MAESTRO Team Attends AIAA SciTech en Masse

With the premier aerospace technology conference in the world happening three hours to the north, Dr. Hartl and almost the entire the MAESTRO team rented two vans and made the short Texas drive. A total of seven talks were given by various team members, each with an associated paper having been prepared.

The talks given (and presenters) were:

• “Design optimization toward a shape memory alloy-based bio-inspired morphing wing” (Pedro Leal)
• “Experimentation and Computational Analysis of an SMA-Based Slat-Cove Filler For Noise Reduction in a High Lift Wing” (Will Scholten)
• “Multi-fidelity Analysis and Experimental Characterization of Muscular-Skeletal Structures Optimized via Genetic Programming”  (Darren Hartl)
• “Liquid Metal Integration for Expedited Heating and Cooling of Monolithic and Composite SMA Actuators” (Jacob Mingear)
• “Modeling and Design of Shape Memory Alloy-based Origami Structures with Smooth Folds” (Darren Hartl for Edwin Peraza Hernandez)
• “Experimental Characterization of a Composite Morphing Radiator Prototype in a Relevant Thermal Environment” (Matt Wescott)
• “Design and Fabrication of a Composite Morphing Radiator Panel Using High Conductivity Fibers” (Jorge Chong)

The students also participated in a number of other activities including volunteering at the AIAA Foundation’s “Generation STEM” event, attending the Texas A&M Aerospace Engineering Department reception organized by Dr. Hartl, attempting a Dallas-area “escape room,” and networking with a number of national and international aerospace researchers.