Date: September 2023 - August 2024

Role: Researcher

Working with the KABlab at Boston University, I created the Automated Soft Matter Indenter (ASMI). This device makes measuring the mechanical properties of materials like hydrogels and polymers more accessible through the use of a repurposed CNC mill and an educational force sensor. Creating the device required integrating many theoretical concepts from materials science and contact mechanics with real-world constraints. It involved designing 4 3D printed components in Onshape, performing 40 finite element analysis simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics, and developing over 3000 lines of Python code to allow for user interaction, move the device, take measurements, and analyze the data. In the end, the device could autonomously test up to 96 samples in a cycle and accurately measure the elastic modulus of materials with moduli between 7 kPa and 67 MPa with an average sample acquisition time of 5 minutes. To help other laboratories recreate this device, I was the lead author of an 18-page research paper published in HardwareX documenting the ASMI’s creation and measurement methods. Lastly, I presented my work to my primary investigator and collaborated with other researchers at my university to ensure the device was applicable to their needs.

Publication:

D. List, A. Gardner, I. Claure, J. Y. Wong, and K. A. Brown, “ASMI: An automated, low-cost indenter for soft matter,” HardwareX, vol. 20, p. e00601, Oct. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00601.