This project is part of a multi-disciplinary effort to develop new materials systems, maufacturing systems, control, and planning algorithms required for microscale robotic deposition of colloidal gel-based inks. Robotic deposition of colloidal inks is an additive manufacturing process whereby a colloidal ink is deposited through a moving nozzle to build the desired part layer by layer. Such a process has already been completed for constructing structures on the mesoscale (feature sizes from 100 μm - 2mm). However, in moving to the microscale significant challenges arise in developing appropriate colloidal inks and the robotic deposition system. The Alleyne Research Group is primarily concerned with developing the control algorithm for the deposition system.
Research Advisor: Dr. Andrew Alleyne
Graduate Student: Doug Bristow
Also working on this project here at UI is Dr. Jennifer Lewis of the Materials Science Department and Dr. Placid Ferreira of the M&IE Department. Dr. Lewis is working on developing new colloidal gels (Colloidal Processing Research Laboratory) and Dr. Ferreira will be working on process planning.