Kam Leang in collaboration with UNLV-led team (Kwang J. Kim and Paul Oh) and other researchers receive new $3.8M NSF funding to work on electroactive polymer materials for soft robotics. Goal and Objectives: This international project addresses a technologically important issues in soft robotics. Soft robotics is an important emerging field in robotics, mechatronics, and automation. Soft robotic components and systems offer new features and advances over conventional robotic devices. This project focuses on the creation of advanced multifunctional artificial muscles (AM) based on new polymer-metal composites which can be used in soft robotic applications. Artificial muscles can be transformative for...

NRI: Collaborative Research: Quadrupedal Human-Assistive Robotic Platform (Q-HARP) Prof. Meek receives new 3-year $119,523 NIH grant to work on Quadrupedal Human-Assistive Robotic Platform (Q-HARP). Aging of the population has become a long-term trend in the United States.  According to The State of Aging and Health in America, the U.S. population aged 65 and older is expected to double during the 25 years following 2007, and there will be 71 million American older adults, accounting for approximately 20% of the U.S. population by 2030.  For the health and wellbeing of older adults, a key factor is being physically active.  However,...