Development of a Controllable Surface for Boundary Flow Studies (Naval Research Laboratory)

Sponsor: Naval Research Lab

PI: Prof. Xiaobo Tan

This project aims to design a soft, active membrane that can produce different wave patterns. Such a membrane can be used to explore the impact of its motion on boundary flows, with applications such as drag reduction and turbulence control. The approach taken in this project uses arrays of voice coil motors, coupled with soft substrate, to produce coordinated motion.