Most robotics systems currently in use rely on either an internal battery that is intermittently charged, or outside cables to provide power to local systems. As robots become smaller and approach micrometer or nanometer scales, sustaining battery and circuit technology to fit these size constraints become increasingly challenging. Magnetic origami robots give two major benefits. By integrating permanent magnetics within origami structures, magnetic fields can be used to extend or contract these robots and achieve both control and power transmission wirelessly. My research involves a twofold approach of both mechanical design and robotics testing. The first section of my Senior Thesis centers around constructing a 3-dimensional Helmholtz coil project that can manipulate magnetic objects such as foldable origami robots without direct contact. It will improve upon the existing device in use by providing a larger workspace volume inside the coil while generating an equally strong magnetic field of 60 mili-Teslas. The second section of my Senior Thesis revolves around using the current coil system to explore the resonance behavior of origami robots based on the Kresling origami cell. This is achieved by applying a continuous rotating magnetic field. At specific frequencies, we can cause these Kresling structures to collapse or expand through oscillation of a permanent magnet attached to the robot In this way, the robot can be actuated while consuming less power compared to a conventional static magnetic field approach. Because the resonance behavior is dependent on the material properties of the Kresling Robots, this research can pave the way for future research on isolated control of these structures across a variety of applications.

A 600V, 90kW peak variable frequency drive (VFD) is presented. It is capable of driving two motors independently and its control loop is extendable to allow for fast adjustments of current and vehicle state estimation. Power distribution, control, sensing, and temperature management are all analyzed in detail. SiCFETs are used as the main switching elements for better efficiency.

Electrification plays a significant role in combating climate change, and the electrification of aviation has been a challenge, particularly because of the strict power density requirements of the power and propulsion systems in electric aircraft. Recently, hydrogen-fuel celled planes have been a promising solution to this problem, but two of the major obstacles with this new technology are various voltages needed on an airplane and the cryogenic temperatures involved with liquid hydrogen. One critical voltage level needed is a low voltage 28VDC bus that is used to power all the avionics on an aircraft and will be the objective of this two part thesis. The first part of this thesis details the construction and design decisions of a double pulse test testbench to observe and analyze the hard switching power loss and the dynamic resistance characteristics at various drain source voltages of cryogenically cooled Gallium Nitride transistors. The data and information gathered from the test is analyzed and used for the second part of the thesis to build a prototype converter that is capable of converting the output from a typical aircraft-sized hydrogen fuel cell (250VDC) to the aircraft standard low voltage (28VDC) that has features optimized for cryogenic temperatures. The novel contributions of this thesis involve investigating the dynamic resistance behavior of pure enhancement-mode GaN transistors at cryogenic temperatures and the construction of a cryogenic power converter based on pure enhancement-mode GaN transistors.

This thesis presents the design and implementation of a magnetically actuated Kresling robot capable of rolling locomotion, bistable folding transitions, and modular self-assembly. Leveraging the geometric properties of the Kresling structure and inplane magnetized plates, the system responds to uniform magnetic fields generated by a triple-axis Helmholtz coil. Two design iterations were developed—one using silicone-neodymium composites, and another with permanent magnets for improved control. Real-time tracking via ArUco markers and color segmentation enables visionbased pose estimation. Analytical models identify optimal torque conditions for state transitions, and experiments validate consistent actuation and successful magnetic docking between units. This work demonstrates the feasibility of scalable, untethered origami robots, with future potential for autonomous control and reconfigurable soft robotic systems.