Flexible Logic

LM-Based Flexible Switches and Logic Gates

Universitat Freiburg livMatS Cluster of Excellence, DAAD RISE Internship

Research Intern

Skills: CAD, nonlinear structural FEA, FDM 3D printing with TPU, experimental design, data analysis

Novel, Flexible Switching and Logic

With funding from the DAAD RISE Fellowship, I worked with doctoral researcher Christoph Lehmann to develop flexible electromechanical switches and logic gates with intended applications in soft robotics.

3D printed TPU architectures house liquid metal (galinstan) conductive elements and react to mechanical force/displacement inputs.

This work has a paper currently pending publication, and I will be able to share more when the paper is published.

Rapid Iteration

With highly nonlinear materials like TPU inhibiting the utility of FEA simulation, rapid iteration was necessary to converge on a working concept.

This was enabled by 3D printing and careful planning; I was able to print and test typically 3-4 versions per day, and conducted rudimentary bench tests to evaluate the electrical characteristics in response to mechanical input.

Testing

Promising versions were evaluated using more precisely planned tensile testing, with custom test programs and circuitry made to correlate mechanical and electrical data.

I analyzed data from these experiments in python, characterizing critical displacement, deadzone, and hysterisis for these switches.

Thank You, Freiburg!

I had an amazing summer living and working in Freiburg in the picturesque Black Forest. It was amazing to work with a diverse group of researchers and other interns while being immersed in another culture.