I-Corps: Surface-wave-based sensing of strength and stiffness of soft materials

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种强大且易于安装的传感器模块，该模块可在工业加工生产线中提供软材料的机械性能。在很小的力下可以明显变形的材料被归类为软材料。天然和合成软材料，如橡胶、泡沫、凝胶和生物组织，在食品生产、结构、机器人、3d打印、农业、制药加工和生物医学应用中无处不在。因此，软材料的机械性能是许多行业的主要兴趣。所提出的传感器的开发和部署对于软食品加工行业是立即可行的。当集成到食品加工线上时，该传感器将向生产线管理人员和操作员提供有关被加工食品的强度、刚度、质地和一致性的高通量实时数据。这种反馈将有助于优化加工设置和环境，从而有助于减少修剪损失和加工食品的在线质量控制。因此，所提出的技术将有助于食品加工商和制造商减少食物浪费的努力。自然扩展到生物医学、农业和聚合物加工行业是可能的，因为创新是可扩展的，适用于各种软材料和加工线。I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种基于表面波的传感方法，该方法可以提供软材料的弹性和破坏特性。该传感方法基于表面波与力学性能的相关性：对软质材料加工过程中发出的表面波进行测量和分析，并将估计的波幅、能量和频率与软质材料的弹性和破坏特性相关联。测量的性能（强度、刚度和韧性）提供了软材料的微观结构、质地和一致性的基本信息。因此，这种创新的传感技术广泛适用于软材料加工行业。最初，传感模块将适用于食品加工行业。在本模块中，将通过非接触式光学传感器监测水果、蔬菜、奶酪、肉类和肉类替代品在切割、切片、剥皮和切碎过程中发出的表面波，并从表面波分析中提取产品的弹性和断裂特性。这些特性将提供产品质量、加工条件和操作的在线监控。目前在食品加工业中缺乏这样的监测系统。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a robust and easily installed sensor module that delivers mechanical properties of soft materials in industrial processing lines. Materials that can deform visibly under small forces are classified as soft. Natural and synthetic soft materials such as rubber, foams, gels and biological tissues are ubiquitous in food production, structures, robots, 3D-printing, agriculture, pharmaceutical processing, and biomedical applications. Hence, the mechanical properties of soft materials are of primary interest to many industries. The development and deployment of the proposed sensor is immediately feasible for the soft food processing industry. When integrated to food processing lines, this sensor will provide high throughput real-time data to the production line managers and operators about strength, stiffness, texture, and consistency of the food being processed. This feedback will enable optimization of the processing settings and environment and thus will facilitate reduction of trim losses and online quality control of the processed food. Therefore, the proposed technology will help food waste reduction efforts of the food processors and manufacturers. Natural expansion to biomedical, agricultural and polymer processing industries is possible as the innovation is scalable and adaptable to various soft materials and processing lines. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a surface-wave-based sensing method that delivers elastic and failure properties of soft materials. The sensing method is based on correlations between surface wave and mechanical properties: surface waves emitted during processing of soft materials are measured and analyzed, and estimated wave amplitude, energy and frequencies are correlated to the elastic and failure properties of soft materials. Measured properties (strength, stiffness, and toughness) deliver essential information on microstructure, texture, and consistency of soft materials. Therefore, this innovative sensing technique is broadly applicable to soft material processing industries. Initially, the sensing module will be adapted to the food processing industry. In this module, surface-waves emitted during cutting, slicing, peeling, and shredding of fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, and meat substitutes will be monitored by non-contact optical sensors, and the elasticity and fracture properties of the products will be extracted from the surface-wave analyses. Those properties will provide online monitoring of product quality, processing conditions and operations. Such a monitoring system is currently missing in the food processing industry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.