------------------------------------------------------------------------ Greetings, Professors! On behalf of Prof. Karthik Ramani and the Mechanical Engineering Design Search Committee, I cordially invite you to a special seminar presentation by design candidate, Rebecca Kramer. I realize not much notice has been given, but it is our hope that as many as possible will be able to attend her presentation. Hope to see you all there!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Mechanical Engineering Special Seminar* /“Soft Active Materials for Sensing, Actuation and Electronics”/ *Presented by Design Area Candidate* *Rebecca K. Kramer* Ph.D. Candidate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Harvard Microrobotics Lab *Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012* *9:30 am ME 2054* ** *Abstract:* Future generations of robots, electronics, and assistive medical devices will include systems that are soft, elastically deformable, and adapt their functionality in unstructured environments. This will require soft active materials for actuation, circuitry, and sensing of deformation and contact pressure. The emerging field of soft robotics utilizes these soft active materials to mimic the inherent compliance of natural soft-bodied systems (for example, the octopus). Soft-bodied robots need to maintain the functionality of traditional components, yet without any rigid elements. This talk will highlight preliminary designs that address the need for soft sensors and actuators, as well as new soft MEMS fabrication techniques for manufacturing stretchable circuits and devices based on liquid-embedded elastomers. *Biography:* Rebecca Kramer is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. Her research interests include biologically-inspired sensors and actuators, soft active materials, and assistive medical devices. Rebecca completed her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.