Internship in instrumentation of a flapping wing via flexible electronic gauge - 4 to 6 months

Joining Mines Saint-Étienne means committing to an institution where science and innovation build a more sustainable future. It is a school of excellence where everyone has the opportunity to unlock their full potential and contribute to tackling the challenges of tomorrow. Ranked among the top engineering schools in France and recognized worldwide, our school, a member of the Institut Mines-Télécom, educates the talents of tomorrow while actively addressing major industrial, digital, and environmental challenges. By joining us, you become part of a community of 500 members of staff, 2,500 students and take part in an ambitious project: combining academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and positive societal impact. The Institut Mines-Télécom brings together France’s leading Grandes Ecoles to tackle major industrial, digital, energy, and environmental challenges. With its eight public Grandes Écoles and two affiliated Graduate Schools, it is the leading public institute dedicated to engineers and managers. Together, we imagine and build a sustainable future by educating the leaders who will shape tomorrow’s transitions. 🎯 What we expect from you ? As an intern, you will perform innovation and research activities in the field of soft electronics for flapping wing drone’s applications. Within this centre of Microelectronics and the flexible electronics department, you will combine your passion for science and for societal impact. The flexible electronics department develops technological and scientific knowledge in the field of soft electronics. The department has a strong knowledge in the field of material and interface electrical and mechanical characterization. The activities of the department are regrouped in the 660m²-area platform. This technological platform regroups facilities and technological equipment for R&D activities in Micropackaging, micro and nano-electronics, in a clean room of 220m² 1000-class and 400m² 10000-class. Flexible electronics can be used for mechanical sensing applications such as measuring the deformation of lightweight and flexible structures. Within this project, a flexible strain gauge will be integrated onto the wing of a bird-like flapping-wing micro aerial vehicle (FWMAV) in order to measure its deformation during flapping. The work will focus on the integration and characterization of the strain gauge on the flapping wing. A dedicated test bench will be developed to operate the wing under controlled flapping conditions, while the strain gauge signal will be acquired in real time and transmitted to a computer for visualization, storage and analysis. The electrical measurements will be compared with an independent optical measurement of the wing deformation, using for example a high-speed camera or a motion capture system, in order to validate and calibrate the sensor. The influence of the added instrumentation on the mechanical and dynamic behavior of the bare wing will also be investigated. An important part of the work will be: · Integrate of a strain gauge on an X-Fly wing (an early version of the gauge will be provided) · Set up a test bench that allows the drone's wing to flap under controlled conditions · Acquire the gauge signal in real time and transmit it to a computer (e.g., via an Arduino or Teensy) for display, storage, and analysis · Compare the electrical signal to an external measurement of deformation (e.g., using a high-speed camera, Vicon, or another available optical measurement system) to verify the strain gauge's operation and calibrate it · Estimate the impact of adding the gauge on the dynamics of the naked wing The scientific question at the heart of the internship will be “how to instrument a flapping wing, without significantly modifying its mechanical properties” If time permits, the intern will also be able to study various instrumentation configurations (geometry, orientation, stack configuration, gauge positioning, etc.) and analyze their impact on both measurement quality and the dynamic behavior of the wing. Hands-on lab work is essential, and may be partly performed in our clean room facility.