Zachary Yoder
Ph.D. Student
70569 Stuttgart
Germany
I joined the Robotic Materials department in 2021 as a Ph.D. student. In my research I focus on solving practical problems by using artificial muscles. This involves developing new types of electrohydraulic actuators, soft sensors, high-voltage electronics and control algorithms- all of which combine to enable bio-inspired robotic systems with novel capabilities.
Before joining the Robotic Materials department, I earned an M.Sc. in mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder while researching in the Keplinger Research Group. In 2019 I graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and a minor in computer science.
soft robotics electrohydraulic actuators HASEL actuators soft grippers soft sensors bio-inspired robotics
A Soft, Fast and Versatile Electrohydraulic Gripper with Capacitive Object Size Detection
The Robotic Materials Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has developed a new class of multi-material electrohydraulic bending actuators which enable soft and reconfigurable grippers with embodied intelligence. They actuate rapidly and conform to their target, allowing for fast and damage-free gripping of irregular, deformable and fragile objects. Each bending actuator can simultaneously be used as a capacitive sensor, enabling real-time pick verification and object size detection.
Biodegradable electrohydraulic actuators for sustainable soft robots
Scientists in the Robotic Materials Department in the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Department of Soft Matter Physics at the Johannes Kepler University, and Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder have collaborated to build the first fully biodegradable electrohydraulic artificial muscles - based on gelatin, oil, and bioplastics. The potential of this biodegradable technology is demonstrated by using these artificial muscles to animate a robotic gripper, which could be especially useful in single-use deployments such as for waste collection. At the end of life, these artificial muscles can be disposed of in municipal compost bins; under monitored conditions, they fully biodegrade within six months. Using biodegradable materials for building artificial muscles in this way is just one step towards paving a future for sustainable robotic technology.