• Contact Mechanics for Haptic Sensing
  

It has been widely recogonized that soft material is going to play an important role in future VR controller. In this project, we harness the power of computer vision along with our contact mechanics model to predict both the displacement and the pressure distribution on the top surface of the substrate material (PDMS here)

We believe this research to have impact on not only virtual reality engineering, but furthur benifits the handicaped group by recovering their tactile sense. Also this should be part of a bigger picture of human-instrument interface.

The calibration device we used are from TA, inc.

[PDF] [arXiv]

• Mechanical Characterization of Ti-Based Inorganic Solvogels,
  

The most fascinating question in hydrogel is probably the topo-property relation, i.e., how does the internal topological configuration affect the averaged, macroscopic mechanical moduli. In this research, we collaborate with Layered Solids Group from Drexel material engineering. They synthesized a special 1-dimensional nano material as the building block of hydrogel. From there we set out to perform a bunch of compression test in order to unveil how the concentration would change the Young's modulus and the shear modulus.

We also observed wrinkling and jelly-like behaviour and this is really an intermediate matter state between liquid and solid. We're working into it deeper in near future.

[PDF] [arXiv]