Soft Robotic Manipulators With Variable Stiffness Actuation

In this project, the student aims at exploring material shifting for stiffening mechanisms in soft robotics. This is fundamental science in the multidisciplinary field of soft robotics (which are made of structures using silicone or fabric materials) and combines the engineering fields of material science, control, and robotics. To bridge the gab between soft and traditional rigid robotics, researchers have embedded stiffening mechanisms. Hence, theses soft, stiffness controllable robots have become more complex in their control and larger. This project investigates how to combine the actuation and stiffening chamber and deploy material shifting. The area of application include medical devices for healthcare (e.g., minimally invasive surgery) or growing/self-healing soft robotics.