PhD in Liquid Crystal Polymer Surfaces for Mechanical Haptics

Introduction

We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate to develop a new generation of responsive polymer surfaces that can communicate through touch. The position is part of a Vici project entitled Beyond sight and sound: liquid crystal polymer-based tactile interfaces for the digital age. The project aims to create interactive coatings that generate realistic tactile sensations for applications in human-machine interaction, assistive technology, virtual and augmented reality, prosthetics, and wearable devices.

In this PhD project, you will focus on mechanical haptics using liquid crystal polymer and liquid crystal elastomer coatings. These materials can reversibly change their shape, surface texture, stiffness, and adhesion in response to external triggers such as heat, light, or electric fields. You will design, fabricate, and characterize dynamic surfaces that form tactile features such as corrugations, Braille-like patterns, responsive ...