PhD 2025: Magnetic aerogel granular materials for soft robots

Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF); Antibes; Sur place; EUR 20 000 - 40 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Un projet de doctorat au CEMEF se concentre sur la fabrication de robots souples magnétiques à l'aide de nanoparticules bio-sourcées. Le candidat travaillera sur des techniques de fabrication innovantes et étudiera les propriétés magnétiques et mécaniques des matériaux, tout en bénéficiant de possibilités de mobilité internationale.

Prestations

Mobilité financée entre les laboratoires

Participation à des conférences nationales et internationales

Qualifications

• PhD en science des matériaux ou domaine lié souhaité.
• Expérience en techniques de polymères et en traitement des matériaux.
• Intérêt pour la robotique souple et la caractérisation des matériaux.

Responsabilités

• Fabrication de robots souples magnétiques avec des nanoparticules.
• Caracterisation magnético-mécanique de matériaux bio-aérogèles.
• Mobilité entre les laboratoires pour des études interdisciplinaires.

Description du poste

Magnetic soft robots are capable of tether-free, instantaneous, and “programmable” shape change in a magnetic field, which is promising for various biomedical and industrial applications, including minimally invasive medical procedures and targeted delivery.

Precise magnetic actuation requires the use of bottom-up fabrication techniques in which magnetic interactions are well-controlled at the level of the structural element.

The objective of this PhD project is the fabrication of magnetic soft robots via the assembly of magnetic, bio-based, porous particles with tailored magnetic anisotropy and mechanical properties. The use of these new building blocks should allow for simple and scalable shaping of soft magnetic robots.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles will be embedded within bio-based aerogel beads (nanostructured, stable, and porous materials), and different methods for assembling these beads into macroscopic structures will be investigated. The project will also explore the magneto-mechanical properties and actuation capacity of the granular materials for use as soft robots.

This interdisciplinary project is situated at the interface of material science, polymer processing, magneto-mechanics, soft robotics, and soft matter. Most work will be conducted at CEMEF in Sophia Antipolis, France.

The lab has extensive experience in preparing and characterizing polymer-based materials, including bio-based aerogels.

Magneto-mechanical characterization and actuation studies of the bio-aerogel bead assemblies will be carried out at the SIMM lab in Paris, renowned for magnetic soft robotics and soft material mechanical characterization. Budget is allocated for mobility between the labs and for dissemination at national and international conferences.

See more here:

Apply online:

10-01

Funding category:

Public funding alone (government, regional, European, or international research grants)