Princeton Engineering researchers are starting new projects to boost biofuel production by studying microbes from extreme environments, abate urban heat islands through machine learning, and develop new kinds of deployable wings for robots — all funded by the latest round of innovation grants from the school.
The engineering school awarded more than $2.4 million in 2023 annual research grants for these and 14 other projects. Pierre-Thomas Brun, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, and Aimy Wissa, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, are collaborating on the project to investigate new wing designs for gliding robots. Combining their expertise in the mechanics of soft materials and in bio-inspired flight, Brun and Wissa’s research groups are studying the structures and capabilities of grasshopper wings and flying fish fins.
Both these appendages can be deployed in milliseconds when an animal switches from jumping or swimming to gliding flight — in contrast to the fixed wings of typical gliding robots. The interdisciplinary team plans to take advantage of soft structures’ pliability to help robots make quick maneuvers.
