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 3. You are currently on: Biomimetics Laboratory


BIOMIMETICS LABORATORY

ABI's Biomimetics Lab, where work on electric charge has helped create
groundbreaking inventions.

Our research is centred around soft sensors, actuators and smart materials, with
a special focus on dielectric elastomers. Our projects range from basic research
to real world applications.


MEET THE LAB




OUR RESEARCH


GENERAL OVERVIEW

Our research revolves around combining electric charge with soft polymer to make
stretch sensor for capturing gestures and body motion, actuators for soft
robots, or energy converters that can transform human body motion into
electricity.

Our research has led to the creation spin-out companies, including:

 * StretchSense

 


WE NEED YOU!

We are constantly looking for talented students for our numerous projects.

Get in touch with us for more information (i.anderson@auckland.ac.nz
or dorb476@aucklanduni.ac.nz)

 


RESEARCH AREA 1: BASIC RESEARCH


STRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS IN NANOCOMPOSITES

The past several decades has brought significant advances in the availability
and variety of nanomaterials and nanoparticles. With this has come the use of
nanocomposites in a diverse range of applications. Nanocomposite materials
combine tiny nanoparticles with traditional engineering materials to combine the
properties of the two phases into a single material. These composites often
exhibit complex behaviour and multifunctionality. Much research in our lab often
utilises stretchable conductive composites for many applications, taking
advantage of their unique electro-mechanical properties. However, the physical
mechanisms underlying their behaviour are still not fully understood.

This project uses experimental analysis, computational Monte Carlo simulation,
and statistical mechanics to better understand the complex relationship between
the nano to microscale structure of nanocomposites, and their emergent
macroscopic behaviours.

Logan is working on Monte Carlo modelling of conductive nanocomposites to
understand the mechanisms underlying changes to the electrical properties of the
composites when deformed. Logan is supported by the University of Auckland
Doctoral Scholarship.


RUBBER IN SPACE

Dielectric Elastomer Transducers (DETs) integrated into inflatable structures
can form the basis for soft, low mass robots. These can be packed into very
small spaces and then simply deployed via inflation. Being soft also makes them
safer, allows them to change their shape easily to adapt to different
environments and different orientations. These attributes, combined with the
high power density of DETs, make active inflatables ideal for space robotics. We
have constructed prototypes capable of multi-directional movement using only
electrical actuation, and combined these with electro-adhesive technology to
allow controllable gripping of nearby objects or surfaces. Our first design,
MIDA, was presented at the EuroEAP conference of 2019. This, and our other
prototypes have potential applications in the fields of on-orbit repairs,
structural health monitoring (and control) of inflatable space structures, and
lightweight planetary/asteroid rovers.

These prototypes face many challenges however, before they would be ready for
operation in space. Low Earth Orbit (LEO, from 100 – 2000 km above the earth) is
a hostile environment for any material. Any robot in LEO must contend with
extreme heat (and cold), intense electromagnetic radiation, plasma, and reactive
oxygen gas amongst other problems. In order to protect our soft robots, we have
been developing a space-grade sunscreen, designed to shield the DETs from this
harsh environment through a combination of low-Z (light metal) oxide
nanoparticles suspended in a vacuum-stable silicone grease. Ground-based testing
in oxygen plasma facilities is used to perform accelerated space-aging tests,
simulating months to years of orbit in a matter of days. This will allow us to
test how long our robots will be able to survive in space.

This project is laying the groundwork for the production of inflatable DET space
robots. Though in its early stages, the development of smart-material
lightweight space robots has the potential to change the ways we can explore
space.

Joe is working on this project and is funded by Sensor Holdings Limited
(StretchSense)


RESEARCH AREA 2: NOVEL SOFT TRANSDUCERS


COMPRESSION SENSORS FOR THE MANIPULATION OF FRAGILE OBJECTS

The tactile sense is one of the most important ways to get information from the
outside world. Take the example of babies that only use their tactile sense to
find their mother in the early time after birth. In contrast, most robotic
manipulators are devoid of tactile sense, which can lead to injuries or damages
when manipulating soft tissues or delicate objects.

The aim of this project is to develop soft proprioceptive feedback for robotic
manipulators, in order to give robots the ability to sense their environment and
interact safely with it. One of the key elements of the research project
consists in the development of a very sensitive and compliant capacitive touch
sensor, based on structured silicone and interdigitated electrodes (IDEs). We
are also studying soft sensor topologies that combines thin capacitive sensors
on passive paddings to increase the sensitivity. Our compressive sensors are
able to measure small forces (0-10N) while conforming to the target object, and
we are working on position location, multi-touch detection, as well as shear
force measurement. All of these technologies can be included in a soft
compression skin that can be included to robotic manipulators to measure the
grasping force, identify the contact points when picking up an object, and
detect possible slippage. Other applications include clinical measurement mats
to exercise the feet of patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcer.


Masoumeh and Yuting are working on compression sensing. Yuting is supported by
Sensor Holdings Limited (StretchSense) and the department of Engineering
Science. Masoumeh is supported by a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship,
and she is part of the University of Stuttgart – UoA International Research
Training Group (IRTG) on soft tissue robotics.


SMART SENSING ALGORITHMS TO EXTRACT MORE INFORMATION FROM SOFT SENSORS

Soft sensors give information on how much they are being stretched or compressed
by changing their capacitance? It would be extremely useful if, in addition from
the amount of force or deformation applied to the sensor, we were also be able
to extract location information, i.e. which part of the sensor is deformed.
Instead of splitting the sensor in a multitude of sub-sensors and multiply the
number of wires and electrical connections, we will rely on smart algorithm
based on machine learning. The concept is simple: we send an excitation signal
with a broad frequency range in the sensor, and depending on the frequency
spectrum of the measured signal, we can identify not only the amplitude of the
deformation, but where it has been applied. All this without any physical
modification to the sensor: we rely on computing power to extract more
information from simple sensors.

Consider a soft compression sensor mounted on a robotic gripper designed to
handle fragile objects such as fruits or berries (figure below). From a single
pair of wires, the algorithm enables to measure how much pressure is applied to
the object, and where along the gripper the fruit is located.



Literature on the subject:

 * Capacitive Stretch Sensing for Robotic Skins (2019)
 * A numerical method for measuring capacitive soft sensors through one channel
   (2018)


UNDERWATER PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING

Cheng Huan is working with hydrogels and nanocomposites to create novel soft
sensors for the monitoring of human physiological signals underwater to improve
diver safety. This project is funded by the Office of Naval Research.


SOFT HYDRODYNAMIC SENSING

The ocean covers most of the surface of our planet, yet much of it remains
unexplored. Novel biological unmanned autonomous vehicles (BUAV) or fish-like
robots aim to utilize the efficiency of undulating swimming fish like the Wahoo
or the bluefin tuna to achieve longer mission times. Just like their biological
counterparts, these robots require sensory input to understand the water around
them to swim efficiently in flow, harvest the power of eddies and cooperate
their motion with other robots.

Our research aims to create soft, robust sensors to detect hydrodynamic
signatures around fish-like robots with the goal of creating sensors which can
be deployed in open ocean conditions withstanding deep sea journeys. We use
dielectric elastomer sensors to detect water speed, flow direction and
turbulence in the water revealing objects in the flow ahead.

Arne is working on developing novel sensors for hydrodynamic flow sensing in
fish-like robots.



RESEARCH AREA 3: APPLICATIONS


BRINGING MOTION CAPTURE UNDER WATER

Gesture recognition and sensor-based motion capture have been growing areas of
research for the past few decades. With project ADRIATIC (Advancing Diver Robot
Interaction Capabilities) the Biomimetics Laboratory is taking this research
underwater. The project sees the development of dive gloves with integrated
wearable sensors and electronics. As participating divers perform gestures, a
machine learning algorithm assesses the hand motion and recognizes these in
real-time. They are then interpreted as commands or messages and transmitted
acoustically through the water to a buddy diver or robot.


The video bellow shows an underwater trial, where Biomimetics Lab glove is being
used to communicate and command an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed
by the LABUST Lab from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. As the diver performs
a gesture, it is recognized and communicated to the AUV as a movement
instruction.





LIGHTWEIGHT HAPTIC FEEDBACK ON A DE MOTION CAPTURING GLOVE


With the rising popularity of virtual reality, comes a need for more natural and
intuitive human machine-interaction methods (HCI). One such method is using a
motion capturing smart glove to enable hand-object interaction in VR/AR.
However, when the user is trying to interact with a virtual object with their
hand, the missing sense of tactility could negatively impact their experience.

This research aims to develop a lightweight haptic feedback system to a mo-cap
glove. The feedback actuators are responsible for communicating haptic cues on
different object properties, such as surface roughness, stiffness and location
of touch.


Antony is working on this project and is funded by the University of Auckland
Doctoral Scholarship.

Derek and Chris are working on this project and are supported by the Office of
Naval Research (ONR) Global, through project ADRIATIC.



TORTURING BRAIN CELLS TO UNDERSTAND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Because our soft actuators are compact, integrated to a transparent membrane and
fast, they are perfect to make deformable bioreactors that can submit cells to
mechanical deformation.

Why do we want to stretch cells? Because this allows to perform in-vitro
experiments that are more similar to what happens in-vivo. If you think about it
most of our cells are constantly submitted to mechanical deformation (muscles,
cardiac cells, intestine), or force (bones), which a culture in a Petri dish
cannot recreate. For example, we are using the rapid stretching rate of our
actuators to submit brain cells to a mechanical insult. This enables to recreate
traumatic brain injury in vitro and study gene expression or scar formation.

Yi-Han and Sahan are working on this project, in collaboration with Vickie Shim
(ABI), and Thomas Park and Mike Dragunow (Centre for Brain Research). Yi-Han is
supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment of New
Zealand’s Catalyst Fund, and Sahan is supported by a University of Auckland
doctoral scholarship.


OUR SPIN-OUT COMPANIES

 * StretchSense


MEMBERS


PRIMARY CONTACT

Prof. Iain Anderson



ACADEMICS

Prof. Iain Anderson
Dr Masoumeh (Massi) Mahmoudinezhad
Dr Derek Orbaugh Antillon


PROFESSIONALS

Gabor Papotti



STUDENTS

Arne Bruns
Cheng Huan
Sahan Jayatissa
Robin Milward
Logan Ritchie
Antony Tang



Our people


INTERNATIONAL LINKS

 * Switzerland: EMPA and EPFL
 * UK: Bristol Robotics Lab
 * US: US Army Research Lab





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