https://www.michellecyuen.com/robotic-fabrics daily 0.75 2020-04-08 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/t/5e8e1e96be701b71b3876c27/1538452112268/ Robotic fabrics https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/5bb2e9ad24a694d3b26d3fc8/5bb2ea907817f7c42379442b/1538452112268/ Robotic fabrics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538452310866-GXR6TD0AI4F7I7K7P0D2/sensor_thread_combined.png Robotic fabrics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538452311355-LOSMJBSNW2H3WF96QEGN/act_unit_combined.png Robotic fabrics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538452332368-7NCG8XHZEGLTRH3SZO1D/Applications_combined.png Robotic fabrics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538452524769-Q99TY7H29TRP4GKORK4H/SplashFigure+No+Scale+Bar.png Robotic fabrics https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538452531519-ORJYLRWJJ02DETN4T2K8/Demo2_TimelineREVISED.png Robotic fabrics https://www.michellecyuen.com/research daily 1.0 2025-12-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538493614997-Z8L7X6A3WKE2W70XTKC6/SensorSchematic.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538448883837-WXBQASM3WG7V91P3WSC5/SplashFigSmall.png Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/eb322684-ca94-49c4-88c6-5812c3e915ba/Sarrus.jpg Research - Make it stand out Dielectric elastomer actuator driving motion of a compliant structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1538494174447-V60UTTDWZ4P9ZB32A8BN/2Fibers.JPG Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594236944376-M86TFIMGDK706B1F0905/Splash_SEM.png Research - Liquid metal electronics Robotic fabrics What are robotic fabrics? Think Iron Man but instead of that metal suit, it’s your clothes that augment strength and provide support. That’s the idea behind robotic fabric (and more broadly, robotic skins): planar robots that can wrap around soft objects (like human limbs), and impart motion on them. Click here for more on robotic fabrics. https://www.michellecyuen.com/liquid-metal-electronics daily 0.75 2025-12-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/68338a6b-6653-42da-a4c2-c8e74f8a87ae/jflex-gagraphic-3573959.jpg Liquid metal electronics - Make it stand out The liquid metal transmission line continues to transmit with little change in performance, even when stretched double its initial length. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594240199695-67U5WGHRZ1GYQKFMXJTO/Splash.png Liquid metal electronics Sonicate liquid metal (eutectic gallium-indium) in a water-containing solution. As the solvent evaporates, the water’s surface tension pulls on and ruptures the oxide skin surrounding each particle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594240208043-23B16RGETA8HQV9IIBJQ/Drying.png Liquid metal electronics - Resistance of film during drying Plot of resistance during drying. The different traces show inks created with different concentrations of water. Notice that all water-containing inks become conductive after drying. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594240223966-HQ2NR5J617IALP9XWGKL/Serp.png Liquid metal electronics - Example stretchable conductive trace Self-sintering liquid metal particle ink deposited into a silicone channel to create a stretchable conductor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594237669581-A8ZJRZZW3J39HYFY376B/Splash_SEM.png Liquid metal electronics Demo circuit showcasing laser-sintered resistors and capacitors, interfacing with opamp IC, and a stretchable interconnect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594237641001-H895BB19VRHO46KZ151K/Fab.png Liquid metal electronics - Fabrication process Deposit liquid metal ink, laser-sinter conductive traces, reconfigure as desired https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594237627351-ZR91QJSSZ8NR4GOV9EYL/OpAmpFig.png Liquid metal electronics - Example opamp circuit The gain of this opamp circuit is defined by laser-sintering resistors of different values. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594237668243-09PN1ISXBYDOISA6ZUND/Stretchable.png Liquid metal electronics - Kirigami-inspired stretchability Cutting staggered slits into the substrate carrying the conductive trace allows the film to be stretched without adversely affecting the conductivity. https://www.michellecyuen.com/variable-stiffness daily 0.75 2025-12-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594252210784-8TMF9AT1W7Z90K3QKHW5/Splash.png Variable stiffness materials - Bilayer construct Silicone elastomer (blue) cast on top of FMSi (gray) creates an interesting bilayer construct that can be thermo-mechanically programmed to hold a range of helical shapes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594252209283-HJWJ6LRV3N5X9M0UTOCY/PLOTColdHot.png Variable stiffness materials - Stiffness characterization The tensile modulus of FMSi when the Field’s metal particles are liquid (red) is much lower than when they are solid (blue). In fact, heated FMSi has a similar stiffness to native silicone (black). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594252211301-8M3Z5CECK7XDC7QPP0IB/Composition-Vacuum.png Variable stiffness materials - Topography recording FMSi can be used to record the fine details and broader contours of a toy racecar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594252208867-WZ4LH73LPWCQQG8RDF2M/Composition-Bladder.png Variable stiffness materials - Trajectory control of a pneumatic bladder Extending the bilayer demonstration, FMSi can be cast onto an inflatable pneumatic bladder. By thermo-mechanically programming the initial state of the FMSi, different trajectories can be accessed with the same pneumatic input. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594253106155-K60LTUH0B8IUK85KDXY6/2Fibers.jpg Variable stiffness materials - Active Variable-stiffness Fibers … combine actuation (shape-memory alloy) and stiffness-changing (thermoplastic polymer) functions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594248956965-CKJHZK8RHG2XRWB1TVIL/WireDiagram.png Variable stiffness materials - Composition of AVS fiber NiTi wire coated in polymer (ABS or PLA) = variable-stiffness. Shape memory alloy wire = linearly-contracting actuator. SEBS is used to bind the two entwined ‘threads’ together. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594248954559-DG8UY90XRTEZNEE2A4XO/WeightLifting_Paper.png Variable stiffness materials - Move-and-hold AVS fibers are able to lift a weight and hold it passively. This gives it an advantage over a simple SMA actuator in applications that require shape-holding functionality. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594249750160-B8FUSWF8GJVLT8FU8R29/Fig1_Splash.png Variable stiffness materials - Field's metal composites Field’s metal particles mixed into epoxy (A) and silicone (B) matrices. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594250813820-GHONUUHOU3V902USWYU3/FMbulkSand.jpg Variable stiffness materials - Field's metal particles Bulk Field’s metal is melted and shear-mixed in hot water to create Field’s metal particles (5-212um dia.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594249735536-YNW0ZM9V3HV49VTKPRFB/Fig6_FMEpoxyDemos.png Variable stiffness materials - Field's metal/epoxy composite FMEpoxy exhibits a wider range of stiffness compared to native epoxy (A). When used as the inextensible layer of a pneumatic bending actuator, the FMEpoxy can be used for move-and-hold operations (B). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594249740084-P3MUKKU5QAED6KJ6JL7N/Fig8_FMSiDemos.png Variable stiffness materials - Field's metal/silicone composite FMSi can be used for stretch-and-hold applications which can be used to create on-demand inflatable displays (A), or control the orientation of a pneumatic actuator (B, C). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1594249780979-IVXATOR27B64GEPTS9UI/FMSi+under+Zeiss.gif Variable stiffness materials - Close-up view of FMSi Here, an FMSi sample was heated, stretched, and then allowed to cool while held stretched. The FMSi was then exposed to heat and we can observe the needles of Field’s metal melt, allowing the silicone to pull itself back to its unstretched length. https://www.michellecyuen.com/soft-sensors-1 daily 0.75 2025-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737408834013-XK1MK5CN1PTDVNULBAFJ/image59.png Soft sensors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737408834524-UU0JDAUSXGO2Q8K2ZE8Y/image10.png Soft sensors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737409011243-V0K94GKM8V3USD8KNOJ3/image54.png Soft sensors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737409022193-5TCL0EX8Y0U6JVP37MPB/image57.png Soft sensors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737408835241-QD89XMP6VRM3ZGIJLB0C/image11.png Soft sensors https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737405988267-32EZW6K3EZBIORMUP71S/image7.png Soft sensors - Sensor charcuterie Stretchable capacitive strain sensors fabricated using stencil printing (top, green), extrusion printing (left, magenta), and doctor blading (right). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737405984566-SUFBYX0L64G8LA2XJWV9/image23.jpeg Soft sensors - Cross-sectional view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737405985537-55Q6N0RS6ZJBYE4G8KOE/image24.jpeg Soft sensors - Stencil printing This photo shows removal of the stencil (mask) after depositing the first layer of silicone (blue) in to the fabric (white). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737405987732-8NCFXPV6FEQDD2H31RUD/image26.jpeg Soft sensors - Film-based manufacture After casting the three layers of the capacitive sensors and allowing them to cure in a large film, individual sensors are laser-cut and removed from the film. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737405988757-LAMKM0VWALQ27SYFSMCX/image28.jpeg Soft sensors - Extrusion-printed sensors The extruder motor of a 3D printer was coopted to serve as a syringe pump to extrude the liquid pre-polymer materials to form the sensors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/1737405989840-8UNS8EG01UIB4PLZH0F1/image30.jpeg Soft sensors - Signal conditioning boards Signal conditioning boards (left tab on the sensors) were attached to the sensors to measure their capacitance and report the value as an analog voltage value. This board is vital for actually implementing the sensors in robotic applications. https://www.michellecyuen.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-03-29 https://www.michellecyuen.com/soft-material-actuators daily 0.75 2025-12-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5bb14acbd86cc921ffba6746/9c5f753c-6490-449e-a18e-c3a918fa409f/s44182-025-00030-7%281%29.jpeg Soft material actuators - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.