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Bio-Inspired Robotic Design (BIRD) Lab

The Bio-Inspired Robotic Design (BIRD) Lab is a 280 square foot space within a shared 430 square foot robotics research space (shared with Prof. Mili Shah from the Math department who also works in robotics). It is dedicated to the design, fabrication, and testing of novel bio-inspired robotics, including soft robotics and flapping-wing vehicle design. The lab contains equipment for the fabrication and testing of soft robotics, including a silicone mixing, de-gassing station, and molding station, and a custom, student-built automated pressure testing rig. Additionally, it contains an Elegoo Saturn stereolithography 3D printing center with washing and curing machines and a Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro FDM 3D printer for fabrication. For inspection and testing, the lab also houses a Nikon SMZ-U optical microscope, and an optical table. Small hand tools are also available. Fabrication materials, including multiple silicones and various 3D printing resins are available for student research projects.

Three dedicated computers are available in the space for 3D design, finite element modeling, and data analysis and visualization. The computers have licenses for most standard mathematical, computing, and graphical editing and analysis software packages, as well as finite element software and CAD software.

The space is primarily used by undergraduate and master’s researchers but is also used for relevant projects in the bio-inspired robotics section of EID101, senior capstone design, and the bio-inspired robotics upper-level elective. It is also currently the working space for the Cooper Satellite Launch Initiative, a team of students advised by Prof. Rosen on designing and building a CubeSat and accompanying ground station.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.