Robots typically interact with their environments via feedback loops consisting of electronic sensors, microcontrollers, and actuators, which can be bulky and complex. Researchers have sought new strategies for achieving autonomous sensing and contro...
Owing to their compliance, soft robots demonstrate enhanced compatibility with humans and the environment compared with traditional rigid robots. However, ensuring the working effectiveness of artificial muscles that actuate soft robots in confined s...
Magnetorheological elastomer thin films (MREFs) exhibit remarkable deformability and an adjustable modulus under magnetic fields, rendering them promising in fields such as robotics, flexible sensors, and biomedical engineering. Here, we fabricated M...
Light-driven soft actuators based on photoresponsive materials can be used to mimic biological motion, such as hand movements, without involving rigid or bulky electromechanical actuations. However, to our knowledge, no robust photoresponsive materia...
A light-weight actuator developed in this work belongs to a class of soft robots, and in a sense, resembles an octopus. Its main function is in the attachment or detachment to a solid surface driven by an electro-thermopneumatic mechanism. In this st...
Bioinspired and biomimetic soft grippers are rapidly growing fields. They represent an advancement in soft robotics as they emulate the adaptability and flexibility of biological end effectors. A prominent example of a gripping mechanism found in nat...
Conventional passive ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) have not seen substantial advances or functional improvements for decades, failing to meet the demands of many stakeholders, especially the pediatric population with neurological disorders. Our objectiv...
Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
38780175
Biological organisms exhibit phenomenal adaptation through morphology-shifting mechanisms including self-amputation, regeneration, and collective behavior. For example, reptiles, crustaceans, and insects amputate their own appendages in response to t...
Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
39267419
Cephalopod skins evolve multiple functions in response to environmental adaptation, encompassing nonlinear mechanoreponse, damage tolerance property, and resistance to seawater. Despite tremendous progress in skin-mimicking materials, the integration...
Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
40072257
Patients with hand dysfunction require joint rehabilitation for functional restoration, and wearable electronics can provide physical signals to assess and guide the process. However, most wearable electronics are susceptible to failure under large d...