The Soft Machines Lab combines tools and insights from microfabrication and solid mechanics to introduce new classes of elastically soft electronics, sensors, and actuators. These soft-matter technologies are made entirely out of elastomers, gels, and fluids and have the potential to function as building blocks for a new generation of wearable devices and robots.
We report our work in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. These include leading journals in solid mechanics, materials science, applied physics, robotics, and the interdisciplinary sciences. Contact Prof. Majidi for the electronic version of a manuscript.
Meet our group! SML is part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and has members with training in applied mechanics, soft lithography engineering, and soft robotics hardware design.
News updates, videos, and links
Congratulations to Lauren for being awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship! This program recognizes and supports “outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions.” Continue reading »
Lauren Finkenauer presents work on “Complaint liquid metal electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuators” at the 2014 SPIE conference on Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD). Video of an all-soft-matter switch powered with the Gallium-Indium based dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA): Continue reading »
Congratulations to Tong, Lauren, and James for having their paper on “Rapid Prototyping for Soft-Matter Electronics” accepted in Advanced Functional Materials. This work introduces new methods to produce soft and elastically stretchable electronics in minutes with rapid prototyping. Continue reading »
SML was recognized by CMU’s Environmental Health & Safety for “Outstanding Achievement in Lab Safety”. We’re grateful to EH&S for the recognition and for the bagel party that they threw for us Continue reading »
James Wissman presents work on “Soft-matter electronics with stencil lithography” at the 2013 IEEE Conference on Sensors in Baltimore, MD. Continue reading »
Carmel discusses how the robots of the future will be elastically soft in order to accommodate physical interaction with people. This talk was presented last October at the 2013 PopTech Conference in Camden, Maine. Prof. Majidi participated as a 2013 Science Fellow. Continue reading »
Online article by Katherine Harmon Courage includes quotes from Prof. Majidi’s paper “Soft Robotics – A Perspective: Current Trends and Prospects for the Future”. “Will the Robot Uprising Be Squishy?” highlights international efforts in this exciting and emerging field. The original article by Prof. Majidi is published in the new journal Soft Robotics. Continue reading »