Fall 2025 meeting times will be on Mondays from 10:30-11:30am in the Leidos Lab. An additional hour will be scheduled once we have new team members class schedules.
This project will study arthropods through 3D printing. Arthropods, including spiders, crabs, insects, and isopods, are a phylum of invertebrates with bodies built of hardened segments connected by membranous joints. These hard-soft compliant structures, which can be driven by internal hydraulic systems, are a fantastic model for bio-inspiration of soft robots and lightweight actuators. This project will take place in the Bio-Inspired Manufacturing (BAM) Laboratory, who previously established methods to 3D print soft structures with fully integrated fluidic circuitry in a single print run.
The project will take advantage of the lab's printing facilities, from macro- to micro-scale fabrication technology. Students will explore this ubiquitous group of animals, select specific features they can additively manufacture, and integrate microhydraulics to build compliant structures such as micro-grippers and invertebrate-inspired metamaterials.
3D printing, fluidics, CAD
- Aerospace Engineering
- Bioengineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Fire Protection Engineering
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
- College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences
- College of Information Studies
Preferred Interests & Preparation
Interest in bio-inspired design. Experience with CAD and 3D printing is helpful but not required.
Spring 2025 Meeting Schedule & Location
Mondays 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Leidos Lab
*Team members will also be expected to attend a weekly lab time. Date, time, and location for lab meetings will be determined during the first class session*
Molly Carton (she/her)
mcarton@umd.edu
Mechanical Engineering
Ryan Sochol (he/him)
rsochol@umd.edu
Mechanical Engineering