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Dr Surya G . Nurzaman Senior Lecturer PhD
Research expertise : Soft Robotics , Bio-inspired Robotics , Embodied Intelligence , Machine Learning , Dynamical Systems
E : surya . nurzaman @ monash . edu T : + 603 5515 9641
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Unlike their biological counterparts , most of today ’ s robots are made of rigid materials such as metals . Having a soft body can potentially realise robots that are safer , cheaper , and more adaptable than the level that the conventional robots can have . Nevertheless , these " soft material robots " generally have complex designs and dynamics . To cope with the difficulty , I focus on the principle in biological systems that shows the importance of their embodied intelligence . It is a concept which states that the morphology ( e . g .: shape and material properties ) of creatures , and their interaction with the environments , can facilitate control and sensing in the generation of intelligent behaviours . I also investigate novel machine learning approaches for |
intelligent design and dynamics modelling purposes . Examples of the applications of soft material robots include soft robotics grippers for grasping various objects with irregular shapes , including those integrated with aerial robots for delivery drones . For more information , please visit : https :// sgnurzaman . org / |
Soft robotic grippers that can grasp various objects with irregular shapes
Soft and compliant aerial grasping for delivery drones
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Ir Dr Tan , Ming Kwang Associate Professor PhD
Research expertise : Microfluidics , Acoustofluidics , Nanofiltration , Germination , Atomization
E : tan . ming . kwang @ monash . edu T : + 603 5514 4436
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In the last decade , surface acoustic waves ( SAWs ), which are nanoscale amplitude eletromechanical Rayleigh waves that propagate on a piezoelectric material , have been shown to be a powerful vehicle for manipulating microscale fluid and particle behaviour , for a host of microfluidic applications . Such operations include liquid and drop transport , mixing , sorting , flow regulation , and atomization , in addition to particle trapping and concentration . Given that SAWs constitute an extremely efficient means for converting electromechanical energy to fluid motion , which is at least by |
one to two orders in magnitude compared to conventional bulk ultrasound , it is possible to drive most SAW-mediated microflows using a handheld electronic circuit , which together with the portable SAW chip , constitutes a significant advantage over conventional means of microfluidic actuation that require large and cumbersome ancillary equipment that cannot be easily miniaturized and integrated for true portable field use . Currently , we focus on integrating two-dimensional nanomaterials into these devices to further increase the efficiency of these operations . |
Rapid transport of water molecules within the 2-dimensional materials driven by SAWs
Rapid isolation of nanoparticles using 2-dimensional materials actuated by SAWs
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