Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for March
-
AME Seminar
Wed, Mar 05, 2025 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Huan Liu, Caltech
Talk Title: From folding to scaling: a tour through nonlinear mechanics
Abstract: Origami, the art of folding paper into intricate shapes, has growing practical applications across fields such as architectural design, therapeutics, deployable space structures, antenna design, and soft robotics. One promising yet largely unexplored area is curved tile origami, which can store elastic energy, offering opportunities to develop next-generation functional materials, structures, and actuators. In the first part of my talk I will present a general theory of curved origami and systematic design methods for constructing large-scale, complex curved origami structures. Additionally, I will present methods to accurately calculate the stored elastic energy and the folding motions of curved origami, and I will illustrate my theoretical results by presenting some complex structures I have folded. This theory has inspired applications of curved origami in fields ranging from medical devices to a vertical-axis wind turbine, to architected materials. These applications typically involve interacting fluids, highly deformable elastic solids and rigid bodies, and it would be useful in many situations to define dynamically similar surrogates. In the second part of this talk I will present an accepted macroscale system of partial differential equations including fully coupled incompressible Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics, quite general nonlinear elasticity, and rigid body mechanics for a complex mechanical system, and show by rigorous reasoning that there is a set of scaling laws where length, time, density, elastic modulus, viscosity, and gravitational constant undergo nontrivial scaling. I have applied these laws to a diverse range of systems in nature, including birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, microorganisms, and plants. The uniform agreement of the scaling laws with the dynamics of fauna, flora, and microorganisms supports the dominating role of coupled nonlinear elasticity and fluid dynamics in evolutionary development. I will also present the predictions for some prehistoric cases for which observations are unavailable, as well as applications to space exploration.Overall, my talk illustrates that nonlinear mechanics is a powerful predictive tool to address the complexity of modern engineering problems.
Biography: Huan Liu is a Drinkward Postdoctoral Fellow at California Institute of Technology. Prior her postdoc, she received herPh.D. in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from University of Minnesota in 2024. She is also a co-founder of WhirrlEnergy LLC, astartup focused on revolutionizing the wind energy industry by producing clean energy through a highly optimized vertical-axis windturbine. Her interests are focused on understanding the complex nonlinear mechanics in materials, structures, and coupled mechanicalsystems, discovering new materials and structures, and fostering sustainability.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 252
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Mar 12, 2025 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Mohand Saed, University of Cambridge, UK
Talk Title: Liquid Crystalline Elastomers for Reversible Actuation and Energy Dissipation
Abstract: Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are a versatile class of functional materials exhibiting exceptional properties, including large-stroke reversible actuation, anomalous mechanical energy damping, and reversible pressure-sensitive adhesion. A defining feature of LCEs is their soft elasticity, characterized by a plateau of low, nearly constant stress during stretching, slow stress relaxation, and enhanced surface adhesion. This presentation explores the potential of LCEs in actuator applications and highlights their intrinsic energy dissipation mechanisms, particularly in reversible adhesion and vibration damping.
Biography: Dr. Saed is a University Royal Society Fellow and a group leader at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, specializing in smart, sustainable, and stimuli-responsive polymers. His research spans new material design, additive manufacturing, vitrimers, adhesives, and liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs).
Over a decade-long academic career, Dr. Saed has made pioneering contributions to polymer science. During his PhD at the University of Colorado, he played a crucial role in overcoming synthesis challenges in LCEs, introducing click chemistry for scalable production. His dissertation led to seven publications and a US patent, revolutionizing the field.
As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas, he expanded into 3D printing and microfabrication, developing a 4D printing technique for LCEs, now widely adopted. This work resulted in three papers and another US patent.
At Cambridge, Dr. Saed has published over 30 original papers, filed four patents, and secured over £2 million in research funding. He co-founded Cambridge Smart Plastics Ltd, serving as Chief Technical Officer, to commercialize vitrimer technologies developed during his tenure.
As of March 2025, he has 43 original papers, 6 patents (3 granted, 3 filed), 2,900 citations, and an H-index of 26. His research is featured in leading journals such as Chemical Reviews, Nature Communications, and Advanced Materials.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 252
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Mar 12, 2025 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Mohand Saed, University of Cambridge
Talk Title: TBD
Abstract: The talk will focus on Liquid Crystalline Elastomers, emphasizing their potential as energy-dissipative materials with promising applications in smart adhesion and vibration damping.
Biography: TBD
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 252
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
No AME Seminar - Spring Break
Wed, Mar 19, 2025 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Talk Title: We will resume next week on March 26th
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Seminar
Wed, Mar 26, 2025 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Manan Arya, Stanford University
Talk Title: Origami Wrapping Patterns: Out of the Plane and towards Spacecraft Applications
Abstract: Origami wrapping patterns take flat sheets of material and wrap them around a central hub. Structures based on such origami patterns have been advanced for deployable spacecraft elements, such as antennas and starshades. In this talk, we will explore two extensions of this idea to unfolded forms that are inherently non-planar: (1) corrugated polyhedral surfaces with non-zero angular defects at each vertex, and (2) smooth doubly-curved surfaces with curved creases. Structures based on these forms have applications as deployable spacecraft solar arrays and radio-frequency reflectors. We will discuss the design of algorithms to generate the forms and fold patterns, numerical models of structural performance, and physical realizations and testing. Finally, we will briefly assess their performance as spacecraft components.
Biography: Manan Arya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. There, he directs the Morphing Space Structures Lab, which develops and matures novel high-performance lightweight shape-changing spacecraft structures. Prior to joining Stanford, Manan was a Technologist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. He received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Location: James H. Zumberge Hall Of Science (ZHS) - 252
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
AME Special Seminar
Thu, Mar 27, 2025 @ 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Vickie Webster-Wood, Carnegie Mellon University
Talk Title: Biomimetic, Biohybrid, and Biodegradable: Robots for a sustainable future
Abstract: In the last century it was common to envision robots of the future as shining metal structures with rigid and halting motion. This imagery is in sharp contrast to the fluid and organic motion of living organisms that inhabit our natural world. As robotics has advanced, animals are often turned to for inspiration. However, the adaptability, complex control, and advanced learning capabilities observed in animals are not yet fully understood, and therefore have not been fully captured by current robotic systems. Furthermore, many of the mechanical properties and physical capabilities seen in animals have yet to be achieved in robotic platforms. In this talk, I will share efforts from my group in Biomimetic, Biohybrid, and Biodegradable robotics. By using neuromechanical models and bioinspired robots as tools for basic research we are developing new models of how animals achieve multifunctional, adaptable behaviors. Building on our understanding of animal systems and living tissues, our research in biohybrid robotics is enabling new approaches toward the creation of autonomous biodegradable living robots. Finally, by using farmable plant-based materials, we can now create robotic components that are fully degradable in natural environments. These robotic systems have future applications as sustainable platforms for medicine, search and rescue, and environmental monitoring of sensitive environments.
Biography: Vickie Webster-Wood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University with courtesy appointments in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine, and the Robotics Institute. She is the director of the C.M.U. Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group and has a long-term research goal to develop completely organic, biodegradable, autonomous robots. Research in the C.M.U. B.O.R.G. brings together bio-inspired robotics, tissue engineering, and computational neuroscience to study and model neuromuscular control and translate findings to the creation of renewable robotic devices. Dr. Webster-Wood completed her postdoc at Case Western Reserve University in the Tissue Fabrication and Mechanobiology Lab under the direction of Dr. Ozan Akkus. During her postdoc, Dr. Webster-Wood was supported by the T32 Training Grant in Musculoskeletal Research. She received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution as an N.S.F. Graduate Research Fellow in the Biologically Inspired Robotics Lab, during which time she was co-advised by Drs. Roger Quinn, Ozan Akkus, and Hillel Chiel. She received the NSF CAREER Award in 2021 and leads the SSymBioTIC MURI on Integrated Biohybrid Actuators team. She is also a co-PI of the N.S.F. NeuroNex Network on Communication, Coordination, and Control in Neuromechanical Systems (C3NS), and has received additional funding from the NSF Foundational Research in Robotics Program, a PITA grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development, as well as funding from the PA Manufacturing Initiative, and the Manufacturing Futures Initiative.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 406
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
