Toxic algae blooms along the Southern California coast have grown more prevalent in recent years, poisoning thousands of sea lions and overwhelming the capacity of marine mammal care providers to triage and treat stricken animals. 

With the blooms expected to continue for the foreseeable future, a recent innovation in the field of soft robotics led by a team of UNLV engineers could play a role in shifting the tide in favor of the marine mammals.

The team successfully developed a synthetic California sea lion pelvic region, mimicking its bone and soft tissue – including its skin, blubber, and muscles. The 3D-printed models look, feel, carry blood flow, and elicit muscle twitches just like the real thing. The pelvic region replicas will help medical professionals train for blood collection and other procedures on anatomically authentic models.

The work is being led by engineering graduate researcher – and former UNLV hockey player – Daniel Fisher and his mentor Kwang Kim, a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering and one of the world’s leading innovators in the space of soft robotics. While their research is currently focused on solving a crisis with the sea lion population, its potential for additional animal and even human applications is promising. 

I invite you to read on for more about this exciting project (and watch a short video), which highlights the important role that research universities play in addressing urgent challenges, accelerating the pace of innovation, and powering human potential. 

Warm wishes, 

Chris Heavey
UNLV Interim President