Liwei Lin (Advisor)

Sensing, actuation and imaging applications based on ultrasounds could expand to many applications by means of miniaturization and low power consumption via MEMS fabrication technologies. Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (PMUTs) with thin film designs have emerged as key commercial products but current state-of-art PMUTs are limited by the acoustic power/pressure for applications within a limited range by using AlN as the piezoelectrical material due to its process compatibility with microelectronics. One BSAC industrial member has developed a process to make PMUT devices...

Soft actuators with unique mechanics have gained significant interests for unique capabilities and versatile applications. However, their actuation mechanisms (usually driven by light, heat, or chemical reactions) result in long actuation times. Reported magnetically actuated soft actuators can produce rapid and precise motions, yet their complex manufacturing processes may constrain their range of applications. Here, the “bone-in-flesh” is proposed that constructs combining rigid magnetic structures encapsulated within soft polymers to create untethered magnetic soft actuators. This...