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Technical University of Munich

Dr.-Ing. Renate Sachse

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Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

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Research Interests

  • Motion Design
  • Active and Adaptive Structures
  • Biomechanics, Biomimetics and Bioinspirated Structures  
  • Soft Robotics
  • Active Metamaterials
  • Structural Mechanics for thin-walled and slender structures
  • Contact Mechanics
  • Plant Biomechanics
  • Modeling of the Musculoskeletal System
  • Modeling of Traumatic Brain Impact

Curriculum Vitae

  • from 04/2023: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Bertoldi Lab at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Harvard University directed by Prof. Katia Bertoldi
  • from 01/2021: Research associate (Postdoc) at the Institute for Computational Mechanics, Technische Universität München
  • 01/2015 – 12/2020: Research associate at the Institute for Structural Mechanics, University of Stuttgart directed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Manfred Bischoff
  • 04/2014 – 07/2014: Research assistant at the Institute for Structural Mechanics, University of Stuttgart
  • 11/2012 – 12/2013: Working student in the field of structural engineering at the Werner Sobek AG, Stuttgart, Germany
  • 01/2012 – 05/2012: Study abroad in the ERASMUS-Program, École Spéciale des Travaux Public, du Batiment et de l’Industrie (ESTP) in Cachan, France
  • 10/2011 – 10/2014: M. Sc. in Civil Engineering, University of Stuttgart (Master thesis: „Isogeometric Contact Analysis of Thin-Walled Structures“)
  • 09/2011 – 12/2011: Intern in the field of structural engineering at Foster + Partners, London, UK
  • 02/2011 – 08/2011: Research assistant at the Institute for Structural Mechanics, University of Stuttgart
  • 05/2009 – 12/2010: Working student in the field of structural engineering at the Werner Sobek Group GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany
  • 10/2008 – 09/2011: B. Sc. in Civil Engineering, University of Stuttgart (Bachelor thesis: „An Elementary School Pavilion for Magagula in South Africa – Structural Analysis“)
  • 07/2008: Abitur, Hegel-Gymnasium Stuttgart

Grants and Awards

  • 09/2023: Admission into the Freiburg Rising Stars Academy – platform for connecting highly qualified international early career researchers to Freiburg scientists
  • 07/2022: Publication Award 2020 of the Faculty 2 (Civil and Environmental Engineering) of the University of Stuttgart for the publication „Snapping Mechanics of the Venus flytrap“ in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)
  • 06/2022: Bertha-Benz-Award from the Daimler and Benz Foundation for female engineering scientists who have achieved added value for society with their dissertation and honors pioneering spirit, courage and visionary character
  • 04/2022: Recipient of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund Fellowship for excellent researchers with a flexible funding for an independent, higher risk, interdisciplinary project in an early career stage
  • 11/2021: 3rd place of the Dr.-Wilhelmy-VDI Award for young female scientists in engineering sciences for an outstanding dissertation with a high signifcance for science and Germany as a location for technology
  • 07/2021: Award of the Friends of the University of Stuttgart for special scientific achievements for the dissertation
  • 01/2020: GAMM Juniors Fellowship of the International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (GAMM) for excellent junior scientists
  • 09/2017: 3rd place at the AVK-Prize for Innovations 2017 for the submission of „Flectofold – ein bionisches, gelenkloses Verschattungssystem“ (translated: Flectofold – a biomimetic, hingeless shading system)
  • 10/2014: Emil-Mörsch-Study Award for exceptional academic achievements
  • 10/2013 – 09/2014: Scholarship of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Deutschlandstipendium) for talented and high-performing students
  • 10/2008 – 09/2011: Exemption from tuition fees for outstanding academic achievements (for the top 5% of students in the academic year)

Teaching

  • Numerical Methods for Engineers, Technical University of Munich
  • Nonlinear Continuum Mechanics, Technical University of Munich
  • Nonlinear Finite Element Methods (selected chapters), Technical University of Munich
  • Baustatik und Baudynamik I (Structural statics and dynamics I), University of Stuttgart
  • Baustatik und Baudynamik II (Structural statics and dynamics II), University of Stuttgart
  • Nichtlineare finite Elemente (Nonlinear finite elements), University of Stuttgart
  • Supervision of 6 Bachelor theses and 13 Master theses

Publications

  • G. M. Durak, R. Thierer, R. Sachse, M. Bischoff, T. Speck, S. Poppinga. Smooth or with a snap! Trap opening mechanisms of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). Advanced Science. 2022.
  • C. J. Eger, M. Horstmann, S. Poppinga, R. Sachse, R. Thierer, N. Nestle, B. Bruchmann, T. Speck, M. Bischoff, J. Rühe. The Structural and Mechanical Basis for Passive-Hydraulic Pine Cone Actuation. Advanced Science. 2022
  • F. Krüger, R. Thierer, Y. Tahouni, R. Sachse, D. Wood, A. Menges, M. Bischoff, J. Rühe: Development of a Material Design Space for 4D-Printed Bio-Inspired Hygroscopically Actuated Bilayer Structures with Unequal Effective Layer Widths. Biomimetics. 2021. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics6040058
  • R. Sachse, F. Geiger, M. von Scheven, M. Bischoff: Motion Design with efficient actuator placement for adaptive structures that perform large deformations. Frontiers in Built Environment. 2021. DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fbui.2021.545962
  • R. Sachse, F. Geiger, M. Bischoff:  Constrained motion design with distinct actuators and motion stabilization. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering. 2021. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/nme.6638
  • Y. Tahouni, T. Cheng, D. Wood, R. Sachse, R. Thierer, M. Bischoff, A. Menges: Self-shaping Curved Folding: A 4Dprinting method for fabrication of self-folding curved crease structures. Symposium on Computational Fabrication, 1-11, DOI: doi.org/10.1145/3424630.3425416
  • R. Sachse, M. Bischoff: A variational formulation for motion design of adaptive compliant structures. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering. 2020. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/nme.6570
  • R. Sachse, A. Westermeier, M. Mylo, J. Nadasdi, M. Bischoff, T. Speck, S. Poppinga: Snapping mechanics of the Venus flytrap. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 117. 2020. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002707117
  • A. Körner, L. Born, A. Mader, R. Sachse, S. Saffarian, A. S. Westermeier, S. Poppinga, M. Bischoff, G. T. Gresser, M. Milwich, T. Speck, J. Knippers: Flectofold - a biomimetic compliant shading device for complex free form facades. Smart Materials and Structures, 27. 2018. DOI: 10.1088/1361-665X/aa9c2f
  • B. Oesterle, S. Bieber, R. Sachse, E. RAMM, M. Bischoff: Intrinsically locking-free formulations for isogeometric beam, plate and shell analysis. Proc. Appl. Math. Mech., 18. 2018. DOI: 10.1002/pamm.201800399
  • A. Westermeier, R. Sachse, S. Poppinga, P. Vögele, L. Adamec, T. Speck, M. Bischoff: How the carnivorous waterwheel plant (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) snaps. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 285. 2018. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0012
  • B. Oesterle, R. Sachse, E. Ramm, M. Bischoff: Hierarchic isogeometric large rotation shell elements including linearized transverse shear parametrization. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 321. 2017. DOI: 10.1016/j.cma.2017.03.031
  • B. Oesterle, R. Sachse, S. Bieber, E. Ramm, M. Bischoff. Isogeometric analysis with hierarchic shell elements – intrinsically free from locking by alternative parametrizations. Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2017. Annette Bögle, Manfred Grohmann (eds.) "Interfaces: architecture.engineering.science". 25-28th September, 2017, Hamburg, Germany. 2017.
  • M. Bischoff, R. Sachse, A. Körner, A. Westermeier, L. Born, S. Poppinga, G. T. Gresser, T. Speck, J. Knippers: Modeling and analysis of the trapping mechanism of Aldrovanda vesiculosa as biomimetic inspiration for façade elements. Proceedings of the IASS Annual Symposium 2017. Annette Bögle, Manfred Grohmann (eds.) "Interfaces: architecture.engineering.science". 25-28th September 2017, Hamburg, Germany, 2017. 2017.
  • L. Born, A. Körner, G. Schieber, A. Westermeier, S. Poppinga, R. Sachse, P. Bergmann, O. Betz, M. Bischoff, T. Speck, J. Knippers, M. Milwich, G. T. Gresser: Fiber-reinforced plastics with locally adapted stiffness for bio-inspired hingeless, deployable architectural systems. Proceedings of the 21th Symposium on Composites, Bremen, Germany. 2017.
  • A. Westermeier, S. Poppinga, A. Körner, L. Born, R. Sachse, S. Saffarian, J. Knippers, M. Bischoff, G. Gresser, T. Speck: Keine Gelenkbeschwerden – Wie Pflanzen sich bewegen und die Technik inspirieren. In: J. Knippers, U. Schmid & T. Speck (eds.), Baubionik – Biologie beflügelt Architektur, 30 – 39. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie C, Band 82, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart. 2017.
  • S. Poppinga, A. Körner, R. Sachse, L. Born, A. Westermeier, L. Hesse, J. Knippers, M. Bischoff, G. T. Gresser, T. Speck: Compliant Mechanisms in Plants and Architecture. In: Jan Knippers, Klaus G. Nickel, Thomas Speck (Eds.). Biomimetic Research for Architecture and Building Construction. Volume 8 of the series Biologically-Inspired Systems. Springer. 2016. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-46374-2_9

Activities on Academic Conferences

Presentations

  • R. Sachse. Motion Design für optimale Bewegungen flexibler Strukturen. Guest Lecture within the Research Colloquium Computational Science and Engineering at the Universität der Bundeswehr München, April 7th, 2022
  • R. Sachse, F. Geiger, M. Bischoff. Constrained motion design for adaptive structures based on a variational formulation. GAMM 2020/21, 91st Annual Meeting of the International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Kassel, Germany, March, 15th – 19th, 2021
  • R. Sachse, M. Bischoff. A variational formulation for motion design of adaptive structures. GAMM 2019, 90th Annual Meeting of the International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Vienna, Austria, February, 20th – 24th, 2019
  • R. Sachse, A. Körner, A. Westermeier, L. Born, S. Poppinga, G. Gresser, T. Speck, J. Knippers, M. Bischoff. Biological Design and Integrative Structures - Simulation in der Biomimetik. Forschungskolloquium FE im Schnee, Hirschegg, Austria, March 25th – 28th, 2018
  • R. Sachse, M. Bischoff. A variational formulation for motion design of adaptive structures. 6th European Conference on Computational Mechanics (ECCM - ECFD 2018), Glasgow, UK, June 11th – 15th, 2018
  • R. Sachse, B. Oesterle, E. Ramm, M. Bischoff. Hierarchic isogeometric large rotation shell elements including linearized transverse shear parametrization. 7th GACM Colloquium on Computational Mechanics, Stuttgart, Germany, October 11th – 13th, 2017
  • R. Sachse, A. Körner, A. Westermeier, L. Born, S. Poppinga, G. Gresser, T. Speck, M. Bischoff, J. Knippers. Design process of a biomimetic facade element inspired by the carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa. 7th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering (ECCOMAS), Crete, Greece, June 5th – 10th, 2016

Organized Minisymposia and Conferences

  • Organization of a mini-symposiums at the „8th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering” in Oslo, Norway, June 5th - 9th, 2022 on „Adaptive and Compliant Engineering Structures”
  • Organization of a mini-symposiums at the „15th World Congress on Computational Mechanics and 8th Asian Pacific Congress on Computational Mechanics” in Yokohama, Japan, July 31st - August 5th, 2022 on „Musculoskeletal Biomechanics”
  • Co-organization of the “Pre-GAMM – Onboarding for young researchers”-Workshop – a scientific workshop with introductory courses to core topics of the GAMM (within the context of GAMM 2020/21, 91st Annual Meeting of the International Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Kassel, Germany, March, 15th – 19th, 2021)
  • Co-organization of a mini-symposium at the 14th (Virtual) World Congress on Computational Mechanics and 8th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering, Paris, France, January 11th – 15th, 2021 on “Adaptive Engineering Structures”
  • Co-organization of the 14th Baustatik-Baupraxis Conference, Stuttgart, Germany, March 23rd-24th, 2020 (approximately around 300 participants) (cancelled on short notice due to Covid-19)
  • Co-organization of the 7th GACM Colloquium on Computational Mechanics, Stuttgart, Germany, Oktober 11th-13th, 2017 (around 250 participants)
  • Organization of a mini-symposium at the 7th GACM Colloquium on Computational Mechanics, Stuttgart, Germany, Oktober 11th-13th, 2017 on “Computational Mechanics in Biomimetics”
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