BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Memento EPFL//
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:HASEL Artificial Muscles - Versatile High-Performance Actuators fo
 r a New Generation of Life-like Robots
DTSTART:20190401T101500
DTEND:20190401T113000
DTSTAMP:20260408T074549Z
UID:149fb670d4e13a34dd1bedf7f4536afb38423219c37ced471af6d918
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Prof. Dr. Christoph Keplinger\nUniversity of Colorado Boulder\
 nInstitute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture\n\nCampus Lausanne 
 SV 1717 (live)\nCampus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)\nZoom Live Stream: http
 s://epfl.zoom.us/j/805358547 \n\nAbstract: Robots today rely on rigid comp
 onents and electric motors based on metal and magnets\, making them heavy\
 , unsafe near humans\, expensive and ill-suited for unpredictable environm
 ents. Nature\, in contrast\, makes extensive use of soft materials and has
  produced organisms that drastically outperform robots in terms of agility
 \, dexterity\, and adaptability. The Keplinger Lab aims to fundamentally c
 hallenge current limitations of robotic hardware\, using an interdisciplin
 ary approach that synergizes concepts from soft matter physics and chemist
 ry with advanced engineering technologies to introduce intelligent materia
 ls systems for a new generation of life-like robots. One major theme of re
 search is the development of new classes of actuators – a key component 
 of all robotic systems – that replicate the sweeping success of biologic
 al muscle\, a masterpiece of evolution featuring astonishing all-around ac
 tuation performance\, the ability to self-heal after damage\, and seamless
  integration with sensing.\n\nThis talk is focused on the labs' recently i
 ntroduced HASEL artificial muscle technology. Hydraulically Amplified Self
 -healing ELectrostatic (HASEL) transducers are a new class of self-sensing
 \, high-performance muscle-mimetic actuators\, which are electrically driv
 en and harness a mechanism that couples electrostatic and hydraulic forces
  to achieve a wide variety of actuation modes. Current designs of HASEL ar
 e capable of exceeding actuation stress of 0.3 MPa\, linear strain of 100%
 \, specific power of 600W/kg\, full-cycle electromechanical efficiency of 
 30% and bandwidth of over 100Hz\; all these metrics match or exceed the ca
 pabilities of biological muscle. Additionally\, HASEL actuators can repeat
 edly and autonomously self-heal after electric breakdown\, thereby enablin
 g robust performance. Further\, this talk introduces a facile fabrication 
 technique that uses an inexpensive CNC heat sealing device to rapidly prot
 otype HASELs. New designs of HASEL incorporate mechanisms to greatly reduc
 e operating voltages\, enabling the use of lightweight and portable electr
 onics packages to drive untethered soft robotic devices powered by HASELs.
  Modeling results predict the impact of material parameters and scaling la
 ws of these actuators\, laying out a roadmap towards future HASEL actuator
 s with drastically improved performance. These results highlight opportuni
 ties to further develop HASEL artificial muscles for wide use in next-gene
 ration robots that replicate the vast capabilities of biological systems.\
 n\nBio: Christoph Keplinger is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engine
 ering and a Fellow of the Materials Science and Engineering Program at the
  University of Colorado Boulder\, where he also holds an endowed appointme
 nt serving as Mollenkopf Faculty Fellow. Building upon his background in s
 oft matter physics (PhD\, JKU Linz)\, mechanics and chemistry (Postdoc\, H
 arvard University)\, he leads a highly interdisciplinary research group at
  Boulder\, with a current focus on (I) soft\, muscle-mimetic actuators and
  sensors\, (II) energy harvesting and (III) functional polymers. His work 
 has been published in top journals including Science\, Science Robotics\, 
 PNAS\, Advanced Materials and Nature Chemistry\, as well as highlighted in
  popular outlets such as National Geographic. He has received prestigious 
 US awards such as a 2017 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering\, 
 and international awards such as the 2013 EAPromising European Researcher 
 Award from the European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles. He is t
 he principal inventor of HASEL artificial muscles\, a new technology that 
 will help enable a next generation of life-like robotic hardware\; in 2018
  he co-founded Artimus Robotics to commercialize the HASEL technology.\n\n
 Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral
  program. 
LOCATION:SV 1717 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==SV%201717
STATUS:CONFIRMED
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR