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The transport of motile entities across modulated energy landscapes plays an important role in a range of phenomena in biology, colloidal science and solid-state physics. Here, an easily implementable strategy that allows for the collective…
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…
Extending the field of magnetic manipulation to conductive, non-magnetic objects opens the door for a wide array of applications previously limited to hard or soft magnetic materials. Of particular interest is the recycling of space debris…
Controlled transport of surface functionalized magnetic beads in a liquid medium is a central requirement for the handling of captured biomolecular targets in microfluidic lab-on-chip biosensors. Here, the influence of the physiological…
While its biological significance is well-documented, its application in soft robotics, particularly for the transport of fragile and irregularly shaped objects, remains underexplored. This study presents a modular soft robotic actuator…
Object manipulation is a fundamental challenge in robotics, where systems must balance trade-offs among manipulation capabilities, system complexity, and throughput. Distributed manipulator systems (DMS) use the coordinated motion of…
Magnetic nanoflowers (MNFs), which exhibit large intrinsic magnetic losses and high specific absorption rates under clinically relevant alternating magnetic fields, highlight strong potential as efficient mediators for magnetic…
Soft robots have demonstrated superior flexibility and functionality than conventional rigid robots. These versatile devices can respond to a wide range of external stimuli (including light, magnetic field, heat, electric field, etc.), and…
Metamaterials are structures composed of repeating unit-cells which enable macro-scale properties not found in nature. Since metamaterials are typically solid structures with predetermined interconnections, it is challenging to leverage…
Interfaces between a water droplet and a network of pillars produce eventually superhydrophobic, self-cleaning properties. Considering the surface fraction of the surface in interaction with water, it is possible to tune precisely the…
Contactless manipulation of small objects is essential for biomedical and chemical applications, such as cell analysis, assisted fertilisation, and precision chemistry. Established methods, including optical, acoustic, and magnetic…
Microfluidic multipoles (MFMs) have been realized experimentally and hold promise for "open-space" biological and chemical surface processing. Whereas convective flow can readily be predicted using hydraulic-electrical analogies, the design…
Precise manipulation of liquid marbles has significant potential in various applications such as lab-on-a-chip systems, drug delivery, and biotechnology and has been a challenge for researchers. Ferrofluid marble (FM) is a marble with a…
Controlling the flow of light within complex and dynamic environments is essential for a wide range of applications, from deep-tissue imaging and optogenetics to precision phototherapy. Typically, such light flows are controlled using…
The transport of small quantities of liquid on a solid surface is inhibited by the resistance to motion caused by the contact between the liquid and the solid. To overcome such resistance, motion can be externally driven through gradients…
Object manipulation in robotics faces challenges due to diverse object shapes, sizes, and fragility. Gripper-based methods offer precision and low degrees of freedom (DOF) but the gripper limits the kind of objects to grasp. On the other…
We present a comprehensive theoretical and computational model that explores the behavior of a thin hydrated film bonded to a non-hydrated / impermeable soft substrate in the context of surface and bulk elasticity coupled with surface…
The ability to propel against flows, i.e., to perform positive rheotaxis, can provide exciting opportunities for applications in targeted therapeutics and non-invasive surgery. To date, no biocompatible technologies exist for navigating…
a-Quartz surfaces functionalized with hydroxyl and methyl groups provide a versatile platform for controlling interfacial properties critical to applications such as catalysis, protective coatings, and energy conversion. The arrangement of…
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…