“Magnets are like magic, only cooler!” – This (for us not new) statement comes from four brilliant high school pupils who explored the fascinating world of magnetic materials of tomorrow as part of the 36th Erfinderlabor. This prestigious MINT education program is designed for highly motivated and talented pupils, focusing on high-performance and energy-efficient materials crucial for the transition towards renewable energies, contributing to a climate-neutral and resource-efficient future.

Under the supervision of Benedikt Beckmann, Matthias Lutzi, and Florian Hofmann, the pupils investigated 3D-printed, magnetically controllable composites for energy-efficient actuators in soft robotics applications. They produced their own samples, characterized their magnetic and microstructural properties, and programmed and investigated their actuation behavior. This hands-on experience was incredibly enriching and inspiring for both us and the pupils, providing them with valuable insights into cutting-edge material science research and motivating the next generation of physicists, chemists, and material science researchers/engineers!

The full German press release can be found here.

More information on the 3D-printed actuators can be found in the recent publication of our colleague Kilian Schäfer:
DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2023.103905

We especially thank Merck KGaA, Zentrum für Chemie, TU Darmstadt – Institut für Materialwissenschaften, LEA LandesEnergieAgentur Hessen and other partners for their support, organization, and collaboration. We are already looking forward to our next participation in the Erfinderlabor!