{"id":10070,"date":"2026-01-13T11:25:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T16:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/?p=10070"},"modified":"2026-02-20T14:47:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T19:47:46","slug":"russo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/2026\/01\/13\/russo\/","title":{"rendered":"Pneumatically Tunable Soft Optical 3DOF Contact Sensor for Force and Touch Detection"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Mentors<\/h3>\n\n\t<ul class=\"profile-listing profile-format-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-5894 profile type-profile status-publish hentry departments-mse-dept departments-me affiliation-faculty program-year-yr-2023 program-year-yr-2024\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/profile\/sheila-russo\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics-programs\/files\/2023\/01\/sheilarussoheadshot.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Sheila Russo<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">Assistant Professor (ME, MSE)<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"profile-item profile-item-advanced has-title post-10655 profile type-profile status-publish hentry departments-me affiliation-graduate-student\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/profile\/frank-julia-wise\/\" class=\"profile-link profile-link-advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"profile-photo profile-photo-advanced\"><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/photonics-programs\/files\/2026\/02\/franco_circle-636x636-1-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<h6 class=\"profile-name profile-name-advanced\">Frank Juli\u00e1 Wise<\/h6>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title profile-title-advanced\">PhD Candidate<\/p>\t<\/a>\n\n\t\n<\/li>\n\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Project Description<\/span><\/h3>\n<div>\n<p><span>This project focuses on creating a soft optical, miniaturized, multiple axis force sensor that will only use a single input and output signal. The sensor itself integrates a thin-film color-tuning method currently deployed in the lab to be able to get different spectral shifting responses upon contacting the soft optical structure at different forces and directions. <\/span><span><\/span><span>This sensor will be coupled with a pneumatic actuator bonded below the soft optical force sensor to actively tune the measurable force ranges in relation to the actuators\u2019 pressure. This allows us to have a multi-degree-of-freedom force sensor that can be tuned to different force range sensitivities. <\/span><br \/>\n<span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>During the summer, the student will help fabricate sensor prototypes, learn how to characterize optical signals using microcontrollers, evaluate how the pneumatic chamber affects force-sensing range, and aid in the miniaturization of the sensor. The work in its whole combines soft robotics, soft sensing, signal and data collection, and manipulation utilizing a relatively simple and easy to manufacture structure.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Research Goals<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Develop a working prototype of the pneumatically tunable soft optical color-tuned force sensor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Collect and model the response signal from the working prototype to find both a relationship between directional force and optical response and between pressure and the sensor&#8217;s sensitivity range. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Explore implementation and integration into usable soft robotic contact and force detection scenarios. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Learning Goals<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Learn how to critically filter and examine scientific literature in order to inform experiments<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Learn how to draft and carry out protocols for hydrogel synthesis and nanoparticle encapsulation <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Learn how to modulate nanoparticle chemistry using post synthetic modification techniques <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Learn how to quantify release with absorbance assays <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Learn how to image cells and hydrogels with confocal microscopy <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Learn mammalian cell culture techniques<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Timeline<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Weeks 1-2:<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Introduction to soft robotic manufacturing and soft optical waveguides; Fabricate a simple soft optical sensor using existing molds within the lab; Set up the microcontroller measurement system utilizing an Arduino and RGB sensor.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Weeks 3-5:<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Manufacturing the first soft Contact sensor WG and the accompanying pneumatic balloon actuator; Integrate the pneumatic chamber and build prototypes that conform well to the pneumatic structure.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Weeks 6-8:<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Optimize design of both the waveguide and pneumatic chamber to have more sensitive and repeatable optical responses; Compare forces across different pressure ranges to confirm the difference in sensitivity in relation to internal pressure.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"color: #003366;\"><strong>Weeks 9-10:<\/strong><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> Final testing of a working prototype, including collecting and mapping data responses; Prepare final poster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mentors Project Description This project focuses on creating a soft optical, miniaturized, multiple axis force sensor that will only use a single input and output signal. The sensor itself integrates a thin-film color-tuning method currently deployed in the lab to be able to get different spectral shifting responses upon contacting the soft optical structure at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19768,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[118],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10070"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19768"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10070"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10725,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10070\/revisions\/10725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/photonics-programs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}