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About Flavio

I have been teaching at the university level on an ongoing basis since 2004. From 2014-2021, I worked as a teaching faculty in the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering at Simon Fraser University. In 2021, I joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where I have continued my vocation of teaching professor.

During my career, I have taught over 60 sessions at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The range of courses includes introductory courses (Engineering Design, Engineering Mechanics and Statistics for Engineers), fundamental engineering courses (Dynamics and Numerical Methods for Engineers), advanced engineering courses (Theory of Mechanisms and Design of Mechanical Elements), Systems Modelling and Simulation of Dynamic Systems and Robotics), and senior technical courses (capstone design courses and technical projects).

I believe that design-based learning is a pedagogical approach that builds the foundation for innovation in engineering. I have incorporated design projects in most of my courses. Design projects are structured to be challenging and engaging while addressing a significant number of learning objectives. These are open-ended problems where the students must apply concepts of engineering science in a real-world application.

Team of students choose their design projects and explore diverse concepts, thus reinforcing teamwork activities. I make sure that the projects contain a minimum number of constraints that let me meet the required learning objectives, while providing students enough freedom to be creative and innovative. I believe that an instructor has the responsibility to stimulate awareness and creativity.

Publications

Dr. Firmani's publications include: 

Books, contributions to books

• Firmani, F., Nokleby, S.B., Podhorodeski, R.P. and, Zibil, A., “Wrench capabilities of planar parallel manipulators and their effects under redundancy” In Huapeng Wu (Ed.), Parallel Manipulators: Towards New Applications, I-Tech Education and Publishing: Vienna, Austria, pp. 109-132, 2008.

Refereed journal publications

• Firmani, F. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Force-Unconstrained Poses for a Redundantly-Actuated Planar Parallel Manipulator,” Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 39, No. 5, pp. 459-476, 2004.
• Nokleby, S.B., Fisher, R., Podhorodeski, R.P., and Firmani, F., “Force Capabilities of Redundantly-Actuated Parallel Manipulators,” Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 40, No. 5, pp. 578-599, 2005.
• Firmani, F. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Force-Unconstrained Poses for Parallel Manipulators with Redundant Actuated Branches,” Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 29, No. 3, pp. 343-356, 2005.
• Firmani, F. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Force-Unconstrained Poses of the 3-PRR and 4-PRR Planar Parallel Manipulators,” Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp. 617-628, 2005.
• Zibil, A., Firmani, F., Nokleby, S.B., and Podhorodeski, R.P., “An Explicit Method for Determining the Force-Moment Capabilities of Redundantly-Actuated Planar Parallel Manipulators,” ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, Vol. 129, No. 10, pp. 1046-1055, 2007.
• Firmani, F., Zibil, A., Nokleby, S.B., and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Force-Moment Capabilities of Revolute-Jointed Planar Parallel Manipulators with Additional Actuated Branches,” Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 469-481, 2007.
• Wishart, J., Zhou, Y., Firmani, F. and Dong, Z., “Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of a Multi-Regime Hybrid Vehicle Powertrain Architecture,” International Journal of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 188-219, 2008.
• Firmani, F., Zibil, A., Nokleby, S.B. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Wrench Capabilities of Planar Parallel Manipulators, Part I: Wrench Polytopes and Performance Indices,” Robotica, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 791-802, 2008.
• Firmani, F., Zibil, A., Nokleby, S.B. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Wrench Capabilities of Planar Parallel Manipulators, Part II: Redundancy and Wrench Workspace Analysis,” Robotica, Vol. 26, No. 6, pp. 803-815, 2008.
• Firmani, F. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Singularity Analysis of Parallel Manipulators Based on Forward Kinematic Solutions,” Mechanism and Machine Theory, Vol. 44, No. 7, pp. 1386-1399, 2009.
• Firmani, F. and Park, E.J., “A Comprehensive Human-Body Dynamic Model towards the Development of a Wearable Exoskeleton for Paraplegics,” Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 745-757, 2009.
• Firmani, F. and Park, E.J., “A Framework for the Analysis and Synthesis of 3D Dynamic Human Gait,” Robotica, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 145-157, 2012.
• Firmani, F. and Park, E.J., “Theoretical Analysis of the State of Balance in Bipedal Walking,” Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 135, No. 4, 13 pp., 2013.
• Firmani, F., Robinovitch, S. and Park, E.J., “Biometric System for Measuring Gait and Fall Characteristics Captured on Video,” Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 136, No. 7, 10 pp., 2014.
• Brown, K.C., Hanson, H.M., Firmani, F., Liu, D., McAllister, M.M., Merali, K., Puyat, J. and Ashe, M.C., “Gait Speed and Variability for Usual Pace and Pedestrian Crossing Conditions in Older Adults using the GAITRite Walkway,” Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, first published on December 4, 2015.
• Lee, T.J., Zobayed, S., Firmani, F.,and Park, E.J. “A Novel Automated Transplanting System for Plant Tissue Culture,” Biosystems Engineering, Vol. 181, pp. 63-72, 2019.

Refereed conference publications

• Firmani, F. and Podhorodeski, R.P., “Force Degeneracies for a Redundantly Actuated Planar Parallel Manipulator.”

Office hours

 By appointment only.