My Research
Bioinspired Suction Cups
I contribute to a large-scale marine mammal monitoring project (Project CETI), which requires effective adhesive devices for attaching monitoring tags to sperm whales. For this, I developed a study that utilized a force-sensing robotic arm as a tool to test the adhesive performance of bioinspired suction cups under shear loading. Using fish species like clingfish, lumpsuckers, and loaches for inspiration, our designs highlight parameters of interest seen in biological adhesive discs (shape, stiffness,
soft rims) that we wanted to evaluate with our shear tests. We found that our fish-inspired cups improved adhesive performance on multiple surfaces, most likely a result of the variable stiffness in the cups. Additionally, many suction discs in fish also host a soft rim comprised of protrusions called papillae, and the inclusion of this feature in some of our designs improved stability and performance on rough and compliant surfaces.
Insect-Inspired Robots
I work with the lab’s insect-scale ambulatory robot (HAMR), designing bioinspired structures for improved locomotion on diverse terrains. For one of my projects, I drew inspiration from the leg spines of ground beetles (Family: Carabidae), exploring how morphology can enhance frictional interlocking when traversing rough and inclined terrains. To select appropriate designs for robotic testing, I measured various features on the leg spines of biological specimens and utilized phylogenetic methods and linear models to identify important parameters like spine angle and aspect ratio. Based on parameters of interest, bioinspired spines were fabricated and subjected to several shear tests on various surfaces before they were deployed on the legs of our HAMR robot for locomotion tests. In addition to this spine research, I am involved with several of the lab’s other insect-scale robot platforms (HAMR-E and RoboBee). For our electroadhesive HAMR-E, I contributed to a project that improved the robot’s compliant footpads, allowing more robust adhesion and locomotion on variable terrain. For our aerial Robobee, we evaluated insect-inspired mechanical and control approaches to achieve safe and accurate landings.
Insect Locomotion and Adhesion
I am interested in insects because they are one of the most diverse and abundant groups of organisms on this planet. My PhD research focused on the large phytophagous beetle family known as Chrysomelidae. Their specialized relationships with plants have likely contributed to their increased rate of diversification, raising questions as to how particular adaptations to host plants evolve. Because their hosts range across flowering plants, including many monocots and dicots with differing and complex surfaces, chrysomelid beetles presented an opportunity to study and compare adaptive functional morphologies utilized for attachment. Looking through the lens of functional morphology and biomechanics, I explored the factors that contribute to the diversity seen in the physical structures of the beetle tarsi (aka "the feet"), while also analyzing how those adaptations influence movement.