Engineering professors awarded $344,424 National Science Foundation grant

Award to fund research on the use of liquid metal to in circuits to improve wireless communications

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Aaron T. Ohta, (808) 956-8196
Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering
Eric R. Matsunaga, (808) 956-7584
Director, Marketing & Public Affairs, College of Engineering
Posted: Aug 11, 2011

Aaron Ohta
Aaron Ohta
Wayne Shiroma
Wayne Shiroma
University of Hawai`i at Mānoa Electrical Engineering Assistant Professor Aaron Ohta and Professor Wayne Shiroma were recipients of a three-year, $344,424 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the use of liquid metal in circuits to create new types of tunable communication systems.
 
The development of reconfigurable antennas and components that can adjust and adapt to changing conditions could result in communication systems that are more versatile, multifunctional, robust and economical. Liquid metal can be moved and changed, adjusting the properties of circuits, which will allow wireless communications systems to be quickly optimized for various conditions.
 
Ohta, the principal investigator, specializes is microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), with an emphasis on microfluidics and optofluidics. He received his BS in electrical engineering from UH Mānoa, his MS from UCLA and his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley.
 
Shiroma, the co-principal investigator, specializes in novel architectures for next-generation communication and sensor systems that integrate high-speed devices, circuits and antennas. He received his BS in electrical engineering from UH Mānoa, his MEng from Cornell University and his PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder.