Dr Andrew T Conn

My research revolves around the application of biological inspiration to solve challenging engineering problems. The integration of elasticity and compliance into systems such robots is central to this, driven by the potential for great improvements in human-robot interaction, prosthetic devices and robot mobility in unstructured environments. The primary focus of my research involves the development of soft actuation technologies such as electro-active polymers, which possess actuation characteristics comparable to biological muscle. Recent research highlights have included advancements in elastomeric actuator fabrication techniques, scalable multiple degree of freedom actuators, soft worm-like robots and the development of artificial chromatophores for soft visual displays.