search

UMD    AML






The Institute of Physics (IOP) Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering (JMM) awarded Department of Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Ryan Sochol their inaugural “Early Career Award.”

The award was the culmination of JMM’s “Emerging Leaders 2021” issue, which featured Sochol among other scientists, however, JMM selected only one researcher for the award.  Sochol received the recognition for his outstanding article, “Integrated 3D Printed Microfluidic Circuitry and Soft Microrobotic Actuators via In Situ Direct Laser Writing”.

Sochol recently presented this work in a Keynote Address at the 25th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (µTAS 2021) in Palm Springs, Calif.

Sochol and his Bioinspired Advanced Manufacturing (BAM) Laboratory have garnered international media coverage for their work at the intersection of 3D printing, microfluidic circuitry and soft robotics.  In particular, their cover article in Science Advances—that included a 3D-printed soft robotic hand playing Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.”—was featured by Scientific American, CBS News and National Geographic Kids among other news outlets

At present, Sochol and his team are working in collaboration with surgeons and researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Children’s National Hospital to leverage the BAM Lab’s 3D nanoprinting-enabled soft robot breakthroughs to create new surgical tools for neurosurgery and pediatric interventions.

Previously, Sochol received theNational Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award in 2020, and his BAM Lab received  “Outstanding Paper Awards” at this year’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Conference (IEEE MEMS 2021) as well as atIEEE MEMS 2019.

Journal Reference:

Abdullah T. Alsharhan, Olivia M. Young, Xin Xu, Anthony J. Stair and Ryan D. Sochol. Integrated 3D Printed Microfluidic Circuitry and Soft Microrobotic Actuators via In Situ Direct Laser Writing. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2021; 31 (4): 044001 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6439/abec1c

This research was supported in part by U.S. NSF Awards 1943356 and 1761395 as well as U.S. ARL Award Number W911NF2020222.



November 17, 2021


«Previous Story  

 

 

Current Headlines

Sauret Named Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigator

New Initiatives Push Toward Safe & Reliable Autonomous Systems

McGregor Among SME’s 30 Under 30

Sauret Lands NSF Grant for Sediment Research

Maryland #12 Among Publics for Undergraduate Engineering

Das Inducted as IAAM Lifetime Fellow

Nature Communications Publishes New Research by Tubaldi

National Science Foundation Invests $2M in AI Investigation to Advance Sustainable Biopolymers

UMD MCAA Student Chapter Assists at Special Olympics

Sochol Named Interim Director of the Maryland Robotics Center

 
 
Back to top  
AML Home Clark School Home UMD Home ENME Home