Office of Undergraduate Research

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Emphasizing equitable and inclusive access to research opportunities, the University of Maryland's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) empowers undergraduates and faculty to engage and succeed in inquiry, creative activity, and scholarship. This collection includes materials shared by undergraduate researchers during OUR events. It also encompasses materials from Undergraduate Research Day 2020, Undergraduate Research Day 2021, and Undergraduate Research Day 2022, which were organized by the Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research.

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Author: search.filters.author.Abrishamian, Shirah Shoshanah Ariel

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    Improved Silicone Fish Tail Actuator With Variable Stiffness
    (2024) Abrishamian, Shirah Shoshanah Ariel; Huertas-Cerdeira, Cecilia; Johnson, Lena; Huertas-Cerdeira, Cecilia; Johnson, Lena
    In a continuation of research presented at The University of Maryland Undergraduate Research Day, this work will document improvements on a fish-inspired robot actuator. Bio-inspired robotics is an interdisciplinary field offering advantages that diversify robot designs and improve functionality. Incorporating soft robotics techniques into bio-inspired designs expands the potential of new robots. A common research subject is fish-inspired robots, due to the several possibilities of experimentation. A fish’s naturally flexible body and reaction to the hydrodynamics of its environment provide useful inspiration for robots of similar design. In the question of improving the efficiency of robot performance in water, it can be seen in nature that several fish such as tuna adjust their swimming behaviors through tunable musculature. Prior research has observed muscle stiffness to impact swimming efficiency. This study aims to develop a silicone fishtail capable of variable stiffening. Previous experimentation resulted in a molding process, producing a thick prototype fin with cavities in which stiffening material is placed and the air vacuumed out - stiffening the fin. This work details the refinement of this process to create a fin that further meets the design specifications. The tail must be 150 millimeters wide at the tip and 10 millimeters thick. The new design process introduced a higher-quality silicone rubber, and a more in-depth preparation process, including a vacuum chamber. The new mold designs are easily adjustable to 3D print cavities of more complex geometries. Furthermore, the new molding process improved the assembly and overall fin aesthetic. The internal cavities were successfully compressed after attaching the fin to a 4.5-volt combined vacuum and pump. Further design includes quantitatively measuring this stiffness and performance in a flow.
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    Silicone Fish Tail Actuator Capable of Variable Stiffening
    (2024) Abrishamian, Shirah Shoshanah Ariel; Lena, Johnson; Huertas-Cerdeira, Cecilia
    This work documents the creation of a fish-inspired robot actuator - from the conceptual design to a functional silicone model. The effect between the variable stiffness of a fish body and swimming efficiency has been a research subject in recent years. Often anatomy or function of an organism will inspire technological designs, particularly within the study of robotics. Animals have flexible anatomy for a range of possible maneuvers, and why fish-inspired robots are a popular choice in research. Studies have suggested a key to swim speed and efficiency in fish has been through tunable musculature. While muscle stiffness is difficult to measure in live fish, there is strong, natural evidence from several species, such as sunfish and tuna fish, showcasing this idea. Promoting inspired designs is the next step in improving robot performance. The deceptively simple appearance of typical fish combined with the numerous species' traits provides several possible robot designs. The robots can be objectively simple, with a trivial body and motor design to observe simple caudal fin motion. Or they can be exceptionally complicated if the research chooses to explore the nuances of fish anatomy and physiology, and how the impact on fish swimming in nature translates into an engineered construct. This would be beneficial due to the close relationship between bio-inspired design and soft robotics, fish bodies make a prime testing ground for soft robotics. No matter the simplicity, these robot designs can then be tested to gather valuable experimental data. This collaboration of technology and analysis then results in robots with advanced designs and special maneuvering capabilities. This research project aims to develop a tuna-inspired tail actuator capable of variable stiffness via a pneumatic system. Once attached to a 3D-printed fish body, it will be used to observe vorticity changes in fluid.