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

Solenoids

Solenoids

A solenoid is a conducting wire coated with an insulating material, wound tightly in the form of a helical coil. The magnetic field for a solenoid is the vector sum of the magnetic field due to its individual turns. For an ideal solenoid, the magnetic field inside is almost uniform and parallel to the solenoid axis, while the magnetic field outside the solenoid is nearly zero.
Each turn in a solenoid can be approximated as a circular current carrying coil that generates a dipole moment. The...

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...

Electro-mechanical Systems

Electro-mechanical Systems

Electromechanical systems are intricate configurations that effectively combine electrical and mechanical elements to achieve a desired outcome. Central to many of these systems is the DC motor, a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion, enabling various applications ranging from simple fans to complex robotic mechanisms.
A key component of the DC motor is the armature, a rotating circuit positioned within a magnetic field. As an electric current passes through the...

Faraday Disk Dynamo

Faraday Disk Dynamo

A Faraday disk dynamo is a DC generator, producing an emf that is constant in time. It consists of a conducting disk that rotates with a constant angular velocity in the magnetic field, perpendicular to the disk's plane. The rotation of the disk causes a change in magnetic flux, which induces an emf, causing opposite charges to develop on the rim and in the center of the disk. The polarity of the induced emf can be determined by the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of the...

Energy to Drive Translocation

Energy to Drive Translocation

Mitochondrial protein import is powered by two distinct energy sources: ATP hydrolysis and electrochemical potential across the inner membrane. Newly synthesized precursors are bound by cytosolic chaperones of the Hsp70 family, which guide them to the import receptors on the mitochondrial surface. Utilizing the energy of ATP hydrolysis, Hsp70 chaperones transfer these precursors to the TOM receptors on the mitochondrial outer membrane.
Generally, polypeptides are unfolded by two distinct...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Extreme Water Uptake of Hygroscopic Hydrogels through Maximized Swelling-Induced Salt Loading.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2023

Same author

Unusual Temperature Dependence of Water Sorption in Semicrystalline Hydrogels.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2023

Same author

Capillary Transfer of Self-Assembled Colloidal Crystals.

Nano letters·2023

Same author

A unified approach and descriptor for the thermal expansion of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers.

Science advances·2022

Same author

Three-Tier Hierarchical Structures for Extreme Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Performance.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2022

Same author

Thermophotovoltaic efficiency of 40.

Nature·2022

Same journal

Reassessing the Proposed Creatine-PrP Axis in Endometriosis: Methodological and Mechanistic Considerations.

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

Same journal

IL-7R-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles From the Thymus Drive Colitis via Promoting Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation.

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

Same journal

Oral Prebiotic Polysaccharide Hydrogels Sustaining Colon Antibody Release Alleviate Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

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

Same journal

Systematic Phosphorus-Driven Structural and Field Engineering of n-a-Si:H for Flexible n-a-Si:H/Te Near-Infrared Photodetectors.

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

Same journal

Chemically Gradient Ordered Nanodomains Enable Large Tensile Ductility in Gigapascal Lightweight Refractory High-Entropy Alloys.

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

Same journal

Single-Molecule Characterization of Bacterial Factor-Dependent Transcription Activation by Rob.

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

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Solar-Driven Soft Robots.

Seyed M Mirvakili¹, Arny Leroy², Douglas Sim³

¹Koch Institute Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA.

Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)

|April 26, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel method for untethered soft robots using sunlight. This approach enables long-range operation without bulky components, demonstrating controllable grasping and lifting capabilities.

Keywords:

actuators artificial muscles phase change soft robots solar energy untethered

More Related Videos

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot

Published on: June 10, 2020

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: Nov 8, 2025

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot

Manufacturing, Control, and Performance Evaluation of a Gecko-Inspired Soft Robot

Published on: June 10, 2020

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
Optics

Background:

Stimuli-responsive materials are advancing soft robotics, enabling bio-inspired designs.
Untethered soft robots have been demonstrated using light, magnetic, and electric fields.
Light offers advantages for long-range actuation due to its minimal decay over distance.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a method for harnessing sunlight to power untethered soft robots.
To overcome limitations of electric and magnetic fields in long-range soft robot operation.
To enable untethered, long-range actuation of soft robotic systems.

Main Methods:

Utilizing a selective solar absorber film to capture sunlight.
Employing a low-boiling point fluid (34°C) for actuation.
Developing light-operated soft robotic grippers.

Main Results:

Demonstrated controllable grasping and lifting of objects.
Achieved lifting capacities approximately 25 times the mass of the actuating fluid.
Showcased untethered operation without peripheral components like compressors or valves.

Conclusions:

Harnessing sunlight provides a viable energy source for untethered soft robots.
The developed method enables long-range, controllable soft robotic actuation.
This approach simplifies soft robot design by eliminating the need for bulky external systems.