Smart materials

During the summer of 2011, I worked as a researcher in Dr. Seelecke's Multifunctional Materials Systems Lab at the Universität des Saarlandes in Saarbrücken, Germany. My work focused on the use of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires to mimic the function of biological muscles. First, a kinematic model of the bat motion is developed in order to determine the desired [...]

As a student at North Carolina State University, I performed research in Dr. Seelecke's Adaptive Structures Lab. During this time, my focus was working with Dielectric Electro-Active Polymers (DEAPs). DEAPs are thin, stretchable capacitors that can be used as either actuators or sensors. By applying a high electric field, the shape and stiffness of the [...]