ORE Seminar: Miniature Soft Robotic Systems Towards Complex Fluidic Environmen

The emerging field of miniature soft robots with unprecedented maneuverability, adaptation, and safe interactions with surrounding environments has endowed new platforms to overcome critical challenges in hard-to-reach marine and biomedical scenarios. Focusing on system-level construction, we first synergized soft actuators and bio-inspired structures to create small-scale soft robots emulating larval zebrafish and jellyfish. A class of magnetically actuated laval fish-like milliswimmers was investigated to unveil the mechanism of accomplishing energy-efficient propulsion in the intermediate flow regime. Then, electrohydraulically actuated jellyfish-like platforms were developed to realize further practical underwater functions, such as both contactless and contact-based object manipulation, steering, team operations, and outdoor untethered swimming, besides their fast, energy-efficient, and silent propulsion. Next, using similar small-scale robotics techniques, we developed wireless soft devices and the associated systems for practical biomedical functions, such as local anchoring, on-demand drug delivery, and flow diversion, in distally tortuous tubular structures with fluids of human bodies. Overcoming the fundamental challenges on a small scale will help achieve the overarching goal of intelligent miniature soft systems for robust and reliable real-world utility in biomechanics, marine robotics, biomedical applications, and beyond. Tianlu Wang Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Location Information **This seminar will be held both in person (Bilger Hall 150) and over Zoom** https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/95081858686 Meeting ID: 950 8185 8686 Passcode: OREseminar

Event Sponsor
Ocean and Resources Engineering, Mānoa Campus

More Information
(808) 956-7572, https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/ore/event/seminar_240228/

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