Minoru Taya, PhD

Background and Interests

Dr. Minoru Taya has been a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Adjunct Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington since 1986. Most recently he becomes Adjunct Professor, School of Oral Health Science , UW. He received a Bachelor of Engineering in 1968 from the University of Tokyo, Japan; Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 1973 and Doctor of Philosophy in Theoretical Applied Mechanics in 1977, both from Northwestern University.

Dr. Taya is currently director of the Center for Intelligent Materials and Systems (CIMS). The intelligent materials that he has been studying are shape memory alloys (SMA), ferromagnetic SMA (FSMA), piezo-composites, electro- and photo-active polymers, and designed actuators based on these materials, including compact ferromagnetic SMA spring actuators, which provides a large stroke and reasonably large force at very high actuation speed. The FSMA actuators are for use in unmanned aircrafts and unmanned ground rover, as well as robotic arms. The electroactive polymers (EAPs) include hydrogels such as Nafion and Flemion, and electrochromic polymers. These EAPs are the key materials for fish fin actuators, smart antenna and smart window technology. In addition, Dr. Taya has been working on design and processing of several energy-harvesting materials and systems; (i) energy-harvesting electrochromic window (NSF-EFRI) and thermoelectric modules with low-cost and light-weight for UAV combustion chambers (AFOSR). Most recently, Dr. Taya has been working on oral implant materials based on toxic-free SMAs.

Dr. Taya served as Associate Editor for Materials Science and Engineering-A, and ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, and chair of the Electronic Materials Committee of ASME Materials Division. Dr. Taya is Fellow of ASME, American Academy of Mechanics, and International Editorial Board member of Advanced Composite Materials.

Dr. Taya has written two monograph books, (i) Metal matrix composites with R.J. Arsenault, Pergamon Press, 1989, and (ii) Electronic Composites, Cambridge University Press, 2005, and currently writing third book, “Bioinspired active and sensing materials and systems” in collaboration with several biologists.

Courses

• ME356: Machine design
• ME/MSE 485: Electronic packing and materials
• ME551: Elasticity
• ME552:Viscoelasticity and Plasticity
• ME/MSE 562: Electronic Composites
• ME/MSE 568: Active and sensing materials and devices

Publications

1. Hahl, J. and Taya, M., “Experimental and Numerical Predictions of the Ultimate Strength of a Low-Cost Composite Transtibial Prosthesis”, J. Rehabilitation Research and Development, 37 (4), 2000, pp.405-413.
2. Zhao, Y. and Taya, M., 2007, “Analytical modeling of stress-strain curve of a porous NiTi”, J Applied Mechanics, vol.74, 291-297.
3. Yamamoto, T. and Taya, M., 2007, “Martensitic transformation under magnetic field and mechanical loading of Fe-Pd single crystals”, J. Applied Physics Letts, 90, 251905.
4. Garuraya, S and Taya, M., 2007, “Design of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite made of Fe and TiNi particles”, J. Applied Physics, 102, 064910.
5. Wang, J., Xu, C., Taya, M. and Kuga, Y., 2006, “Mechanical Stability Optimization of Flemion Based Composite Artificial Muscles By Means of Proper Polvent”, J Mater Research, Vol. 21, No. 8, Aug 2006, 2018-2022.
6. Toi, Y, Lee, JB and Taya, M, 2008,” Magneto-superelastic analysis of shape memory alloy helical spring actuators controlled by magnetic force”, JSME, J. Computational Science and Technology, vol.2, no.1, 2008, pp.11-21.
7. Wang, J, Sato, H, Xu, Chunye and Taya, M., 2009, “Bioinspired design of tactile sensors based on Flemion”, J. Applied Physics, 105, 083515.
8. Kim, SY and Taya, M, 2010, “Electropolymerization kinetic study of 3,3-dimethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine and its optical optimization for electrochromic window applications”, Electrochimica Acta, 55, 5307- 5311.
9. Rong, Y., Kim, S.Y., Su, F.,  Myers, D. Taya, M., 2011, “New effective process to    fabricate fast switching and high contrast electrochromic device based on viologen and Prussian blue/antimony tin oxide nano-composites with dark colored state”, Electrochimica Acta 56 , 6230– 6236.

http://depts.washington.edu/cims/