Daniel K. Flippo, Ph.D.

Curriculum Vitae

2789 Purcell Rd Manhattan KS Cell: 316-305-5748

Email: DKFlippo@ksu.edu

Research Experience

Laboratory Testing of Space Robotics and Rover Wheel to Soil Interaction

• Design, fabrication, and execution of single wheel and full assembly rover testing lab.
• Extensive use of Suspension and Wheel Evaluation and Experimentation Test-bed (SWEET).
• Planned and executed all experiments for personal research as well as a continuing education course for junior high teachers.
• Numerous experiments and proof of concept with predicting Skid Steering performance by single wheel testing.

Field Testing Experience

Desert testing of University of Oklahoma's SR2 rover: May 2006, August 2007, and September 2008

• Long distance testing done near the Salton Sea in Southern California to prove the validity of a simplified rover design concept.

Graduate Research Assistant, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

• Advisor: Professor David P Miller, Wilkonson Chair of Intelligent Systems

Designed and fabricated one of the solar panels for the University of Oklahoma's SR2 Rover.

Organized and facilitated robotics lab weekly skill and concept presentation seminars.

Publications

Conference Papers:

Flippo, D., and D P Miller. 2008. Design of Rover Wheel Testing Apparatus. International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics in Space (i-SAIRAS), Universal City, CA: i-SAIRAS.

Flippo, D., and D P Miller. 2009. Turning Efficiency Prediction for Skid Steer Robots Using Single Wheel Testing. In Proc. 7^th Field and Service Robotics, 479-488. Cambridge MA: Field and Service Robotics.

White, Z., D. P. Miller, M. Roman, M. Ravine, D. Flippo, B. Mills, B. Nixon, E. Noe, and M. Malin. 2006. Control and Operations for a Long Duration Solar Powered Mars Rover. Apple Developers Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Journal Publications:

Flippo, D., and D.P. Miller. Suspension and Wheel Evaluation and Experimentation Test-bed. 2011. International Journal of Robotics and Automation. 1(1) : 29—37.

Flippo, D., and D.P. Miller. 2013. Turning Efficiency Prediction for Skid Steering via Single Wheel Testing. Journal of Terramechanics: (in review).

Education

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. December 2009.

• Major: Mechanical Engineering
  • Advisor: Professor David P Miller, Wilkonson Chair of Intelligent Systems
  • Committee:
    • Dr. Cengiz Altan, President's Associates Presidential Professor
    • Dr. Zahed Siddique, Associate Professor
    • Dr. Takumi Hawa, Assistant Professor
    • Dr. Amy Cerato, Junior Faculty Research Program Award, NSF Career Award, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

• Ph.D. Dissertation Title: Design and Analysis of Rover Wheel Testbed
  • Funded by: NASA Mars Technology Grant in cooperation with Malin Space Science Systems
  • Courses Included: Controls, Space Robotics, Space Systems, Advanced Engineering Mathematics, and Multimedia for Engineers.

• Application and Value: Full space rover testing is expensive and time consuming which has led to NASA phasing out its iterative design and extensive testing of rover wheels. The research done in this dissertation gives theoretical and empirical solutions to this as well as describing enhancements for skid steering performance through wheel design.

Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering: Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, December 2004.

• Major: Mechanical Engineering

• Advisor: Dr. Benham Bahr
• Committee:
  • Dr. Hamid Lankarani
  • Dr. James Steck

• M.S. Thesis Title: Design, Simulation, and Fabrication of Bipedal Robot and its Walking Gates
  • Courses included: Mechatronics, Intermediate Dynamics, Vibrations, Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, Computer Aided Analysis of Mechanical Systems
  • Application and Value: Bipedal robotics is an emerging and exciting topic in engineering research with many applications in a bipedal human run world. This master’s topic focused on studying and designing a bipedal robot and its walking gates.

Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering: Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, December 1994.

• Major: Mechanical Engineering
  • Courses included: Composites, Mechanical Engineering Design, Flight Dynamics
  • Senior Design Project: National General Aviation project competition, worked with psychology department to better understand and implement human factor and ergonomics concepts into a public use general aviation plane.

Teaching Experience

Wichita State University, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Instructor, ME 439 Mechanical Engineering Design I: Fall 2004

Principles of mechanical design, emphasizing practice in the application of many mechanical design elements: shafts, bearings, gears, pressure vessels, etc.

University of Oklahoma, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Instructor, AME 3353 - Design of Mechanical Components: Spring 2010

Analysis and design of mechanical subsystems and selection of elements such as gears, shafts, pressure vessels, springs, and modern mechanical components.

Instructor, ENG 1411 Intro to Engineering (Robotics Emphasis): Fall 2009, Spring 2010.

Freshman engineering students explore the field of robotics by participating in team design and fabrication of a robotics project culminating in a robotics competition and exhibition.

Instructor, AME 4812 - Dynamics and Controls Laboratory: Spring 2010

Implementation of instrumentation and controls for mechanical systems exploring design factors in the control of mechanical systems.

Instructor, AME 2113 Statics: Summer 2007, Fall 2010

Vector representation of forces and moments: general three-dimensional theorems of statics; centroids and moments of area and inertia. Free-body diagrams, equilibrium of a particle and of rigid bodies, distributed loads, friction and internal shear and moment loads. Analysis of trusses, frames, and machines.

Teaching Assistant - "Treading on Science" part of an NSF Research Experience for Teachers grant at the University of Oklahoma: Summer 2009

Used SWEET machine to evaluate teacher's wheel designs and assisted students in design and curriculum.

Teaching Assistant, AME 3103 Engineering Design Graphics: Spring 2009

Visualization and modeling techniques for product design and development. Design methodology, graphic standards, projection theory, freehand sketching, spatial geometry, CAD systems, geometric modeling, and tolerance.

Teaching Assistant, ENG 1510 Intro Physics for Engineers: Fall 2007, Spring 2008

Auxiliary lectures for engineering students to aid in learning engineering physics.

Teaching Assistant, AME 2401 Engineering Computing: Fall 2005, 2007, 2008.

Introduction to computer programming and university computing facilities. Program design and development through computer application exercises in engineering.

Teaching Assistant, AME 3623 Embedded Real-Time Systems: Spring 2008.

The fundamentals of real-time embedded systems including processes, scheduling, frequency requirements, and watchdog timers. Extensive work with actual real-time systems.

Teaching Assistant, AME 3112 Solids Lab: Fall 2006.

Measurement of displacement; velocity, acceleration, force, torque, strain, stress, data acquisition and processing as well as data analysis.

Teaching Assistant, AME 4623 Systems Engineering: Fall 2006.

Preparing aerospace or other engineers who may work in the aerospace industry to understand, analyze, and design overall aircraft and spacecraft systems, including ground operations systems. Including guest lecturers from the aerospace industry who introduce real world applications of aerospace systems engineering.

Kansas State University, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Instructor, ATM 455 – Engine and power transfer: Spring 2014,2015

Principles, operation, and analysis of engine thermodynamics, fuel and combustion, engine components, engine cycles, engine power transfer and efficiencies, and exhaust gas emissions. Mechanism and selection of bearings, belt drives, chain drives, gear drives, and shaft drives. Operation and performance analysis of hydraulic power transfer components and systems, fluid mechanics, and hydraulic motors.

Instructor, BAE 750 - Analysis and Design of Off-Highway Vehicles: Fall 2014

Analytical study of design, testing, construction, and operating characteristics of off-highway vehicles and machinery. Includes human factors, mobility, and precision agriculture.

Lessons and Value:

Initially I viewed teaching as a way to pay the bills and a necessary time drain. I complained that I was never allowed to teach the same subject because of the time commitment. As time went on I realized the benefits of my experience and my perspective changed. The basic courses that I taught such as Statics, Solids lab, and Machine Design strengthened and deepened my understanding of those core subjects as I sought to communicate understanding to the students. Other courses such as Engineering Computing and Embedded Real-Time Systems gave me experience, expertise, and appreciation in areas that I would not have had. The broad range of subjects that I taught has given me experience, depth, and knowledge that I would not have traded for the time I gave to it.

Professional Experience

• Kansas State University, Manhattan
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
  • Powered Machinery and off road terrain systems

• John Deere, Waterloo Iowa
  • Senior Engineer, Drive Train Electronics
  • Responsible for programming embedded drive strategy controllers of large 6000, 7000, 8000, and 9000 tractors.
  • Extensive use of C, Tasking, Matlab, and Simulink.
  • Level 2 certified in tractor operation.
  • Team lead for AGILE team: role includes team health, managing a team of three, and responsibility of end quality and delivery of software.
  • January 2011 to August 2013

• Cessna Aircraft Company, Wichita KS
  • Design Engineer
  • Responsible for design of interior furniture and systems in the Citation business jets as well as some interview responsibilities.
  • Extensive use of Catia IV and PIOS software, trained in CATIA V.
  • Part of a Total Quality Management re-engineering team that streamlined a design process for most custom Citation jet projects.
  • June 1995 January 1998, June 2000 August 2005

• Global Link Consultants, Dalian People's Republic of China
  • January 1998 { February 2000
  • Intern at American import/export office (20 months)
  • Office manager (4 months)

Conferences and Workshops Attended

• AGILE training
  • Waterloo, Iowa September 2011.

• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Seminar
  • Chang Mai, Thailand March, 1999.

• Total Quality Management
  • Cessna Aircraft Company, 1996

Grants

• Research funded by NASA Mars Technology Grant in corporation with Malin Space Science Systems of San Diego California.
  • Research funded by NASA Mars Technology Grant in corporation with Malin Space Science Systems of San Diego California.
  • The program focused on creating mature technologies leading to smaller, less resource-intensive and less expensive sight systems that can be built quickly and efficiently.
  • Miscellaneous

• Comprehensive Study of light wavelength and image processing to Automatically Identify Corn Pests.
  • Funded by the Kansas Corn Commission to study potential means to ID and count pests from underneath the corn canopy.

Personal Projects

• Agricultural Tourism Start-up Company
• Involved in marketing and sales of Johns Town Farm grass finished beef.
• Designed and fabricated amusement train, trebuchet, and kinetic hammer for Grammy's Pumpkin Patch (part of Johns Town Farm). These were used for daily educational presentations about to children at the pumpkin patch.
• Used trebuchet and cattle guard for student design projects in the Design of Mechanical Components course at the University of Oklahoma.
• Alternative Fuel Hobby
• Alternative fuel blending license from the state of Iowa.
• Construction of system for filtering and blending of waste lubricating oil as well as waste vegetable oil for use in personal Diesel car.
• Weekly student and international student community building
• Provided weekly dinners for students in my home since 2001.
• Introduced international students to the farming community and agricultural experience.
• Supported several students in overseas exchange programs.