Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Mechanical Systems

Mechanical Systems

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Reconfigurable Inflatables Through Controlled Surface Crumpling.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

Light-based 3D printing of mechanoluminescent living gels loaded with dinoflagellates.

Science advances·2026

Same author

Tactile perception through fluid-solid interaction.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Squeaking at soft-rigid frictional interfaces.

Nature·2026

Same author

Cell-in-Bead-in-Droplet Platform for pH-Based Microfluidic Screening of Ureolytic Bacteria.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026

Same author

Self-organization of cellulose-producing microbial communities during biofilm spreading.

Soft matter·2025

Same journal

DNA origami snaps into place.

Science robotics·2026

Same journal

A high-endurance DNA origami snap-through switch for functional nanoscale control.

Science robotics·2026

Same journal

Learning flight navigation like a honey bee.

Science robotics·2026

Same journal

Is your robot vacuum cleaner spying on you?

Science robotics·2026

Same journal

Do people feel safe in a robot's presence?

Science robotics·2026

Same journal

Stop chasing identical outcomes in HRI replication: Learn from the differences.

Science robotics·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Programming soft robots with flexible mechanical metamaterials.

Ahmad Rafsanjani¹, Katia Bertoldi^2,3,4, André R Studart⁵

¹Complex Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.

Science Robotics

|November 2, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Highly deformable mechanical metamaterials enable complex behaviors that significantly improve soft robot performance. This research explores their advanced capabilities for next-generation robotics.

More Related Videos

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Published on: November 14, 2015

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Published on: November 14, 2015

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

Area of Science:

Robotics
Materials Science
Mechanical Engineering

Background:

Soft robots offer unique advantages in adaptability and safety.
Controlling the complex behavior of soft robots remains a significant challenge.
Mechanical metamaterials present novel solutions for advanced robotic functionalities.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how highly deformable mechanical metamaterials can enhance soft robot performance.
To explore the complex behaviors enabled by these advanced materials in robotic applications.
To provide a foundation for designing next-generation soft robots with superior capabilities.

Main Methods:

Utilizing advanced computational modeling to simulate metamaterial behavior.
Fabricating and testing prototypes of soft robots incorporating mechanical metamaterials.
Analyzing the relationship between material structure and resulting robotic motion.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that mechanical metamaterials allow for unprecedented control over soft robot deformation.
Observed complex, programmable behaviors such as shape-morphing and adaptive locomotion.
Quantified significant performance enhancements in areas like dexterity and environmental interaction.

Conclusions:

Highly deformable mechanical metamaterials are key to unlocking advanced functionalities in soft robotics.
The integration of these materials promises to revolutionize soft robot design and application.
Future work will focus on scaling these designs for practical robotic systems.