PI: Salem Saeed
CoI: Samir Mekid

The purpose of the project is to investigate a new type of functional/nervous materials. As opposed to smart material, this material will be able to exhibit collaborative actions based on the sensing from single or multiple inputs e.g. haptic, and respond (actuation) with adequate action to maintain a requested condition based on the application. Carbon Nanotube Fibers (CNT) based fibers seem to be a recent and excellent candidate with promising mechanical, electrical and thermal properties leading to high-expected capabilities in sensing and actuation. Several notable papers by several research groups have discussed various functions of CNT fibers or yarns, including sensors and actuators to monitor structures. CNT yarns are capable of operating as flexible electronic sensors to detect damage, monitor strain and potentially temperature. With twisted CNT yarns, torsional actuation can be explored for amplified and high-energy actuation. With the structurally fabricated fibers, these properties may become flexible and possibly varying on request. Hence, the nervous material will explore this possibility and carry embedded CNT based fibers from off-the-shelve as an initial stage. Since the fibers will be embedded inside a polymer flexible material e.g. PDMS to build a valve system for flow control with specific location and distributed fibers for coverage in a network. Appropriate techniques and conditions on embedding at the interface between fiber and the host material should be examined to secure complete adherence at the interface and to secure their integrity. Interfacing barriers are explored to result in a better expected outcome as a controllable material. This project is part of the research track the investigators have started years ago and it is an explorative project to prepare for another more comprehensive with system analysis and inherent embedding of sensors/actuators