A new class of soft actuators based on the auxetic behavior of patterned cylindrical shells containing a layout of voids that can be designed to reversibly achieve flexural or twisting motion is presented.
Self-healing materials for soft robotic applications
Nadia Cheng and colleagues present a novel thermally tunable composite that can achieve significant ranges of stiffness, strength, and volume.
Flexible Paper Robots
Researchers have developed inexpensive robots that can stretch, bend and twist under control, and lift objects 120 times their own weight.
Printing Touch Sensing Capabilities
Researchers create soft robots that can sense touch, pressure, movement and temperature.
Liquid metal adhesive holds fast for durable, flexible electronics
E-CASE liquid metal adhesive enables flexible connections to make better, tougher flexible electronics for wearables and robotics.
Meet CyberOctopus, your guide to the world of machine learning cephalopods
A research team have built a virtual creature mimicking the many brain-containing limbs of an octopus.
Artificial muscle noninvasively promotes insulin production
A membrane embedded with magnetic microdisks mechanically stimulates pancreatic cells to produce insulin, which could help treat diabetes.
A miniature robot for diagnosing lung cancer
This tiny soft robot can be steered through the branches of the lungs without causing damage for safer diagnosis.
Smooth or with a snap? The mechanics of the Venus flytrap
The reopening of the Venus flytrap may not always be smooth, and new research challenges our previous assumptions about its mechanics.
Pioneers in Science: George Whitesides
An imaginative scientist and inventor, Whitesides’ work extends beyond the borders of chemistry, tackling diverse and challenging problems to meet society’s needs.