Nemitz Robotics Group

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11/07/2024	Ph.D. students Savita Kendre (first author) and Cem Aygül (co-author) have published a breakthrough study on fluidic transistors that can be easily fabricated using desktop 3D printers in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems. Unlike earlier designs, which were expensive, difficult to produce, or incompatible with 3D printing, this innovation allows for the seamless creation of logic gates and their integration into advanced fluidic circuits. We demonstrated our new fluidic transistors by controlling a fluidic display and using a pattern generator to operate a worm-like soft robot and a fluidic stepper motor. Prof. Nemitz incorporated this discovery into his Printable Robotics graduate course in Fall 2024, where 30 students explore additive manufacturing in the context of fluidic sensing, control, and actuation for soft robots. The course culminates in a final project, allowing students to transform their ideas into innovative prototypes.
08/01/2024	A fully-funded Ph.D. position is available in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University, focusing on 3D printable soft robots. We seek a highly motivated candidate with a strong background in mechanical engineering and computer science. Interested candidates should apply through the official Tufts ME application portal. Further details about the position are available here.
07/01/2024	We are excited to announce that Medha Saraogi (’25), Nezy Jose (’25), and David Litvak (’27) join the Nemitz Robotics Group to work on 3D printable robots this Summer/Fall. Welcome to the group!
06/30/2024	Cem Aygül, Ph.D. candidate, will present his work on additive manufacturing electronic circuits within soft robots using multi-material FDM printing in Abu Dhabi at IROS 2024. Congratulations to the entire team! 31. Integrated Electronic Circuitry for Soft Robots using Multi-Material FDM Printing C. Aygül, R. Pandey, K. Kothimbakam, C.Y. Akkaya, P. M. Rao, M. P. Nemitz International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2024, accepted
06/22/2024	Prof. Nemitz published his final work from his postdoctoral fellowship in the Whitesides Research Group at Harvard. He fundamentally contributed to the experiments involving the controlled lighting through chemistries found on the early earth. This exciting work published in PNAS allows further insights into the Origins of Life. 30. Mimicking Lightning-induced Electrochemistry on the Early Earth H.J. Jiang, T. Underwood, J.G. Bell, J. Lei, J.C. Gonzales, L. Emge, L.G. Tadese, M.K. Abd El-Rahman, D.M. Wilmouth, L.C. Brazaca, G. Ni, L. Belding, S. Dey, A.A. Ashkarran, A. Nagarkar, M.P. Nemitz, B.J. Cafferty, D.S. Sayres, S. Ranjan, D.R. Crocker, J.G. Anderson, D.D. Sasselov, G.M. Whitesides Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 2024, accepted
06/12/2024	Savita Kendre, Ph.D. candidate, and Lehong Wang, undergraduate reseacher, won the best paper award in Manufacturing Reproducibility at the International Conference of Soft Robotics in San Diego, 2024. Savita and her co-authors looked at the fabrication feasibility of fluidic logic gates, as their reproducibility directly determines the capability of fluidic circuits. Can we stack 10s, 100s, or 1000s of logic gates on the print bed? 27. FDM Printing: a Fabrication Method for Fluidic Soft Circuits? S. Kendre,* L. Wang,* E. Wilke, N. Pacheco, L. Fichera, M.P. Nemitz IEEE Soft Robotics Conference, San Diego, CA, 2024, PDF *Best paper award in “Manufacturing Reproducibility”*

05/02/2024	Yijia Wu successfully completed his qualifiers at WPI. He will be transitioning to Tufts University as a Ph.D. candidate. Congratulations!
03/25/2024	The Nemitz Robotics Group moves to Tufts University. Prof. Nemitz, Cem Aygül, Savita Kendre, and Yijia Wu join the Department of Mechanical Engineering from July 1st 2024.
02/20/2024	The Nemitz Robotics Group, in collaboration with Prof. Pratap Rao’s group at WPI, has received a grant of $74,920 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Prof. Nemitz and his team will help develop 3D-printed floating photocatalyst structures that mimic natural objects to combat harmful algal blooms.
08/24/2023	We are pleased to report that Professor Markus Nemitz has garnered substantial media coverage for his recent CAREER award. In collaboration with WPI Marketing Communications, he was interviewed by Spectrum News 1, which produced an extensive video report on his work. Additionally, the Worcester Business Journal has published a detailed article focusing on his research. His achievements have also been spotlighted by around a dozen trade publications, including 3D Printing Industry and New England Council, which have either re-published or summarized the initial press release. This media attention serves to recognize Professor Nemitz’s contributions to the development of 3D-printed robots for search and rescue applications, among other innovative uses.
08/16/2023	Quantum Innovative Solutions (QiS) has funded the Nemitz Robotics Group with $35k under WPI’s NSF ROSE-HUBagreement. Prof. Nemitz and his team will help integrate QiS’s quantum sensor with aerial and ground robots. The high-level goal is to develop a robotic sensing platform that can detect landmines buried under ground.
05/31/2023	The Nemitz Robotics Group was awarded $907,480 by NEOEx with the prime contract from the Department of the Army. Prof. Nemitz’s team and NEOEx will collaborate on refueling hydrogen-powered UAVs. This work paves the way for deploying printable robots at points of impact located at farther distances.
05/25/2023	Prof. Nemitz and his group was awarded a NSF CAREER grant on the development of additively manufactured soft robots with integrated fluidic logic and flexible electronic interfaces. $599,815 will pay for a five year research program that includes the development of a 200 ft² model of the Tham Luang cave system in 85 Prescott in Worcester, and a summer school for female high-school students to learn about hands-on robotics science. The high-level goal is to rapidly design a robot for a specialized application and materialize the design at the point of impact using additive manufacturing.