was awarded Nasa's product of the Month, November 1998.
 

Faculty Lecturer (Part time) McGill University, Montreal, PQ.

1996 - 1999

  • Responsible for a final year undergraduate course: Control and Robotics Laboratory. Topics range from PID control to LQ regulators.
 

Research Engineer Centre for Intelligent Machines, Montreal, PQ

1994 - 1995

  • Designed and constructed end effector for 7 DOF force feedback controller.
 

Plant Engineer (Internship) United Parcel Service, Lachine, PQ

  • Quality control for a large conveyor installation project.
  • Supervised contractors.

Education

Doctorate Electrical Engineering (Oct. 99)

1995 - 1999 McGill University, Montreal, PQ

  • Thesis: Accurate and Rapid Control of Shape Memory Alloy Actuators.
  • Focus on modeling and nonlinear control.

Master's Electrical Engineering

1992 - 1995 McGill University, Montreal, PQ

  • Thesis : Shape Memory Alloy Actuators with an Application to a Robotic Eye.
  • Focus on the design of a novel actuator and a camera platform.
  • NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship.

Bachelor Electrical Engineering

1988 - 1992 McGill University, Montreal, PQ

  • Artificial Intelligence, Digital System Design.
  • Distinction, University Scholar, CGPA 3.70 / 4.00.
  • McGill entrance Scholarship.

Areas of Expertise

  • Linear and Nonlinear Control
  • Real-time systems
  • Mechatronics (actuators, sensors, system integration)
  • Shape Memory Alloys
  • Optical sensors

Skills

  • Matlab, Simulink, ORCAD, AutoCAD, Xilinx
  • C, Fortran, LISP, UNIX, QNX, Microsoft windows
  • Milling machine, Lathe

Publications

  • Grant, D., Hayward, V. 1998 Vibration isolation with high strain shape memory alloy actuators. International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition. AMD- Vol 229 Book of Abstracts ASME Applied Mechanics Division
  • Grant, D., Hayward, V. 1997 Variable structure control of shape memory alloy actuators. IEEE Systems and Control Magazine. Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 80--88.
  • Grant, D., Hayward, V. 1997. Controller for a high strain shape memory alloy actuator: quenching of limit cycles. Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation. Vol. 1, pp. 254-259.
  • Lu, X., Grant, D., Hayward, V. 1997. Design and comparison of high strain shape memory actuators. Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Robotics and Automation. Vol. 1, pp. 260-267.
  • Grant, D., Hayward, V. 1995. Design of high strain shape memory actuator under variable structure control. Proc. Int. IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation. Pp. 2305--2312.
  • Baron, T., Levine, M. L., Hayward, V., Bolduc, M., Grant, D. 1994. (November, Ottawa). A biologically-motivated robot eye system. Proc. 8th Canadian Astronautics and Space Institute (CASI) Annual Conference. pp. 231-240. (Best Paper Award).

Patents

  • Hayward, V., Grant D. Deformable Structural Arrangement, United States Patent # 5,727,391, March,1998

  • Grant D., Hayward, V., Gregorio, P, Differential Displacement Optical Sensor, United States Patent Pending, March,1999

Interests

Philosophy, Hockey, Soccer, Coaching Football, Guitar

  • Email: grant@cim.mcgill.ca