MEAM Seminar: “Systemic Disadvantages for LGBTQ Professionals in STEM”
Researchers have documented race and gender bias in STEM for decades, but there has been little parallel examination of LGBTQ status as an axis of inequality. How do LGBTQ-identifying STEM […]
MEAM Seminar: “CRISPR-Programmed Microfluidic Devices for DNA Detection, Computing and Digital Display”
CRISPR is a gene editing technique that allows researchers to quickly and precisely edit genome sequences. Beyond gene editing, CRISPR-Cas systems can be repurposed as a programmable platform for other […]
MEAM Ph.D. Thesis Defense: “Enhancing Photophoretic Levitation using Three-dimensional Structures for Flight in the Mesosphere and on Mars”
Current propulsion and flight mechanisms limit atmospheric observations. The mesosphere is too dense for satellites and too thin for typical planes and balloons, with similar conditions found in the Martian […]
MEAM Seminar: “Programmable Strain-responsive Biopolymer Networks Adapt to High Magnitudes of Mechanical Loading”
Biopolymer hydrogel materials typically exhibit relatively low range of programmable modulus less than 100 kPa, which limits their biomedical applications, such as in articular cartilage and synthetic joints, where tissues […]
MEAM Seminar: “Impulse-Induced Dynamic Transitions in Flexible Mechanical Metamaterials: Harnessing Nonlinear Wave Dynamics for Advanced Engineering Applications”
Mechanical metamaterials are artificially designed structures that offer unique properties like negative Poisson’s ratio, tunable stiffness, and advanced thermal characteristics. While the static properties of mechanical metamaterials have been widely […]
MEAM Seminar: “Towards Understanding Tactile Sensing Across the Robot Manipulation Stack”
Humans are exceptionally skilled at manipulating a diverse range of objects, apparent from the order of magnitude difference in sizes, weight distributions, stiffnesses, and geometries of items we use on […]
MEAM Seminar: “Exploring Self-assembly of 2D Materials: Insights from Graphene Auto-kirigami”
Two dimensional (2D) materials with atomic-scale thickness like graphene exhibit substantial in-plane stiffness and strength while maintaining significant out-of-plane flexibility. This enables the assembly of graphene into complex multilayer and […]
MEAM Seminar: “Soft Pneumatic Force Application through Membrane Design and Stiffness Control”
Modern robotic platforms are designed for precision, but their cost and rigidity make them impractical for many at-home physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) applications. Soft pneumatic actuators (SPA) have potential as […]
MEAM/MSE Special Seminar: “Starfish-Inspired Tubefeet for Temporary Underwater Adhesion”
Temporary and switchable underwater adhesion plays an important role in robotic underwater locomotion and transportation. The physical features of the suction cups of octopuses have been mimicked, where the vacuum […]
MEAM Seminar: “Dynamic Bipedal Walking on Unstructured Terrain through Real-Time Perception and Control”
Bipedal robots have seen significant interest from academia and industry for their potential to efficiently traverse unstructured environments, such as disaster zones, industrial infrastructure, and cluttered homes. Autonomous bipedal walking […]