IDR: Bio-Inspired Actuators for Next Generation Infrastructure Systems

该奖项的研究目标是建立一个强大的技术基础，使受生物启发的传感器和执行器能够提高土木和机械基础设施的安全性、可靠性、寿命和功能；并通过支持侧重于跨学科合作的研究和教育，为智能更新进程做出贡献。该方法将侧重于利用生物材料和生物有机体的生物灵感来开发新型致动器系统--特别是具有可调参数的被动致动器系统--以减轻地震和风等自然灾害造成的破坏。实验剪切梁模型结构中的新型作动器系统将被用来比较实验结果和理论结果。这种比较将有助于开发可靠的计算工具来模拟和优化参数可调的被动作动器系统的性能，并为优化的被动作动器的设计提供参考。如果研究成功，这项研究将有可能重振被动作动器结构保护领域。它将把基本的科学和工程原理与最先进的技术、受自然技术启发的新范式和新原型结合起来。这项研究将加强跨学科教育，致力于扩大、招募和留住代表性不足的少数族裔和女性学生。PI和Co-PIs将提供高中和暑期参与计划，让高中生参与实验室研究。该项目将在跨学科的环境中支持两名研究生，这将拓宽他们的经验，使他们在单一学科中获得的经验更多。PI和Co-PIs将尽一切努力招募少数族裔和女性学生担任该项目的研究生研究助理和本科生研究人员。该项目将强调与加州的MESA(数学、工程、科学成就)计划的紧密联系，该计划为让教育困难的学生参与研究提供了巨大的机会。

The research objective of this award is to create a strong technological base that will enable bio-inspired sensors and actuators to improve the safety, reliability, longevity, and functionality of civil and mechanical infrastructures; and to make a contribution to the process of intelligent renewal through the support of research and education focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration. The approach will focus on using bio-inspiration from both biomaterials and biological organisms to develop novel actuator systems - especially passive actuator systems with tunable parameters - to mitigate the damage from natural disasters such as earthquakes and wind. Novel actuator systems in an experimental shear beam model structure will be used to compare experimental results to theoretical results. This comparison will inform the development of reliable computational tools for modeling and optimizing the performance of passive actuator systems with tunable parameters as well as informing the design of optimized passive actuators.If successful, this research has the potential to revitalize the field of structural protection with passive actuators. It will combine fundamental scientific and engineering principles with state-of-the-art technology, new paradigms and new prototypes inspired by nature's technology. This research will enhance interdisciplinary education with a commitment to outreach, recruitment, and retention of underrepresented minority and woman students. The PI and Co-PIs will provide outreach the High Schools and summer participation programs to get high school students involved in laboratory research. The project will support two graduate students in an interdisciplinary environment that will broaden their experience beyond what they would gain in a single discipline. The PI and Co-PIs will make every effort to recruit minority and woman students to work on the project both as graduate research assistants and as undergraduate researchers. The project will emphasize strong ties to California's MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Program, which presents great opportunities for involving educationally disadvantaged students in research.