About

Shorya Awtar is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan and holds the Joseph E. Shigley Collegiate Professorship of Engineering. His research interests encompass mechanical design, precision engineering, human-centric design, mechatronic systems, and robotics. His specific research and development topics include constraint-based design, parallel kinematics, flexure mechanisms, dynamics of flexible systems, electromagnetic actuators, medical devices for minimally invasive surgery, precision motion stages for semiconductor metrology, motion sickness mitigation in autonomous vehicles, rehab robotics, modular prostheses, and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). Awtar has contributed significantly to the development of innovative technologies in these areas, including micro-actuators and surgical devices, which have garnered multiple awards and recognition. His work has led to advancements in minimally invasive surgical tools, high-precision nanopositioning, and the design of systems that enhance societal benefits through translational biomechanics research and entrepreneurship.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence
• Medicine
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Mathematics
• Reliability engineering
• Algorithm
• Classical mechanics
• Human–computer interaction
• Operating system
• Orthodontics
• Physics
• Structural engineering
• Anatomy

Selected publications

• A New Class of Single-Degree-of-Freedom Compliant Mechanisms With Optimal Bearing Characteristics

  Journal of Mechanical Design · 2026-03-17

  articleSenior author

  Abstract This paper introduces a new class of single-degree-of-freedom (DoF) compliant mechanisms that exhibit optimal bearing characteristics, defined by low stiffness in the out-of-plane motion direction, high stiffness in the in-plane bearing directions, and zero parasitic motion in the in-plane bearing directions. This new class features multi-layer arrangements of two thin, planar compliant mechanisms (referred to as diaphragm flexures) separated in the out-of-plane direction and strategically interconnected at several critical locations. Optimal bearing performance is not achievable in traditional single-layer diaphragm flexures. The only prior mult-ilayer design based on folded flexure beams, despite exhibiting optimal bearing characteristics, suffers from two major limitations: structural complexity and poor bearing stiffness in the in-plane rotational bearing direction. To address these limitations, this work presents a novel synergistic integration of two design innovations: (1) a new single-layer diaphragm flexure comprising nested flexure beams instead of conventional folded flexure beams and (2) two distinct multi-layer architectures between a pair of diaphragm flexures comprising nested beams, each incorporating a carefully designed combination of compliant and rigid elements and specifically tailored to overcome one of the fundamental limitations associated with the previous folded beam multi-layer design. Analytical models are derived for the bearing direction and motion direction stiffness of the proposed multi-layer designs that closely match finite element analysis (FEA) predictions, and the optimal bearing performance of these designs is demonstrated and thoroughly discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Design, fabrication and experimental characterization of the bearing performance of diaphragm flexures comprising folded beams

  Precision Engineering · 2026-03-06 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
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• Physiological data-driven models for motion sickness prediction

  Applied Ergonomics · 2026-02-04

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Experimental characterization of a sandwich double parallelogram flexure mechanism

  Precision Engineering · 2026-02-14 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Minimizing Under-Constraint in Folded Beams to Achieve Optimal Bearing Performance in Diaphragm Flexures

  Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics · 2025-09-03 · 4 citations

  articleSenior author

  Abstract Diaphragm flexures are widely used in various precision applications to generate guided motion along the out-of-plane directions and provide load bearing along the in-plane directions. The traditional Asymmetric Simple Beam (ASB) diaphragm flexure suffers from large parasitic rotation about the out-of-plane translation direction. The Asymmetric Folded Beam (AFB) design eliminates or minimizes the parasitic rotation seen in the ASB design and offers desirably low out-of-plane stiffness. However, its in-plane stiffness is undesirably low and exhibits a steep drop with increasing the out-of-plane displacement due to the under-constraint of the unsupported ends of the folded beams. This paper proposes a novel diaphragm flexure design, referred to as the Sandwich Asymmetric Folded Beam with Parallelogram Flexure Module in-plane interconnect (SAFB-PFM), that minimizes the under-constraint of the folded beams in the AFB design, thereby achieving a substantial improvement in the in-plane stiffness without compromising the out-of-plane stiffness. This novel design comprises a sandwich arrangement of two identical AFB diaphragm flexures spaced apart along the out-of-plane direction, with out-of-plane interconnects between the two corresponding diaphragms, the two corresponding frames, and every pair of the corresponding unsupported ends of the folded beams and an in-plane interconnect between the unsupported ends of each AFB layer. The optimal bearing performance of the SAFB-PFM design (i.e., high in-plane stiffness and low out-of-plane stiffness) is demonstrated via nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) followed by several physical design observations. Additionally, FEA-based modal analysis is utilized to highlight the improved dynamic performance of the sandwich design compared to the single-layer AFB design.

  PublisherDOI

• A Multi-Layer Diaphragm Flexure With a Spatial Interconnect Structure

  2025-08-17

  articleSenior author

  Abstract Diaphragm flexures generate guided out-of-plane motion while providing in-plane load bearing for a broad range of precision applications. This paper presents a novel multi-layer diaphragm flexure design that exhibits optimal bearing performance (i.e. low stiffness in the out-of-plane direction and high stiffness in the in-plane directions) and nearly zero parasitic rotation about the out-of-plane translational direction, simultaneously. The new design consists of a multi-layer arrangement of two identical diaphragm flexures comprising “nested flexure beams”, spaced apart along the out-of-plane direction. The two corresponding diaphragms, the two corresponding ground frames, and every pair of the corresponding unsupported ends of the nested beams are interconnected between the upper and lower layers. Additionally, the unsupported ends of the nested beam are also interconnected within each respective upper and lower layer. Analytical models are presented for the in-plane and out-of-plane stiffness of the proposed design that closely match Finite Element Analysis (FEA) results. The novel design proposed in this paper offers a simpler interconnect structure compared to the previous design comprising folded flexure beams, facilitating the manufacturing and assembling processes and leading to a lighter sandwich design with more favorable dynamic performance.

  PublisherDOI

• Experimental Investigation of the Efficacy of Preemptive Tilting Seats in mitigating Carsickness

  Applied Ergonomics · 2025-02-07 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author
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• Non-Minimum Phase Zeros in Multi-Degrees-of-Freedom Undamped Flexible Systems

  Journal of vibration and acoustics · 2025-08-07

  articleSenior author

  Abstract This article investigates nonminimum phase zeros in the transfer function, between actuated load input and measured position output, of multi-degrees-of-freedom (DoF) undamped flexible systems. The transfer function of an undamped flexible system can be modally decomposed into second-order modes, where each mode is characterized by its modal residue and modal frequency. It is well known that when all the modal residue signs are the same, all the zeros of the undamped flexible system are minimum phase. However, it is not always possible to guarantee the same sign for all modal residues, given practical constraints on actuator and sensor placement. This article presents a new sufficient condition for the absence of nonminimum phase (NMP) zeros when all modal residue signs are not the same. First, a sufficient condition for the absence of only complex NMP zeros is derived in terms of the sequence of modal residue signs. Once this sufficient condition is obtained, the sufficient condition for the absence of all NMP zeros, i.e., complex as well as real NMP zeros, is derived. The efficacy of this sufficient condition is then demonstrated theoretically and experimentally via two case studies. These case studies show that the sufficient condition allows a large design space for the choice of physical parameters, is mathematically easy to use, is robust to parametric variations and modeling uncertainty, and is applicable even in the presence of a small amount of damping. These attributes make the sufficient condition useful in several motion control applications where the dynamic performance is limited by the presence of NMP zeros.

  PublisherDOI

• Nonminimum Phase Zeros of Multi-Degrees-of-Freedom Damped Flexible Systems

  Journal of vibration and acoustics · 2025-01-13 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  Abstract This article investigates the nonminimum phase (NMP) zeros in the transfer function, between actuated load input and measured displacement output, of a multi-degrees-of-freedom (DoF) flexible system in the presence of proportional viscous damping. NMP zeros have a negative impact on the dynamics and control of flexible systems and therefore are generally undesirable. Viscous damping is one potential means to guarantee that no NMP zeros exist in the system. However, the impact of viscous damping on NMP zeros of multi-DoF flexible systems is not adequately studied or understood in the literature. To address this gap, a change of variable method is used to first establish a simple mathematical relationship between the zeros of a multi-DoF undamped flexible system and its proportionally damped counterpart. The “proportional” viscous damping model is used due to its practical amenability, conceptual simplicity, and ease of application. This mathematical relationship (between zeros of an undamped system and its damped counterpart) is used to derive the necessary and sufficient condition for the absence of NMP zeros in proportionally damped flexible systems. A graphical analysis of this necessary and sufficient condition is provided, which leads to the formulation of simple proportional damping strategies. A case study of a 4DoF flexible system is presented to demonstrate how a proportional viscous damping strategy can be used to simultaneously guarantee the absence of NMP zeros in multiple single-input single-output (SISO) transfer functions of a multi-DoF flexible system.

  PublisherDOI

• Nonlinear Complementary Strain Energy Formulation for Planar Beam Flexures Undergoing Intermediate Deflection

  Journal of Mechanical Design · 2025-02-07 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  Abstract The previously presented beam constraint model (BCM) successfully captures pertinent nonlinearities to predict the constraint characteristics of beam flexures. This has been followed by multiple attempts to construct a more comprehensive framework comprising strain energy (SE) principles and complementary strain energy (CSE) principles. However, comprehensive results are still lacking in the current literature, especially in the validation of the CSE definition, fundamental relations between beam coefficients, further relationships between the SE and the CSE, and suitable examples. This article addresses all these gaps. The nonlinear CSE is derived using the principle of complementary virtual work for a planar beam undergoing intermediate deflections. This result is shown to be consistent with the load—displacement relations and the nonlinear strain energy formulation in the BCM. Furthermore, the current article also demonstrates for the first time that the SE and the CSE are interrelated through the gap energy, which is derived and formulated in terms of tip loads. Finally, this CSE expression is employed in the analysis of a fixed-guided mechanism. All results are validated to a high degree of accuracy via nonlinear finite element analysis.

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Recent grants

• Multi-axis Parallel-Kinematic Motion Systems with a Large Dynamic Range

  NSF · $331k · 2011–2015

• PFI-RP: Advanced Nanopositioning Stages for High-Throughput Semiconductor Metrology

  NSF · $765k · 2020–2024

• CAREER: Elastic Averaging - Nature's Design Paradigm for High Performance Flexure Systems

  NSF · $430k · 2009–2014

• Non-Minimum Phase Zeros in the Dynamics of Flexure Mechanisms

  NSF · $316k · 2016–2020

Frequent coauthors

• Siddharth Rath

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  14 shared

• Shiladitya Sen

  11 shared

• Alexander H. Slocum

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  9 shared

• Moeen Radgolchin

  8 shared

• Guimin Chen

  First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University

  8 shared

• Mohammad Olfatnia

  8 shared

• Gaurav Parmar

  8 shared

• A. John Hart

  7 shared

Labs

• Precision Systems Design LaboratoryPI

  Not provided

Awards & honors

• Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, SAE, 2012
• Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Society of M…
• Achievement Award, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Uni…
• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2009
• One of the six most promising invention disclosures filed in…