Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 19, 2025
11:06
Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Published on: November 14, 2015
9.2K
Leveraging elastic instabilities for amplified performance: Spine-inspired high-speed and high-force soft robots
Yichao Tang1,2, Yinding Chi2, Jiefeng Sun3
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Temple University, 1947 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
Science Advances
|June 5, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a new design for soft robots using mechanical instability to achieve fast locomotion and strong manipulation. This principle enables high-speed crawling, swimming, and powerful gripping, overcoming limitations of traditional soft materials.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Soft machines often face limitations in speed and strength due to inherent material properties.
- Current soft robot designs typically prioritize inherent stability, limiting dynamic performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a generic design principle for enhancing soft machine performance.
- To leverage mechanical instability and tunable bistability for rapid energy storage and release.
Main Methods:
- Developed a design principle based on tunable snap-through bistability.
- Implemented this principle in spine-inspired soft machines.
- Demonstrated applications in locomotion and manipulation.
Main Results:
- Achieved high-speed locomotion in cheetah-like crawlers (2.68 body lengths/s) and underwater swimmers (0.78 body lengths/s).
- Created soft grippers with tunable stiffness (1 to 10^3) and high load capacity (11.4 kg).
- Demonstrated rapid energy storage and release within milliseconds.
Conclusions:
- Established a new design paradigm for high-performance soft robots.
- The principle is applicable to various actuation methods, materials, and scales.
- This approach enables multifunctionality and overcomes traditional soft material limitations.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Elastic Strain Energy for Shearing Stresses
426
As discussed in previous lessons, strain energy in a material is the energy stored when it is elastically deformed, a concept crucial in materials science and mechanical engineering. This energy results from the internal work done against the cohesive forces within the material. When a material undergoes shearing stress and corresponding shearing strain, the strain energy density, which is the energy stored per unit volume, is calculated. Within the elastic limit, where the stress is...
426
01:22Elastic Strain Energy for Normal Stresses
486
Strain energy quantifies the energy stored within a material due to deformation under loading conditions, a fundamental concept in materials science and engineering. The strain energy can be modeled when a material is subjected to axial loading with uniformly distributed stress. In this scenario, the stress experienced by the material is the internal force divided by the cross-sectional area, and the strain induced is directly proportional to this stress through the modulus of elasticity.
If...
If...
486
01:14Stability of structures
391
In mechanical engineering, the stability of systems under various forces is critical for designing durable and efficient structures. One fundamental way to explore these concepts is by analyzing systems like two rods connected at a pivot point, O, with a torsional spring of spring constant k at the pivot point. This system is similar in appearance to a scissor jack used to change tires on a car. In this case, the arms of the linkage (equivalent to the rods in this system) are entirely vertical,...
391
01:20Elasticity in Concrete
262
Upon subjecting concrete to moderate or high uniaxial compressive or tensile stresses, the strain response is non-linear relative to the stress applied. As the stress is removed, the resulting stress-strain curve deviates from the original path traced during loading, creating a hysteresis loop, indicative of the concrete's non-linear and non-elastic properties. Typically, a material's modulus of elasticity, which is a measure of the material's stiffness, is inferred from the linear...
262
01:13Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces
3.3K
In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue.
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
3.3K
01:22Mechanical Systems
502
Mechanical systems are analogous to to electrical networks where springs and masses play similar roles to inductors and capacitors, respectively. A viscous damper in mechanical systems functions similarly to a resistor in electrical networks, dissipating energy. The forces acting on a mass in such systems include an applied force in the direction of motion, counteracted by forces from the spring, a viscous damper, and the mass's acceleration. This interplay of forces is mathematically...
502