Contents
30 May 2018
Vol 3, Issue 18
Vol 3, Issue 18
Editorial
- New materials for next-generation robots
The next generation of robotics will require new materials, actuators, and fabrication schemes.
Focus
- Encoding tissue mechanics in silicone
By controlling polymer-network architecture, we create tissue-like materials to extend soft robot performance to harsh environments.
- Fabrication of reprogrammable shape-memory polymer actuators for robotics
Shape-memory polymer actuators with reprogrammable actuation geometry and switching temperatures were recently suggested for robotics.
- Meant to merge: Fabrication of stretchy electronics for robotics
With the next generation of squishy robots on the rise, advanced soft electronic skins could provide the ultimate touch.
- 4D printing and robotics
Shape-memory materials and two- or three-dimensional printing techniques combine to form a new paradigm that will advance robotics.
Research Articles
- Biohybrid robot powered by an antagonistic pair of skeletal muscle tissues
A biohybrid robot actuated by an antagonistic pair of skeletal muscle tissues achieves large and long-term finger-like movements.
- Electronic skins for soft, compact, reversible assembly of wirelessly activated fully soft robots
A skin-like driving system enables compact and reversible assembly of wirelessly activated, fully soft robots.
- Light-stimulated actuators based on nickel hydroxide-oxyhydroxide
An actuating material can be powered wirelessly by water desorption induced by low-intensity visible light.
- Hybrid biomembrane–functionalized nanorobots for concurrent removal of pathogenic bacteria and toxins
Nanorobots with red blood cell–platelet hybrid membranes accelerated targeting and detoxification of biological threats.
About The Cover
ONLINE COVER Antagonistic Actuation. Engineers have used natural muscle tissues to move robotic devices, but the tissues were limited by spontaneous shrinkage, small ranges of movement, and short lifetimes. Morimoto et al. engineered muscle tissues by stacking thin hydrogel sheets containing myoblasts, then anchored an antagonistic pair of the tissues to a flexible robotic skeleton. Actuated by electrically stimulated engineered tissues, the device achieved a joint rotation of 90°, a range of motion comparable to that of a human finger. The muscle tissues remained capable of actuation for about one week. [CREDIT: SHOJI TAKEUCHI RESEARCH GROUP/UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO]