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Reconfigurable metamaterials require constituent nanostructures to demonstrate switching of shapes with external stimuli. For generality, such nanostructures would touch and stick to other surfaces in one of its configurations. Yet, a…
We present a simple, accessible method for autonomously transforming flat plastic sheets into intricate three-dimensional structures using only uniform heating and common tools such as household ovens and scissors. Our approach combines…
Fibre jamming is a relatively new and understudied soft robotic mechanism that has previously found success when used in stiffness-tuneable arms and fingers. However, to date researchers have not fully taken advantage of the freedom offered…
Human fingers achieve exceptional dexterity and adaptability by combining structures with varying stiffness levels, from soft tissues (low) to tendons and cartilage (medium) to bones (high). This paper explores developing a robotic finger…
Soft elastic composite materials containing particulate rigid inclusions in a soft elastic matrix are candidates for developing soft actuators or tunable damping devices. The possibility to reversibly drive the rigid inclusions within such…
Liquid Crystal Elastomers with near-ambient temperature-responsiveness (NAT-LCEs) have been extensively studied for building bio-compatible, low-power consumption devices and robotics. However, conventional manufacturing methods face…
Creating realistic 3D facial animation is crucial for various applications in the movie production and gaming industry, especially with the burgeoning demand in the metaverse. However, prevalent methods such as blendshape-based approaches…
Micro-transfer printing is an assembly technology that enables large-scale integration of diverse materials and components from micro- to nano-scale. However, traditional micro-transfer printing technologies lack dynamic selectivity,…
Deployable structures, essential across various engineering applications ranging from umbrellas to satellites, are evolving to include soft, morphable designs where geometry drives transformation. However, a major challenge for soft…
A new method is presented to manufacture piezoresistive tactile sensors using fused deposition modelling (FDM)printing technology with two different filaments made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polylactic acid-graphene (PLA-G)…
The weak properties in the thickness of the laminates in terms of rigidity, fatigue and impact resistance involve delamination sensitivity for thick structures. This issue has led to the development of three-dimensional (3D) preforms with…
Open source hardware has the potential to revolutionise the way we build scientific instruments; with the advent of readily-available 3D printers, mechanical designs can now be shared, improved and replicated faster and more easily than…
We present a mathematical model of polymer bilayers that undergo large bending deformations when actuated by non-mechanical stimuli such as thermal effects. The simple model captures a large class of nonlinear bending effects and can be…
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is a complex process that creates free-form geometric objects by sequentially placing material to construct an object, usually in a layer-by-layer process. One of the most widely used methods is Fused…
Elastomers are central to vision-based tactile sensors (VBTSs), where they transduce external contact into observable deformation. Different VBTS architectures, however, require distinct optical and mechanical properties, particularly…
Magnetic-responsive composites that consist of soft matrix embedded with hard-magnetic particles have recently been demonstrated as robust soft active materials for fast-transforming actuation. However, the deformation of the functional…
Robotic systems driven by conventional motors often suffer from challenges such as large mass, complex control algorithms, and the need for additional braking mechanisms, which limit their applications in lightweight and compact robotic…
Producing interactive 3D printed objects currently requires laborious 3D design and post-instrumentation with off-the-shelf electronics. Multi-material 3D printing using conductive PLA presents opportunities to mitigate these challenges. We…
Similar to Poisson's effect, mechanical coupling is a directional indirect response by a directional input loading. With the advance in manufacturing techniques of 3D complex geometry, architected materials with unit cells of finite volume…
Additive manufacturing of polymer bonded magnets is a recently developed technique, for single-unit production, and for structures that have been impossible to manufacture previously. Also new possibilities to create a specific stray field…