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Snakes can move through almost any terrain. Similarly, snake robots hold the promise as a versatile platform to traverse complex environments like earthquake rubble. Unlike snake locomotion on flat surfaces which is inherently stable, when…
Computational docking methods can provide structural models of protein-protein complexes, but protein backbone flexibility upon association often thwarts accurate predictions. In recent blind challenges, medium or high accuracy models were…
Multi-legged robots offer enhanced stability to navigate complex terrains with their multiple legs interacting with the environment. However, how to effectively coordinate the multiple legs in a larger action exploration space to generate…
We present a theory for the elasticity of cross-linked stiff polymer networks. Stiff polymers, unlike their flexible counterparts, are highly anisotropic elastic objects. Similar to mechanical beams stiff polymers easily deform in bending,…
Designing soft robots poses considerable challenges: automated design approaches may be particularly appealing in this field, as they promise to optimize complex multi-material machines with very little or no human intervention.…
Limbless terrestrial animals exhibit exceptional locomotor versatility and control, currently unmatched by engineered counterparts. Here, we introduce a computational framework that enables soft synthetic snakes to navigate unstructured,…
Muscular hydrostats, such as octopus arms or elephant trunks, lack bones entirely, endowing them with exceptional dexterity and reconfigurability. Key to their unmatched ability to control nearly infinite degrees of freedom is the…
In the present work, irregular complex joints of the human arm are modelled in the computer-aided design environment. Accurately the geometric models of the joints and surrounding bony regions are developed from computed tomography data set…
For robots to handle the numerous factors that can affect them in the real world, they must adapt to changes and unexpected events. Evolutionary robotics tries to solve some of these issues by automatically optimizing a robot for a specific…
At large, most animal brains present two mirror-symmetric sides; but closer inspection reveals a range of asymmetries (in shape and function), that seem more salient in more cognitively complex species. Sustaining symmetric, redundant…
Collagen networks provide the main structural component of most tissues and represent an important ingredient for bio-mimetic materials for bio-medical applications. Here we study the mechanical properties of stiff collagen networks derived…
Knowledge of the mechanical properties of the aorta is essential as important concerns regarding the treatment of aortic pathologies, such as atherosclerosis, aneurysms and dissections, are fundamentally mechanobiological. A comprehensive…
Wearable robotics for lower-limb assistance have become a pivotal area of research, aiming to enhance mobility for individuals with physical impairments or augment the performance of able-bodied users. Accurate and adaptive control systems…
Many organisms exhibit branching morphologies that twist around each other and become entangled. Entanglement occurs when different objects interlock, creating complex and often irreversible configurations. This physical phenomenon is…
Obstacle crossing is an essential component of human locomotion, particularly for individuals with lower limb amputations who face elevated risks of imbalance and falls. While prior studies have explored this task, they often lack a…
Many biological tissues, such as bones and ligaments, are fibrous. The geometrical structure of these tissues shows that they exhibit a similar hierarchy in their ultra-structure and macro-structure. The aim of this work is to develop a…
Living tissues experience various external forces on cells, influencing their behaviour, physiology, shape, gene expression, and destiny through interactions with their environment. Despite much research done in this area, challenges remain…
Biological cells in soft materials can be modeled as anisotropic force contraction dipoles. The corresponding elastic interaction potentials are long-ranged ($\sim 1/r^3$ with distance $r$) and depend sensitively on elastic constants,…
Like a rocket being propelled into space, evolution has engineered flies to launch into adulthood via multiple stages. Flies develop and deploy two distinct bodies, linked by the transformative process of metamorphosis. The fly larva is a…
Elastic strain energy is stored and released from long, distal tendons such as the Achilles during locomotion, reducing locomotor energy cost by minimising muscle shortening distance and speed, and thus activation. However, numerous…