Dr. Sameoto will provide an overview of several technologies developed by his lab. The techniques combine novel manufacturing processes to produce polymer-based products ranging from gecko-inspired adhesives to stretchable electronics and soft robotics. Combining different research disciplines, including micro- and nanofabrication, with larger scale 3D-printing technologies has opened up new opportunities for the manufacturing of new smart materials, bio-inspired surfaces and wearable electronics. Highlights include direction sensitive adhesives for pick-and-place assembly, mechanically reprogrammable soft robots, and multi-material FDM additive manufacturing processes that can print hard plastics, rubbers and stretchable metal wires in a single part.
Biographical Sketch
Dan Sameoto is an associate professor in mechanical engineering at University of Alberta. He completed his bachelor's and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Dalhousie University and his doctorate in engineering science at Simon Fraser University. His research focuses on novel manufacturing methods and products using polymers from the nano- to the macroscale. Highlights of his research history include rapid prototyping processes for micro-electro-mechanical systems, gecko-inspired adhesives and lab-on-a-chip. Recently, he completed a sabbatical at Harvard University, where he worked on self-assembling structures, smart materials and shape-shifting composites.