Yimeng Cai

Yimeng Cai

he/his

BEng in Industrial Design, CAU; MSc in Engineering Design, NUS

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publications

A Soil maintenance and restoration robot inspired by structure and motion principle of earthworm

Status (under preparation) MDPI Agriculture, 2025

Keywords: Bio-mimic, Robotics, Soil restoration, Bio-mechenical\nAiming at the problems that traditional soil nodule prevention and control methods have, this study designed an earthworm biomimic robot that can simulate the earthworms locomotion mechanism, loosen the deep soil nodules and transport nutrients according to the physiological structure and locomotion mechanism of the earthworms. The robot mimics the earthworms circular and longitudinal muscles through multiple sets of multi-bar and rack-and-pinion drive systems, realizing the principle of peristaltic backward wave motion according to simulation and prototype experiments, and the FEM experiments revealed that the wavy geometrical non-smooth surface structure is able to reduce the running resistance by up to 20.06% in high-viscosity and high-resistance media. It also records the content of various elements in the soil and analyses the recorded data in real time, providing new ideas for the management of soil nodules and the prevention of soil problems.

Author: Yimeng Cai, Sha Liu

Research on the Service and Product Design of ‘Pet Mental Health Detection and Prevention’ Wearable Product

Status (under review) The Design Journal, 2025

Keywords: Wearable Design, Pet Depression, Real-time Emotion Detection, Animal Behavior, Human Animal Interaction\nPet mental health is increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of overall pet well-being and a key determinant of the quality of life for both pets and their owners (pet-owner interaction). Recent societal initiatives and regulations highlight the growing importance of addressing pet emotional needs. Studies indicate that advanced technologies, such as wearable devices and machine learning, hold significant potential for real-time monitoring and enhancement of pet mental health. This research offers a powerful approach to anticipate future possibilities by visualizing detailed information through wearable product and UX/UI design. We present a set of design research methods engaging pet owners in various empathy activities and a design process to translate their needs into visual concepts for future pet mental health monitoring devices that are user-friendly and more likely to be adopted.

Author: Yimeng Cai, Sha Liu

research