K-State’s Raj Kumar Pal lands DoD grant to develop shape-changing structures
K-State’s Raj Kumar Pal, assistant professor in mechanical and nuclear engineering, is shaking up the field with a $400,000 Department of Defense grant to develop shape-changing structures using reservoir computing— a cutting-edge form of machine learning.
“Imagine a structure that morphs on its own — like a satellite navigating space or a medical robot adapting inside the human body,” said Pal. “We’re designing structures for diverse applications, where they need to fold or unwrap predictably without human intervention.”
This three-year project, funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research through the Young Investigator Program, aims to revolutionize reconfigurable structures by creating building blocks that adapt autonomously.
Pal’s visionary work could spark advancements where structures learn to adapt on their own..
“Current methods need complex actuators and are often limited or unreliable,” said Pal. “Our approach taps into reservoir computing and dynamic forces to achieve precise shape changes.”
Beyond the groundbreaking research, Pal’s project will offer hands-on experience to both undergraduate and graduate students, training them in high-speed imaging and multi-physics computations and preparing them for the future of engineering.
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Curated from: K-State engineer receives Department of Defense grant to develop shape-changing structures
Written by: Lilly Majors
