Zheng Chen, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Wichita State University (WSU), has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. He received the five-year award for his project, “Artificial Muscle Based on Dielectric Elastomers for Dexterous and Compliant Prostheses.”
Chen aims to create artificial muscle with mechanical and dynamic properties similar to natural muscle by using dielectric elastomers (DEs), a material that has compliance, resilience, and force per area comparable to biological muscles. Like biological muscles, these materials can be self-sensing, allowing precise control of contraction or extension without needing visual feedback or other auxiliary sensing schemes. The ultimate goal of the project is to achieve dexterous, lightweight, and energy-efficient prostheses using DE-based artificial muscles, in contrast to the heavy and inefficient electric motors of the current generation of robotic arms. The project incorporates aspects of bio-inspired design, device fabrication, and dynamic modeling, sensing, and control.