August 26, 2013
Nanshu Lu, an assistant professor of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, has been invited to give a talk at the National Academy of Engineering’s 19th annual U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.
The symposium will be held Sept. 19-21 in Wilmington, Delaware and will bring together outstanding engineers under the age of 45 to discuss cutting-edge developments in a variety of disciplines. Lu was one of 81 participants selected from 310 applicants nominated by fellow engineers and organizations.
The goal of the Frontiers of Engineering program is to promote the transfer of new techniques and approaches across the field by bringing together engineers with a variety of backgrounds. Symposium participants from industry, academia and government will be in attendance. The 2½ day symposium will cover cutting-edge developments in four areas: designing and analyzing social networks, cognitive manufacturing, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and flexible electronics.
Lu will give a symposium talk on the mechanics and materials of bio-integrated electronics. Her research, which focuses on the mechanics and materials of flexible electronics, integrates electronics on the human body using flexible circuits and components.
Lu’s research has led to the design and construction of various innovative health-related inventions. In 2011 at the University of Illinois under the direction of Professor John Rogers, Lu developed the electronic tattoo. Composed of micro-metal and silicon wires, the flexible electronic tattoo is capable of measuring vital signs and muscle movement. Currently, Lu and her research group are investigating the mechanical interactions at bio-electronics interfaces, which recently received NSF funding. Applications include long-term wearable electronics for sensing, diagnosis and stimulation.
Lu joined the ASE/EM faculty in the fall of 2011. Her work on bio-integrated electronics led her to be named by MIT Technology Review in 2012 as one of the world’s top 35 innovators under the age of 35 as well as the NetExplo 2013 Grand Prix. She recently became the associate editor of the newly launched journal Soft Robotics published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Her review article “Flexible and Stretchable Electronics Paving the Way for Soft Robotics” in the first issue of Soft Robotics has summarized and predicted the exciting opportunities of flexible and stretchable electronics in the area of soft robotics.
