Objectives:

  • To develop proof-of-concept actuators for demonstrating the usage of magnetoactive materials in robotics.
  • To investigate and to quantify their controllability.

Expected Results:

  • Proof-of-concept magnetoactive actuators for robotic applications.
  • Feedback control and open-loop control algorithms for magnetoactive robotic actuators.

Principal Supervisor: 

Dr. Matteo Cianchetti, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Italy.

Host Institution: 

Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Italy, the Ph.D. degree will be awarded by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Italy.

Planned Secondments (total: 9 months):

  • Months 10-12 at JSI to get knowledge about chemical synthesis. Supervisor: Prof. Darja Lisjak, Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), Slovenia.
  • Months 22-24 at UNIVIE to gain knowledge on simulation of material properties and to incorporate the results into the FEM-based mechanical design. Supervisor: Prof. Sofia Kantorovich, University of Vienna (UNIVIE), Austria.
  • Months 28-30 at WEG to explore opportunities to include magnetoactive materials into their soft gripper design and to develop feedback algorithms for soft gripping as well as for industrial exposure. Supervisor: Dr. Stephan Ulrich, Wegard GmbH (WEG), Germany.