| In the News: Archives In the Lab: Robots That Slink and Squirm
New York Times article on the Biomimetic Technologies for Soft-bodied Robots project
"The robot lies dissected on the black slab of a lab table, its silicone rubber exterior spread and flattened like a trophy snakeskin. Hair-thin wires run in a zigzag line along the inner length of its pale artificial flesh. Barry Trimmer flicks a small switch and the wires contract, causing the silicone to bunch up; the skin crawls, so to speak." Read more >>
 Biomimetic Technologies for Soft Bodied Robots
Keck Foundation Award to Tufts University
The Tufts Biomimetic Devices Laboratory (BDL) is at the center of a new consortium
of seven Tufts faculty in the Schools of Engineering and Arts and Sciences that has
been awarded a Keck Foundation grant of $730,000 to develop "Biomimetic Technologies
for Soft Bodied Robots".
 The overall goal of the program is to carry out research into biologically-based
technologies that use soft materials and to incorporate them into a new type of highly
flexible robot. These machines will have applications in biomedical diagnosis and
surgery, emergency rescue and exploration, and for monitoring or repairing space
vehicles. Devices based on these technologies are also expected to improve the
versatility and performance of conventional robots. In addition to this novel research,
the program will recruit and train students from both Science and Engineering to work
together in cross-disciplinary areas.
 The project is co-directed by Professors Barry Trimmer (Biology Department and
Biomimetic Devices Laboratory) and David Kaplan (Biomedical Engineering). Professors
Robert White (Mech. Eng.) and Sameer Sonkusale (Elect. & Comp. Eng.) will supervise
projects in the Tufts Microfabrication Laboratory. Professors Luis Dorfmann
(Civil/Envir. Eng.) and Gary Leisk (Mech. Eng.) will supervise the material testing
and modeling parts of the project and Professors Valencia Joyner (Elect. & Comp. Eng.)
and Sameer Sonkusale will direct the design and production of soft material integrated
circuits. The Keck grant will provide specialized equipment for use with soft materials
and biomechanics experiments.
Additional News
Building on work from students in the BREEM program, senior
Mechanical Engineers Gregory Bettencourt and Raymond Radovich have designed and built
a new molding system for the most recent Softbot prototype. This system makes use of
3-D printing technology to form multi-part interlocking components into which silicone
elastomers and shape-memory alloy actuators can be assembled. Further development of
this approach will be possible through the recent support of the Keck Foundation.
See below.
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Barry Trimmer
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Make Like a
Caterpillar
To most of us, caterpillars are a
necessary evil, creepy-crawly first drafts
for all those beautiful butterflies that
flutter around the petunias. In the eyes of
neurobiologist Barry Trimmer, however, it’s
precisely their unsavory squirminess that
makes caterpillars worth studying. As animal
movement is normally conceived, caterpillars
shouldn’t be able to move at all.
Learn more about Trimmer's research and the coming metamorphosis in
robots in
The Winter 2007 article featured in Tufts
Magazine >
BREEM Students Join the Biomimetic Devices Laboratory
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| Daniel Rogers |
This summer, the Tufts biomimetic devices laboratory is hosting two students in the
BREEM (Biomedical Research Experience for Engineering Majors) program funded by the NIH and administered by
Prof. Claire Moore at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Research (Tufts University Medical School), and
Prof. Peter Wong in the School of Engineering.
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| Steven Warren |
Daniel Rogers is returning for his second summer research experience at Tufts and is building the second generation prototype of a soft-bodied robot called
Softbot 2. Dan is a rising senior in the Tufts University Department of Mechanical Engineering with particular interests in materials and biomimetic engineering. In 2005 he was responsible for developing the composite shape memory alloy and silicone elastomer actuators that allows Softbot to move. He is currently using subtractive rapid prototyping and a variety of moldmaking techniques to cast complex elastomeric shapes that have embedded actuators.
Steven Warren is a rising junior majoring in Electrical Engineering. Steve is co-sponsored by Professors
Valencia Joyner and
Barry Trimmer and is designing and building an electronic control system for Softbot 2. This control system will consist of a software module and a hardware interface using concepts derived from the neuromechanics of soft-bodied animals.
One overall goal of both of these projects is to develop technologies that will be used in a new type the flexible endoscope for biomedical diagnosis and surgery.
A Biomimetic Passive Gripper Inspired by Caterpillar Legs
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| Daniel Hake |
Daniel Hake successfully defended his MS thesis in Mechanical Engineering on July 7th 2006 by demonstrating a climbing robot that grips without expending energy. Dan’s prototype uses shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators and the intrinsic compliance of its legs to ascend a vertical wooden dowel. The project originated from observations of the caterpillar, Manduca sexta, which naturally holds onto branches and only needs to do muscular work when it wants to let go or move around. Dan is currently finishing up his work by making the device autonomous. The gripper is expected to find uses in robots that need to stay in position for extended periods (for example during surveillance) and by using SMAs it is very scalable, cheap to make and has a very high strength to weight ratio. The project was co-sponsored by
Prof. Chris Rogers (Mech. Eng.) and
Prof. Barry Trimmer (Biology).
Kenneth Roeder Memorial
Lecture
April 6th, 2006 - 7:30pm - Barnum 008
You are encouraged to attend the annual
Kenneth Roeder Memorial Lecture. This year's
lecture will be by Professor Roy Ritzmann
(Case Western Reserve University, Program in
Neuromechanics) who will talk about the
neural control of terrestrial locomotion in
different environments.
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