DIMLab Stander Symposium Projects

Soft robots depend on flexible, compliant materials that let them move through tight, unpredictable spaces. In this work, a soft robotic system is being designed to crawl through pipes for inspection and repair. Pipe networks expose components to constant bending, moisture, and mechanical stress. As such, the materials and the design itself must be both durable and adaptable. The presented research focuses on the experimental aspects of this soft robot development. This includes 1.) models for the behavior of these materials, and 2.) testing of components in a benchtop prototype setting. The material behavior is investigated by examining the tensile behavior and material response under repeated loading. The component testing includes inflating parts to various pressures to gauge its behavior.

A mechanical press shapes parts by driving a ram into a metal sheet to deform it into a desired form. Because this process is widely used-from forming pop cans to shaping car body panels-mechanical presses play a crucial role in global manufacturing. The metal forming industry has recently encountered a shift towards servomotor drivetrains that can electronically alter the ram motion profile. The objective of this research is to develop alternative linkage drivetrain designs that generate prescribed ram motions while maintaining acceptable joint forces. By focusing on a drivetrain linkage, this study leverages the advantages over their servo-driven counterparts, including higher speeds, lower costs, greater precision, and improved energy efficiency. The research evaluates five drivetrain designs under industrial conditions to enhance the dwell phase and achieve the required joint forces. Two of these designs are currently prevalent in the industry, while the remaining three offer potential advancements.

The goal of this project is to develop a low-cost soft robotic system capable of navigating pipes to remove blockages and other obstructions. Soft robotics is a rapidly expanding field due to its ability to safely interact with complex environments and adapt to confined spaces and has applications in industries ranging from healthcare to aerospace to automation. This research focuses on the design, modeling, and finite element analysis (FEA) of several potential soft robotic concepts intended for pipe navigation. Multiple competing designs were developed as solid models and evaluated to determine their feasibility and structural performance. Finite element analysis was conducted on key components to assess deformation, stress distribution, and overall functionality under expected operating conditions. The prototypes are designed using a Loctite resin, a product well suited for rapid prototyping through 3D printing due to its durability and flexibility. The results of this work provide insight into viable soft robotic designs and support the development of an affordable robotic system for pipe inspection and blockage removal.. 

The objective of this research is to determine optimal structural designs for key components of an aircraft featuring a bio-inspired rotating empennage (BIRE). Critical structures analyzed include rotary bearing housing, internal ring gear support, and supporting airframe structure. Finite element analysis (FEA) was performed in SolidWorks to evaluate structural performance under maximum expected operational loads. Both static displacement and natural frequency analyses were conducted to assess stiffness and dynamic behavior, including implications for flutter. Multiple design iterations were evaluated to identify configurations that minimize structural weight while maintaining required stiffness and structural integrity. The resulting optimized component designs demonstrate improved weight efficiency while meeting stiffness and dynamic performance requirements for the BIRE airframe.

This research project presents the design of two FDM printed demonstration models representing a “bio-inspired rotating empennage” of a fighter jet, known as the BIRE, developed to reduce drag and increase efficiency. A primary requirement was to ensure that the model of the rotating empennage mechanism did not interfere with the internal volume required for the aircraft’s engine. Two full scale models were created for comparative analysis. The first empennage model represents a baseline configuration that matches conventional airframe construction. The second model incorporates mass optimization techniques while maintaining the essential form and functional strength of the structure. Both models were then scaled down appropriately and were produced using Bambu Labs 3D printers to allow rapid prototyping and detailed physical visualization of the design concepts. By comparing the standard and mass-optimized configurations, the project demonstrates how structural material can be strategically reduced while maintaining necessary spatial clearances and overall design intent. The resulting models provide a tangible demonstration of design trade-offs between structural integrity, weight reduction, and geometric constraints, highlighting important considerations in aerospace structural design and optimization.

This work establishes and maintains a centralized, up-to-date geometric model design repository for an aircraft featuring a bio-inspired rotating empennage (BIRE). The BIRE project involves multiple researchers concurrently developing different aspects of the design. These include aerodynamic studies based on the outer skin surface, mechanical system weight estimation and reduction studies, structural optimization of the airframe, and design modifications to mitigate buckling and increase structural vibration frequencies. In addition, the current design data supports the development of a scaled demonstration model and accompanying visualization of the empennage motion. File management is coordinated through a system referred to as the Source of Truth (SoT), a central CAD model that maintains the geometric representation of the active design parameters. The SoT serves as the authoritative reference for the project, enabling consistent updates across the team and providing a reliable baseline in cases where conflicting design changes arise.

This poster presents an analysis of the energy regeneration capabilities of stabilator deflections in an aircraft with a Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage (BIRE) control system. The goal of this study is to determine whether aerodynamic loads on the stabilator during flight maneuvers can be used to recover mechanical energy. Aerodynamic data was generated using NAELL software for approximately 1,500 simulated flight cases across multiple flight conditions and maneuvers, including steady level flight, pull-up, push-over, roll, and coordinated turns. These simulations produced stabilator deflection angles, aerodynamic force locations, and hinge torques. Neural networks were then trained on this dataset to predict stabilator behavior for flight conditions between the simulated cases. Energy regeneration potential was evaluated by calculating the instantaneous mechanical work associated with stabilator motion using the change in hinge torque and deflection angle. A large database of representative fighter aircraft sorties was then used to simulate realistic mission profiles. Combining these sortie profiles with the neural network predictions allowed estimation of the total energy that could potentially be recovered using the BIRE stabilator system over an aircraft’s operational lifetime.

Scroll compressors utilize two meshing involute curves to trap and compress refrigerants, traditionally relying on a constant wall thickness to facilitate manufacturing. Yet gas pressure is lowest at the outer suction edge and highest at the central discharge port. Implementing a variable-thickness wall tapering from thin to thick optimizes structural integrity while maximizing the initial suction volume within a fixed footprint. Evaluating the performance gains of these variable-pitch geometries introduces mathematical complexities, including non-linear tip-meshing anomalies and transient fluid mixing. To solve this, this research developed a physics model in MATLAB to understand the geometric boundaries and simulate simultaneous, multi-chamber mass flows. By extracting unified Pressure-Volume (PV) diagrams from this model, the results quantify how variable-thickness profiles generate higher built-in volume ratios and greater overall compression efficiency compared to conventional designs