Luke G
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB)
Expertise
mechanical engineering, material science, soft robotics, thin flexible printed electronics, laser induced graphene, rapid prototyping & fabrication, 3d printing
Bio
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." Similarly, every child is born a researcher--curious, experimental, explorative--but only some make it into adulthood keeping these traits alive. Fortunately, I'm one of those kids and these traits have fueled me through 10+ years of doing research--from undergraduate studies of butterfly wings, to graduate studies of soft robots, and now into technologies that reduce CO2 in our atmosphere. Now, I'm excited to guide others on their journey to becoming professional researchers! Curiosity, experimentation, and exploration also find their ways into my personal interests & hobbies but in different ways. I love to practice capoeira (Brazilian fight dancing) and surf, I like to spend time in nature, and I love to experience other cultures--by cooking other cuisines, traveling, or just meeting new people. I'm actively trying to improve my French, Spanish, and Portuguese, focusing on whichever one is most relevant to the country I'm visiting next!Project ideas
Robot actuator inspired by the Venus fly trap
Research Question: How does the Venus fly trap actuate quickly enough to catch flies? Can we engineer a similar mechanism both to learn something about this incredible plant AND to create other passive mechanisms that could be used elsewhere (e.g., in clothing)? My Expertise: I hold a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and have worked on nature-inspired research & engineering projects since 2015. I'm excited to help guide you through this research project! What You'll Learn: - The Scientific Method (observing systems, asking questions, generating hypotheses, analyzing data, etc) - How to read scientific literature - Designing basic sensor setups to collect data using Arduino - Actuator & soft robotics fabrication techniques High-Level Outline of the Investigation: Stage 1: Analyze the biological system. Just how fast is a Venus fly trap (VFT)? Watch YouTube videos, read papers, maybe even order a VFT to your door so you can watch it in action! Stage 2: Observation & Experimentation. Try to answer the research question based off of what you learn from reading and observing the system yourself. What experiments do you need to do to prove your hypothesis? Stage 3: Engineering & Design. Based on what you've learned, how would you design an actuator that can behave similarly? Is it made out of paper? Silicone? How does your design approach change performance? Stage 4: Quantify performance. Does a paper-based actuator close faster? What about silicone? How do either of these compare to the plant? Stage 5: Wrap-up and write-up. What did you learn? What do you want to share with others who are curious about making actuators inspired by the venus fly trap? Potential Outcomes: - Prototype of venus fly trap-inspired actuator! - You might create an Instructables post to explain how you made your actuators. - You might publish a research paper to show your findings. - You might create a GitHub page to show how you coded your testing setups.