Research:

My research seeks to explore the development of novel soft robots, which utilize a flexible hemispherical shell coupled with pneumatic or hydraulic actuation to produce a complex “Pac-Man” grasping shape. Because soft robots tend to deform more slowly and with less force than rigid, motor-based robots, we utilize the unique spherical geometry to exploit the principle of mechanical buckling to improve speed and force output. These soft robots deform passively when contacting objects in their environment, which produces measurable changes in the device’s pressure; my research also aims to characterize this intrinsic sensing capability and observe how the devices can be used as low cost grippers with a sense of touch. 

How Will Your Research Benefit Society?

Soft robots pose a variety of benefits over their rigid counterparts including low cost, ease of manufacturability, and safety for human interaction. Our gripper’s ability to avoid stressing biological tissue, coupled with its passive environmental sensing capability, make it poised for surgical implementation. Additionally, due to the low manufacturing cost of the device, it could be easily customized for patient-specific treatment in settings for which the cost of cutting-edge laparoscopic devices is prohibitive. Additional future applications range from gentle manipulation and sensing of delicate underwater sea creatures for deep sea exploration to space-debris capture with superior dexterity levels and wrapping capabilities.

How will an ARCS Award Benefit Your Research?

An ARCS Award will help support the continuation of my research efforts, while also presenting the opportunity to expand my conference attendance and outreach opportunities. Beyond being a means to share the Tubaldi Lab’s work with others, these conferences are instrumental towards gathering intermediary feedback on the research and creating new avenues for interdisciplinary collaboration. Focusing more on out-of-lab collaborations will also facilitate the goal of implementing the soft robotic devices in true medical environments. Finally, I would aim to invest more time in my personal goals of improving K-12 engineering learning opportunities through additional Maryland Robotics Center events.

Career objectives:

In my career path, I have sought opportunities to utilize fundamental mechanical engineering principles within medical applications to improve quality of life through enhancements to safety or reductions in cost. The Tubaldi Lab has given me the opportunity to experience this process from the beginning, starting from initial device design with the intent to culminate in phantom trial experiments. I hope that this fantastic experience will pave the way for a future career in industrial medical robotics research. Specifically, I hope that I can continue using my understanding of soft robot design, manufacturing, and modeling to conceptualize and implement low-cost devices to revolutionize minimally invasive surgical applications in areas with limited funding and resources.