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 […]
MEAM Ph.D. Thesis Defense: “Multi-Robot Coordination and Cooperation via Graph-Based Computation”
Multi-robot coordination and cooperation are critical behaviors that improve team performance and enable new tasks in application areas like autonomous construction, agriculture, and extended operation in large unknown regions. This […]
MEAM MSE Thesis Defense: “Algorithmic Design of an Origami Squirrel-Inspired Paw for Quadrupedal Locomotion in Bar-like Terrains”
The Dynamic Origami Quadruped (DOQ), an origami quadrupedal robot, has been primarily utilized for hopping and walking on flat ground. However, adapting it walking on bar-like terrains presents significant challenges. […]
MEAM Seminar: “Bio-inspired Architected Materials/Structures with Enhanced Failure Characteristics”
Structural failure is a critically important design consideration in many engineering applications. Nature provides a number of interesting examples of lightweight structural features that exhibit outstanding failure characteristics. Recent progress […]
MEAM Seminar: “Tribosintering of Metal Oxide Nanocrystal Antiwear Additives: Growth, Wear, and Modeling”
Machinery relies on lubrication to regulate the friction and wear at contacting interfaces. As new lubricants become less viscous to comply with environmental and cost-saving standards, the risk of surface-initiated […]
BE Seminar: “Synthetic reconstitution of complex cellular behavior” (Ahmad Khalil, Boston University)
Cells use genetically-encoded molecular circuits to execute diverse biological functions. We are developing novel tools of synthetic biology that allow us to construct regulatory circuitry inside living cells that recapitulate […]
MEAM Seminar: “Fingertip Friction, Materials, and Tactile Perception”
Sliding touch is one of the key inputs for the perception of materials in our environment. We are interested in the contribution of fingertip friction to the process of tactile […]