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PhD projects at SDU BioRobotics

Bioinspired Aesthetic Design of Soft Robots for Human-Robot Interaction

The aim of this PhD project is to explore the potentials and consequences of increasing the organic and nature-like properties of soft robots intended for interactions with humans (HRI).

PhD poster (link is coming soon)

PhD student: Mads Bering Christiansen
Project period: 2021-2024
Principal supervisor: Jonas Jørgensen 
Co-supervisor: Ahmad Rafsanjani


Snake-Inspired Soft Robot for Rectilinear Locomotion

In this PhD project, we aim at building an autonomous snake-inspired soft robot with embodied physical and artificial intelligence for adaptive interaction with complex environments. We are developing a robotic skin to enhance the autonomy of bioinspired soft robots for locomotion on complex terrains by establishing a coupling between the body deformation, surface characteristics, and the environment.

The central hypothesis motivating this research is that coupling between the body deformation, surface characteristics, and the environment can necessarily enhance the autonomy of bioinspired soft robots for locomotion through complex terrains.

PhD poster (link is coming soon)

PhD student: Burcu Seyidoglu
Project period: 2021-2024
Principal supervisor: Ahmad Rafsanjani


Multigait Limbless Soft Robotic Locomotion

The overarching goal of this project is to develop a bioinspired multigait limbless soft robot with embodied artificial intelligence and a morphable body that is able to navigate and adapt to unstructured environments. 
The specific objectives of the project are the following:

  • Morphing soft robot: Design the mechanical structure of a morphable soft robot capable of multimodal limbless locomotion by incorporating soft materials and compliant structure into the body of the robot. 
  • Perception: Develop and embed a soft haptic perception system to feed the control system and support the adaptive locomotion of the robot.
  • Control: Develop a control system embedded with a selected AI Algorithm and optimize it for adaptive exploratory tasks such as navigation and overcoming obstacles in unknown congested spaces.
  • Evaluation: Design and construct experimental environments to assess the capacities and performance of the limbless soft robot in unstructured environments.

PhD poster (link is coming soon)

PhD student: Jonathan Andres Tirado Rosero
Project period: 2021-2024
Principal supervisor: Jonas Jørgensen 
Co-supervisor: Ahmad Rafsanjani

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Completed PhD Projects

Last Updated 10.10.2023