From Fold to Function: Origami-Inspired Mechanisms with Embedded Sensing

Time: 11:00
Place: VYKM-2

 

Bio: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Merve Acer Kalafat received her B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in 2005. She obtained her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechatronics Engineering from Sabancı University in 2007 and 2012, respectively. Between 2005 and 2012, she worked as a Research Assistant at the Microsystems Laboratory at Sabancı University. Since 2012, she has been a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Istanbul Technical University. Between 2013 and 2014, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Reconfigurable Robotics Laboratory (RRL) at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). In 2018, she founded the Flexible Systems Laboratory at ITU. Her research interests include soft robotics, sensor design, compliant mechanisms, origami-inspired mechanisms, mechatronics, and motion control.

 

Abstract: Origami-inspired design methodologies offer a promising approach for developing compact, lightweight, and scalable robotic mechanisms. By transforming planar materials into functional three-dimensional structures, these systems enable the fabrication of complex robotic architectures using simple layer-by-layer manufacturing processes. Such approaches are particularly attractive for miniature robotic systems, where conventional mechanical components and assembly methods become difficult to implement.

 

This seminar discusses recent research on the design, modeling, fabrication, and control of origami-inspired parallel mechanisms with embedded sensing capabilities. Pantograph-, Delta-, and Stewart-type parallel mechanisms designed using laminated structures and compliant joints are presented. These mechanisms preserve the kinematic characteristics of traditional robots while enabling monolithic fabrication and improved scalability.

 

A central focus of the talk is the integration of flexible printed sensors directly into compliant joints. Inkjet-printed silver nanoparticle sensors are embedded within flexible hinge layers to measure joint angles and provide proprioceptive feedback. This approach allows sensing elements to be fully integrated within the robot structure, enabling closed-loop control without conventional rigid sensors that limit miniaturization. Finally, the talk presents a wearable haptic ring that combines an origami-inspired mechanism with embedded sensors to enable compact and lightweight force-feedback interaction.