Home Department: undeclared
Mentor: Ellen Kuhl (Mechanical Engineering)

“Advancing Plant-Based Meats through AI-Driven Mechanical & Sensory Characterization"

Plant-based alternatives are generally healthier and more sustainable than their animal product counterparts, yet there is hesitation in adopting these options due to consumers’ texture/taste preferences. Nancy’s project will involve testing the stiffness and texture of various plant-based and animal meats, using mechanical tension, compression, and shear tests. This project will also include using stress-strain plots to analyze this data, as well as using constitutive neural networks for automated model discovery. By studying mechanical properties and consumer expectations of animal products, Nancy’s project aims to support a shift towards more environmentally-friendly dietary habits and a more sustainable future.