Oral: Stability and Homogenized response of elastomeric materials

The wide range of applications of soft electromechanical elastomers and soft magnetic materials in bioengineering and soft robotics combined with their ability to adopt complex shapes in response to electrical and magnetic input motivates modeling efforts to harness their potential. We also study the shape transformation of elastomers with hard magnetic inclusions to characterize the homogenized response under mechanical load and magnetic field. We use this model in the design of a bistable elastomeric actuator capable of shape transformation and maneuverability in response to magnetic fields.