Research Projects

The proposal aims to develop an integrated simulation-cum-experimental platform combining computer simulations and custom software tools with tracking and fabrication facilities to study soft-robots and shape-morphing materials. This platform will enable real-time feedback between simulation and experimental data from a 3D scanner, helping to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical behavior of soft-robots/materials. It will also include a rapid fabrication facility for creating soft-robots, using precision 3D printing, polymer curing stations, PCB assembly, actuator installation, and electronic testing. On the simulation front, the focus will be on geometric mechanics theories such as Kirchhoff rods, Föppl von Kármán sheets, and Naghdi shells, adapted to the specific characteristics of the robots. Hybrid models using data-driven techniques and digital twins will be employed to speed up simulations and assist in control strategy identification. The platform will also incorporate a novel method of self-mediated active morphological control, enabling robots/materials to sense their own shape at various force configurations and adjust dynamically using internal actuators to adapt to environmental changes. In terms of research, the platform will be used for three mini-projects: 1. Shape Detection Using Optical Feedback: Develop an assembly of LED and CMOS sensors inside the soft-robot to track its shape in 3D, which will be calibrated against 3D scanner data for accurate shape measurements. 2. Optimal Actuator Positioning: Identify the best locations for actuators to introduce deformation and maximize displacement with minimal effort. Pneumatic actuators will be used initially, and optimization will be performed both experimentally and through simulation tools. 3. Self-mediated Active Control: Integrate the sensing and actuation systems to create a device capable of shape morphing. A bio-inspired control strategy, based on feedback laws derived from simulations, will guide the robot to transform into desired shapes in real-time, mimicking natural systems like the deformation of worms, snakes, and octopuses. Our approach aims to advance the control and design of soft-robots and shape-morphing materials, with applications in fields like medical devices and adaptive structures.