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Jack Printup is an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering. He participated in the during summer 2024.

Working in the lab assembling a fin prototype

Where did you work over the summer and what was exciting for you about that opportunity? 

Over the summer I had the opportunity to work in the Laboratory for Advanced Materials & Bioinspiration (LAMB). This lab is run by Professor Francois Barthelat and is focused on research in materials science, currently with two major focus areas: Granular materials and bioinspired mechanisms. What drew me to this position was definitely my fascination with bioinspired robotics. The variety and versatility of life is as astonishing as it is beautiful, and I have always felt that if we engineers could harness even one percent of nature's adaptability, it could result in a total revolution within the field of robotics. However, doing so requires an unbelievable amount of research on the academic level. Incredibly, I can now consider myself a part of this field of research, thanks to this project, the LAMB lab and the SPUR program.

What kinds of projects have you had a chance to work on?

My main project in the lab has been designing a mechanical fish fin that utilizes a bioinspired structure that my mentor, Prashant Kunjam, is currently in the process of researching. I also have been helping out some of my labmates with manufacturing materials to perform experiments with. The process has definitely tested my design and manufacturing skills in really unexpected and unique ways.

Was there a particular challenge you encountered that really pushed you to learn something new?

Definitely. This was my first time trying to design a system from scratch, and so to achieve my desired result I needed to do a ton of research on prior artificial research designs. The thing is, being able to effectively read research articles is a skill unto itself and one that I still have not mastered!

Mechanical fish fin

Did you have any "aha!" moments when you realized that you could apply something that you'd learned in class?

When I was first trying to figure out how to design my mechanical fin, I was really struggling to find a way to create a mechanism that would pull from the same direction even when the fin was at an arbitrary angle. Then (after some helpful nudging from my grad mentor, Prashant) I remembered a fact that I learned in my statics class: the defining characteristic of a string is that it can only provide a force in one direction. Perfect! It was just what I needed to solve the problem, and has served as the cornerstone for the entire project ever since.

What was it like to work in a research lab? Has the experience changed your idea of what research means in engineering?

Working in a research lab is honestly an experience like no other. It was really eye-opening to see how much time and effort goes into advancing our understanding of the world around us, and knowing that there are many, many people putting in that effort every day. That being said, the main difference I’ve noticed between engineering as a field of research and engineering as an industry is the timeline. Research tends to move a bit slower than industry due to the exploratory nature of the work. From what I’ve seen, PhD students can spend months trying to perfect a single experiment and work in a lab for years before publishing their first paper in a journal. It’s tough work, but all the more rewarding for it.

What advice do you have for other students interested in pursuing a similar opportunity?

My advice on this is the same as everyone else who goes through SPUR: If you want to take part in the SPUR program like I did, make sure to reach out to the faculty members who post the projects you’re interested in. I know it takes a fair bit of time and effort to send all those emails, but it gives the faculty a chance to see just how enthusiastic about the project you are. The difference in the results you’ll receive is like night and day. Also, make sure to read up on the professors’ research before meeting with them!