This work describes the development of high-performance metamaterials for impact mitigation. The approach uses a custom constructive geometry toolbox, the most challenging finite element simulations I have executed, and a custom test apparatus for recording performance in high speed impact scenarios. These metamaterials transmit up to six times more useful impact energy at equivalent density compared to isotropic foams.
Bonus coverage! CU Boulder; Denver Post; iHeart Radio Interview
In this research we present a method for 3D printing composite materials which are composed of three ingredients: a soft elastomer, a rigid plastic, and a liquid phase. We show that this method allows for continuous, local, and independent control of multiple material properties, presenting applications in mechanically-plausible synthetic biological tissue.
A. Hedrick, H. Kabutz, L. Smith, R. MacCurdy, K. Jayaram, “Femtosecond laser Fabricated Nitinol Living Hinges for Millimeter-sized Robots.” IROS, 2024
We present a method for fabricating tiny living hinges from Nitinol, an alloy with interesting superelastic properties. We characterize the mechanical compliance of these hinges using nonlinear simulation and physical experiments, and show applications for millimeter-sized robots.
This special invitation journal publication showcases the open source computational design platform SoRoForge I created between 2019 and 2022. The platform prioritizes seamless connectivity between design, simulation, and fabrication stages and is forward-compatible with emerging automated design methods.
This conference paper introduces a new paradigm for the seamless design, simulation, and fabrication of pneumatic soft actuators. This was the very first paper on which I can claim sole first-authorhship, and its publication was an enormous boost to my confidence as a researcher and academic writer! I presented the work at IEEE CASE in Lyon France, and won the distinction of Best Application Paper.
This paper describes our method for realizing high-definition multicolor visual models of human anatomy using inkjet 3D printing. It’s designed specifically as an instructional guide to aid other researchers in duplicating our results.
This paper describes a novel method for 3D printing a pneumatic bending soft actuator with an integrated strain sensor. The sensor is composed of electrically conductive plastic material and is co-printed with the rest of the actuator, enabling proprioception and contact detection.
This conference submission details the results of an automated design experiment that leverages the open source platform SoRoForge to describe the geometry and simulate the performance of a host of bending soft actuators. The experiment produces a slew of actuator designs which are simultaneously compliant and forceful, designed without any human intervention whatsoever. I 3D print a leading design and characterize its behavior.
This conference submission argues for the use of zero-thickness shell finite elements in the simulation of pneumatic soft actuators. A selection of actuator designs are simulated using these dimensionally reduced elements and using conventional volumetric elements, and we compare the results on the basis of speed and accuracy.
In this publication we detail a method for fabricating thermal bubble driven micro-pumps at a price point and development time much lower than conventional methods.
This publication details a method for superimposing and 3D printing multi-modal medical data to yield visual models of human tissues - for example a 1:1 3D print of a human brain derived from MRI scans, with EKG data superimposed onto the anatomy.
This publication describes a method for physically realizing volumetric medical datasets using multimaterial 3D printing, and quantifies advantages over conventional approaches.
This brief communication to 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing details the mechanical characterization process for soft, 3D printable materials with applications in soft robotics and energy absorption.