Levin Sliker
PhD - Mechanical Engineering
About Me
I was born and raised in Colorado Springs, CO. After graduating high school I attended the University of Colorado (CU) for an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering (B.S., 2010). I stayed at CU for graduate school (M.S., 2012 and Ph.D., 2015) where I was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow from 2010 to 2013. During graduate school I spent one year (2013-2014) working at the BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, Italy as a Whitaker International Fellow and Fulbright Scholar. My graduate work was in the area of capsule endoscopy, focusing on locomotion systems for automated capsule endoscopy procedures.
Professional interests include medical robotics, robotic mobility systems, medical device design, soft material mechanics, mechatronics, automation, assistive technology for the disabled and aging population, and search/rescue technologies and robots. My graduate work focused on developing a mobility system for a robotic capsule endoscope using micro-patterned treads for friction enhancement. The work performed at CU was divided between robot mechanical, and experimental and modeling analysis of the contact problem. Several robot prototypes were designed and evaluated in vivo, and an automated traction measurement (ATM) platform was developed for evaluating robotic wheel treads on the benchtop. Several models (empirical, finite element, and analytical) were developed to predict traction force as a function of robot translational speed, wheel rotational speed, robot weight, substrate type (biological or synthetic), tread size, and tread geometry. The work performed at the BioRobotics Institute moved away from the tread-tissue interaction and focused on the capsule-tissue interface. I developed and experimentally validated an analytical model to predict the force needed to drag a capsule endoscope through all regions of the gastrointestinal tract.
I was raised to appreciate the great outdoors and I continue to make it a integral part of my life. My personal passions outside of engineering include rafting, kayaking, skiing, biking, and traveling. I was a raft guide on the Arkansas River during college and developed a severe passion for whitewater rafting. Some of my favorite multi-day trips include Westwater Canyon (Utah), Cataract Canyon (Utah), and the Grand Canyon (Arizona), which are all a part of the Colorado River drainage basin.
Photo: Just below Lava Falls, mile 179.7 in Grand Canyon National Park
