3D printing provides new opportunities for rapid prototyping and human-specific devices. We develop approaches to print structures composed of multiple materials. We seek to address questions such as: How can we print things faster and smaller? How do we engineer the adhesion between different materials? How can we improve the registration between materials? We have developed a custom open-source printer, and we use multimaterial nozzles developed in-house.​
We leverage our background in materials chemistry to develop materials that achieve high print fidelity while maintaining target mechanical and electrical properties, such as high toughness or conductivity.
Polymer actuators can be manufactured in variable geometries using low-cost materials, and their softness enables conformal interaction with biological systems. We develop deeper understanding of device physics and pursue new actuator geometries enabled by innovations in manufacturing approaches. Many emerging applications, such as adaptable metamaterials, require the coordinated movement of large arrays of actuators. We develop control interfaces and control algorithms to address these actuator arrays.
Bio-inspired robotics seek to take inspiration from clever solutions to difficult problems that have developed through millions of years of evolution. We combine sensors, actuators, and decision making while minimizing fabrication and system complexity. Our work includes: (1) methods to control large numbers of actuators to recreate the complexity of biological movements, and (2) sensors and technologies for spike-based computing that will enable hardware-based Artificial Intelligence to be distributed throughout the robot.