Welcome to Smart Robotics Lab!
Mechanical Engineering
University of Nevada, Reno
Smart Robotics Lab is directed by Dr. Jun Zhang and located at the University of Nevada Reno's Mechanical Engineering department. Smart Robotics Lab's current research is mainly focused on smart material and artificial muscle technologies and applying them to biomimetic robots, soft robots, and assistive robots.
Opportunities (MS and undergraduate RA positions): Undergraduate students and master's students currently at the University of Nevada, Reno are encouraged to contact Dr. Zhang for potential Research Assistantship opportunities. We are interested in undergraduates who can dedicate 12+ hours per week on projects for at least 2 semesters or the whole summer. Please attach your CV, transcripts, and a statement about your interests.
What's New?
2023
- 04/2023: One paper titled Kinetostatic modeling and open-loop control of a twisted string actuator-driven soft robotic manipulator is accepted by the journal of Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics
- 04/2023: A paper, titled STAR–2: A soft twisted-string-actuated anthropomorphic robotic gripper: Design, fabrication, and preliminary testing are accepted for presentation by the 2023 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)
- 02/2023: Aaron is offered the prestigious UNR Graduate Dean's Merit Scholarship, starting Fall 2023, congratulations!
2022
- 2022: Dr. Zhang is invited to serve as the Program Committee Member for ACC'23, Associate Editors for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, ICRA'22, CDC'22, and RoboSoft'23, Local Arrangement Chair of 2023 Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC), and the Conference Program Representative (Alternate) of ASME Dynamic Systems & Control Division (DSCD)
- 12/2022: One paper titled Overtwisting and coiling highly enhances strain generation of twisted string actuators is accepted by the journal of Soft Robotics
- 12/2022: One paper titled Material extrusion of helical shape memory polymer artificial muscles for human space exploration apparatus is accepted by the journal of Polymers
- 12/2022: Thulani got the "Organized and coolest Poster" Award in the poster competition at the UNR ME Research and Graduate School Fair
- 11/2022: One paper titled A biomimetic multi-directional HASEL actuator-driven soft robotic tail: Design and characterization is accepted for presentation by the 2023 SPIE Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) Conference in Long Beach, CA
- 11/2022: One paper titled Experimental investigation of the non-smooth actuation in twisted and coiled string artificial muscles is accepted for presentation by the 2023 SPIE Bioinspiration, Biomimetrics, and Bioreplication Conference in Long Beach, CA
- 10/2022: One paper titled Anthropomorphic twisted string actuated soft robotic gripper with tendon-based stiffening is accepted by the journal of IEEE Transactions on Robotics
- 10/2022: Revanth is offered the prestigious UNR Graduate Dean's Merit Scholarship, starting Fall 2022, congratulations!
- 09/2022: Dr. Zhang gave a seminar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the UC Riverside, titled "Twisted string artificial muscles for compliant, compact, and dexterous robots”
- 09/2022: One paper titled Inverse modeling for component selection of twisted string actuators is accepted by the journal of IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics. We open-sourced the design algorithm and a graphical user interface
- 08/2022: Steven is heading to UT Austin to start his MS this fall, congrats, and good luck!
- 08/2022: Aaron presented his research on the integration of a soft gripper and a manipulator during the UNR's Undergraduate Research Symposium, Wolf Pack Discoveries, good job!
- 07/2022: Funding: Project entitled "Modeling and performance analysis of self-sensing twisted string actuators with application to lightweight and energy-efficient centimeter-scale tensegrity robots" is funded by Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium. J. Zhang (PI). Total Award Amount: $45,933.
- 07/2022: Dr. Zhang gave a presentation during the 2022 National Workshop on Human-like Robots, titled "Compliant and self-sensing twisted string actuators for robotic manipulators and graspers”
- 06/2022: One paper titled Parameter estimation and adaptive control of super-coiled polymer artificial muscles is accepted for presentation by the 2022 Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC)
- 05/2022: Our IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters paper titled Experimental characterization and modeling of the self-sensing property in compliant twisted string actuators won a 2021 IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters Best Paper Award, congratulations!
- 05/2022: Funding: Dr. Zhang received the UNR Research & Innovation Research Enhancement Grant. Total Award Amount: $19,999
- 05/2022: David completed his M.S. degree, and is heading to Harvard University to start his Ph.D. this fall working in the Microrobotics Lab with Dr. Robert Wood, good luck!
- 05/2022: One paper titled Leader-follower Stackelberg game oriented adaptive robust constraint-following control design for fuzzy exoskeleton robot systems is accepted by the journal of Information Sciences
- 05/2022: Two papers, titled Parameter estimation and adaptive control of twisted string actuators, and Design and characterization of AWARD: An active wearable assistive and resistive device are accepted for presentation by the 2022 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM)
- 05/2022: Jennifer presented her research on wearable soft robots during the UNR's Undergraduate Research Symposium, Wolf Pack Discoveries, good job!
- 05/2022: David received the Best Poster Award (1st place) in our UNR Mechanical Engineering Poster Contest. Congratulations!
- 04/2022: Revanth was recognized during the Honor the Best event at UNR for Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher this year! He is the only recipient campus-wide to receive this award. Congratulations!
- 03/2022: David Bombara, Ember Chow, and Ryan Coulter are offered the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) Fellowship. David worked in our lab between 10/2018 and 08/2022. Ember worked in our lab between 06/2021 and 08/2021. Ryan worked in our lab between 04/2019 and 05/2021. Congratulations!
- 01/2022: One paper titled Physics-based kinematic modeling of a twisted string actuator-driven soft robotic manipulator is accepted for presentation by the 2022 American Control Conference (ACC)
2021
- 2021: Dr. Zhang is invited to serve as the Program Committee Member for ACC'23, Associate Editors for CDC'21, ACC'22, and ICRA'22, and Guest Editor for the special issue of the International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications on "Flexible Mechatronics for Robotics"
- 12/2021: Steven is recognized as the Senior Scholar at the College of Engineering at UNR, congratulations!
- 11/2021: Funding: Project entitled "
Highly enhanced performance of twisted string actuators with application to continuum manipulators" is funded by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. J. Zhang (PI). Total Award Amount: $60,000 - 11/2021: Jennifer presented her research on wearable soft robots during the UNR's Undergraduate Research Symposium, good job!
- 11/2021: Dr. Zhang gave a seminar in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alabama, titled "Twisted string artificial muscles for compliant and versatile robots”
- 08/2021: One paper titled A Compact, compliant, and biomimetic robotic assistive glove driven by twisted string actuators is accepted by the journal of International Journal of Intelligent Robotics and Applications
- 07/2021: One paper titled A compliant robotic wrist orthosis driven by twisted string actuators on robotic wrist orthosis is accepted for presentation by the 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR)
- 07/2021: One paper titled Design, characterization, modeling, and comparison of helically wrapped super-coiled polymer artificial muscles is accepted by the journal of Sensors and Actuators: A. Physical
- 07/2021: One paper titled Hysteresis with lonely stroke in artificial muscles: Characterization, modeling, and inverse compensation is accepted by the journal of Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing
- 06/2021: One paper titled A twisted string actuator-driven soft robotic manipulator is accepted for presentation by the 2021 Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC)
- 06/2021: Funding: Robotics curriculum development for College of Engineering at UNR" is funded by Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium. J. Zhang (PI). Total Award Amount: $25,000
- 05/2021: Revanth is offered the 2021-2022 Differential Fee Graduate Research Assistantship at UNR, congratulations!
- 04/2021: Funding: Project entitled "Design, fabrication, and testing of a robotic gripper powered by compliant and self-sensing twisted string actuators" is funded by NASA. J. Zhang (PI). David Bombara (Student participant). Total Award Amount: $67,025
- 03/2021: Bethany is offered the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) Fellowship. She worked in our lab since 12/2019. Congratulations!
- 01/2021: One paper titled Modeling and inverse compensation of the quasi-static voltage-strain lonely stroke and hysteresis in supercoiled polymer artificial muscles is accepted for presentation by the 2021 American Control Conference (ACC)
- 01/2021: One paper titled Experimental characterization and modeling of the self-sensing property in compliant twisted string actuators is accepted by the journal of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. This work is also chosen for presentation at the 2021 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)
2020
- 2020: Dr. Zhang is invited to serve as the Associate Editors for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, CDC'20, ACC'21, and ICRA'21
- 10/2020: One paper titled Compliant, large-strain, and self-sensing twisted string actuators is accepted by the journal of Soft Robotics
- 07/2020: One paper titled Decentralized function approximated Q-learning in multi-robot systems for predator avoidance is accepted by the journal of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
- 06/2020: Funding: Project entitled "Advanced Manufacturing and Characterization of Self-coiled Polymer Muscles with Application to Wearable Resistive Exo-gloves" is funded by Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium. Y. Jin (PI), J. Zhang (Co-PI). Total Award Amount: $52,784.
- 05/2020: Funding: Project entitled "Enhancing system dynamics, control, and robotics education and research with robot manipulators" is funded by UNR College of Engineering Differential Fee Committee. J. Zhang (PI). Total Award Amount: $54,000.
- 03/2020: David is offered the prestigious UNR Graduate Dean's Merit Scholarship, starting Fall 2020, congratulations!
- 02/2020: One paper titled Modeling of a bending supercoiled polymer (SCP) artificial muscle is accepted by the journal of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. This work is also chosen for presentation at the 2020 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)
- 02/2020: One paper titled Vibration-based multi-axis force sensing: Design, characterization, and modeling is accepted by the journal of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. This work is also chosen for presentation at the 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
- 01/2020: One paper titled TSA-BRAG: A twisted string actuator-powered biomimetic robotic assistive glove is accepted for presentation by the 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR)
- 01/2020: One paper titled Compliant and large-strain twisted string actuators using supercoiled polymers is accepted for presentation by the 2020 IEEE International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft)
- 01/2020: One paper titled Helically Wrapped Supercoiled Polymer (HW-SCP) Artificial Muscles: Design, Characterization, and Modeling is accepted for presentation by the 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
2019
- 2019: Dr. Zhang was invited to serve on a proposal review panel for NSF
- 12/2019: Our paper titled Experimental investigation of the lonely stroke behavior in supercoiled polymer artificial muscles is accepted by the SPIE Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) Conference
- 07/2019: Funding: Project entitled "An Artificial Muscle-powered Versatile Robotic Grasper" is funded by Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium. J. Zhang (PI), H. La (Co-PI). Total Award Amount: $49,000.
- 06/2019: Our paper titled The effects of nylon polymer threads on hysteresis behavior of supercoiled polymer (SCP) artificial muscles on accepted by the ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (DSCC'19)
- 05/2019: Our paper titled Self-sensing for twisted string actuators using conductive supercoiled polymers is accepted by the ASME Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS'19)
- 05/2019: Our survey paper titled Robotic artificial muscles: Current progress and future perspectives for biomimetic actuators is published by IEEE Transactions on Robotics
- 03/2019: Funding: Project entitled "REU Site: Biomimetic and Soft Robotics (BioSoRo): from Biological Inspirations to Engineered Mechanisms" is funded by National Science Foundation. Y. Shen (Co-PI), J. Hoy (Co-PI), P. Menezes (SP), M. Aureli (SP), J. Zhang (SP), H. Xu (SP), D. Mathew (SP). Total Award Amount: $491,713.
- 03/2019: Prof. Ankur Mehta from UCLA visited our group
2018
- 2018: Dr. Zhang was invited to serve on a proposal review panel for NSF
- 11/2018: Prof. Santosh Devasia from the University of Washington visited our group, welcome!
- 08/2018: Smart Robotics Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno was founded and directed by Dr. Zhang.