Postdoc position in soft optical fiber-based artificial muscle for biomedical applications — ETH Zürich

Role overview

Postdoc position in soft optical fiber-based artificial muscle for biomedical applications 100%, Zurich, fixed-term print Drucken The Robotic Materials group is looking for a highly motivated postdoc for the topic of soft optical fiber-based artificial muscle for biomedical applications .

This position is funded by our ERC Starting Grant .

Project background The introduction of fiber optics in the 1970s has revolutionized the telecommunications industry upon the replacement of copper wires and played a major role in the advent of the Information Age - One high bandwidth fiber optic cable can replace thousands of electrical links to transmit the same amount of information.

As a parallel to the thriving fields of soft devices and robots controlled by electrical signals, soft optics is emerging as a new platform that uses the modulation of light in soft matter to encode multifunctionalities in the optical path.

The focus of this project is to create biocompatible, high performance soft actuators multiplexed by light, all integrated on a miniature fiber, delivering advanced robotic and biomedical functions as minimally invasive surgical tools and implantable devices.

Job description

• Develop biocompatible soft actuators controlled by light with performance matching benchmarked soft robotic actuators
• Design and microfabrication of soft optical fibers densely distributed with actuators
• Develop actuator multiplexing methods for individual addressability
• Demonstration for advanced robotic functions as minimally invasive surgical tools
• Integration with bioelectronic functions (e.g., sensing) for closed-loop controlled diagnostic and therapeutic functions.

• Demonstration as robotic/biomedical devices for real-world application through collaborations.

• Supervise master/bachelor students
• Teaching assistant for the robotic materials class Profile
• PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related fields from a top university.

• Strong research track records in one or more of the following: bioelectronics, soft robotics, flexible electronics, fiber-based devices, functional materials, wearable systems, or biomedical devices.

• Hands-on experience in device design, prototyping, experimental characterization, and TRL 3-5 demonstrations.