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Postdoc @AMOLF in Amsterdam: Smart Fluidic Circuits for Autonomous soft robots

Submitted by Johannes T.B. … on

In this PostDoc, you will study ways to replace the electronics currently needed to control soft robots by dedicated soft fluidic circuits that will control and power the soft robot. You will e.g. work on embedding smart fluidic circuits that contain soft fluidic sensors, and that harness nonlinear mechanics to allow for direct feedback with the environment. The ultimate aim of this research is to ‘cut the tethers’, and to use such fluidic circuits to have soft robots perform tasks autonomously.

PhD positions opening in Sun Group at Columbia University

Submitted by WaiChing Sun on

Dear colleagues,

We are looking for PhD students in the broad area of computational mechanics. Our project is specifically focused on applications of machine learning (deep reinforcement learning, graph neural network) for computational plasticity and damage of crystalline and granular materials. 

USA citizenship is highly preferred but exceptional cases will be considered. Candidates from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. 

Virtual Opening of 3DEXPERIENCE Education Center for Advanced Composites

Submitted by Wenbin Yu on

Where will the composites workforce of the future come from? The demand for and production of composites – these extremely versatile materials – is booming. Why? They offer lighter weight, higher strength, longer fatigue life and higher heat tolerance compared with other materials like aluminum, steel and titanium.

Postdoc position at University of Glasgow

Submitted by ankushaggarwal on

A one-year postdoc position is available in my Computational Biomechanics Research Group at the University of Glasgow. The project is aimed at combining image segmentation with biomechanical calculations and requires experience in scientific code development and nonlinear biomechanics.

Flower Inspiration: Broad-angle Structural Color through Tunable Hierarchical Wrinkles in Thin Film Multilayers

Submitted by Chao Chen on

Dear colleagues, we have our recent paper, Flower Inspiration: Broad-angle Structural Color through Tunable Hierarchical Wrinkles in Thin Film Multilayers, published on Advanced Functional Materials. The cuticular nano-ridges on certain flower petals can selectively display broad-angle iridescence to enhance pollinators’ foraging efficiency. This paper develops a tunable broad-angle diffracting surface based on hierarchical wrinkling composites.

Numerical and experimental analysis of the bi-stable state for frictional continuous system

Submitted by Antonio Papangelo on

Friction induced vibrations are a very well known problem in engineering applications. Sometimes they are referred to be unpredictable, intermittent, capricious (!!!) and particularly experimentalists know this very well. Here, by means of numerical simulations and experimental measurements, we highlight how capriciousness may arise from the multistable behavior of frictional systems, i.e. their characteristic to show multiple stable solutions for the same set of governing parameters. Hence initial conditions and perturbations become crucial.

How contact area decreases under shear load in soft bodies?

Submitted by Antonio Papangelo on

A very good paper has just been published in JMPS by  J.C. Mergel, J. Scheibert, R.A. Sauer "Contact with coupled adhesion and friction: Computational framework, applications, and new insights". it shows the results of numerical simulations with soft bodies sheared by a tangential force. There is a vivacious discussion in Literature if the contact area reduces due to adhesion or due to large deformation.

keep reading-21

Submitted by Bin Wang on

Processing, structure and properties of polyacrylonitrile fibers with 15 weight percent single wall carbon nanotubes, Arias-Monje, Lu, Ramachandran, Kirmani, Kumar, Polymer, 2020

Novelty/impact/significance: