Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force01:05

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force

19.8K
One of the simpler characteristics of sliding friction is that it is parallel to the contact surfaces between systems, and is always in a direction that opposes the motion or attempted motion of the systems relative to each other. If two systems are in contact and moving relative to one another, then the friction between them is called kinetic friction. For example, kinetic friction slows a hockey puck sliding on ice.
However, if two systems are in contact and are stationary relative to one...
19.8K
Frictional Force01:07

Frictional Force

8.8K
When a body is in motion, it encounters resistance because the body interacts with its surroundings. This resistance is known as friction, a common yet complex force whose behavior is still not completely understood. Friction opposes relative motion between systems in contact, but also allows us to move. Friction arises in part due to the roughness of surfaces in contact. For one object to move along a surface, it must rise to where the peaks of the surface can skip along the bottom of the...
8.8K
Static Friction01:18

Static Friction

1.0K
Static friction is a force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of motion between two surfaces in contact. It plays a crucial role in our daily lives, from walking on the ground to driving a car.
For example, consider a scenario where a truck is connected to a car by a rope, ready to tow it along a road. When no external force is applied by the truck, the car remains stationary and is said to be in static equilibrium. In this case, the forces acting on the car, such as gravity and the...
1.0K
Types of Friction Problems01:27

Types of Friction Problems

693
Friction is an essential concept in physics, engineering, and everyday life. It is the force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of such motion between two surfaces in contact. One of the most common types of friction encountered in various applications is dry friction. Dry friction problems can be broadly categorized into three types, each with unique characteristics and challenges.
The first type of dry friction problem involves situations where there is no apparent impending motion....
693
Dry Friction01:30

Dry Friction

559
Dry friction occurs between two solid surfaces in contact as they attempt to move relative to one another. In daily life, dry friction is encountered in various forms, such as when walking on the ground, sliding an object across a table, or rubbing hands together. Despite its ubiquity, the underlying mechanisms behind dry friction are not readily visible.
To illustrate this concept, imagine a wooden crate resting on a rough, non-uniform horizontal surface. When an external force is applied to...
559
Kinetic Friction01:26

Kinetic Friction

1.1K
Consider a truck trying to pull a stationary car. As the truck exerts a force on the car, static friction is created at the point of contact between the two surfaces. This frictional force resists the car's movement and keeps it at rest. However, when the applied force by the truck surpasses the limiting static frictional force, an interesting phenomenon occurs. The frictional force at the interface reduces to a lower value, known as the kinetic frictional force. At this point, the car...
1.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A Computational Pipeline for Quantifying Kinetochore Morphological Changes in Live Cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Ceftazidime-avibactam for multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections: outcomes and timing of initiation across 22 U.S. medical centers.

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy·2026
Same author

Decoding roughness perception in distributed haptic devices.

PNAS nexus·2024
Same author

SKAP binding to microtubules reduces friction at the kinetochore-microtubule interface and increases attachment stability under force.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Self-Amputating and Interfusing Machines.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2024
Same author

Evaluation of the restorative effect of ozone and chitosan-hyaluronic acid with and without mesenchymal stem cells on wound healing in rats.

Veterinary medicine and science·2024
Same journal

Editorial: Robotic applications for a sustainable future.

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2026
Same journal

Passive wheels on legged robots: a survey.

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2026
Same journal

Politeness cannot make up for robots' errors.

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2026
Same journal

Workers expect basic social skills but limited autonomy from future robots - a qualitative interview study and taxonomy for robot social skills.

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2026
Same journal

Human-robot interaction in sustainable hospitality: how robot type shapes customer emotions, green perceptions, and service loyalty.

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2026
Same journal

Dynamic variance-aware federated tuning for efficient autonomous vehicle perception under non-IID settings.

Frontiers in robotics and AI·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 28, 2025

Real-Time DC-dynamic Biasing Method for Switching Time Improvement in Severely Underdamped Fringing-field Electrostatic MEMS Actuators
11:44

Real-Time DC-dynamic Biasing Method for Switching Time Improvement in Severely Underdamped Fringing-field Electrostatic MEMS Actuators

Published on: August 15, 2014

10.5K

Dynamically Tunable Friction via Subsurface Stiffness Modulation.

Siavash Sharifi1,2, Caleb Rux2,3, Nathaniel Sparling2,3

  • 1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, United States.

Frontiers in Robotics and AI
|July 19, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel soft robot locomotion method using subsurface stiffness modulation (SSM) to dynamically tune friction. This approach enables untethered functionality by controlling stiffness in stimuli-responsive composite structures.

Keywords:
dynamically tunable frictionlow melting point alloysoft robotssubsurface stiffness modulationuntethered crawling robots

More Related Videos

Parametric Optimization Design Method for Friction Plates of Hydro-Viscous Clutches
10:58

Parametric Optimization Design Method for Friction Plates of Hydro-Viscous Clutches

Published on: July 22, 2025

329
Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses
07:45

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses

Published on: March 25, 2015

20.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 28, 2025

Real-Time DC-dynamic Biasing Method for Switching Time Improvement in Severely Underdamped Fringing-field Electrostatic MEMS Actuators
11:44

Real-Time DC-dynamic Biasing Method for Switching Time Improvement in Severely Underdamped Fringing-field Electrostatic MEMS Actuators

Published on: August 15, 2014

10.5K
Parametric Optimization Design Method for Friction Plates of Hydro-Viscous Clutches
10:58

Parametric Optimization Design Method for Friction Plates of Hydro-Viscous Clutches

Published on: July 22, 2025

329
Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses
07:45

Simple Polyacrylamide-based Multiwell Stiffness Assay for the Study of Stiffness-dependent Cell Responses

Published on: March 25, 2015

20.2K

Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering

Background:

  • Current soft robots often rely on pneumatics or geometric asymmetry for movement, limiting their versatility and untethered capabilities.
  • Achieving controlled locomotion in soft robots without external tethers or complex mechanisms remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel method for soft robot locomotion using dynamically tunable friction.
  • To address limitations of current soft robot designs by enabling untethered functionalities.
  • To explore subsurface stiffness modulation (SSM) as a mechanism for friction control.

Main Methods:

  • Designed and fabricated elastomeric pads (polydimethylsiloxane - PDMS) with embedded spiral channels filled with low melting point alloy (LMPA).
  • Utilized Joule heating to melt the LMPA, increasing the composite structure's compliance and surface friction.
  • Conducted experiments and finite element analysis (FEA) to characterize friction behavior and underlying physics.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that melting LMPA significantly increases the stiffness and friction of the composite structure.
  • Characterized the tunable frictional behavior through experimental and computational analysis.
  • Showcased the potential of SSM for generating translational locomotion in soft crawling robots.

Conclusions:

  • Subsurface stiffness modulation (SSM) offers a viable approach for achieving dynamically tunable friction in soft robots.
  • This method enables enhanced versatility and untethered locomotion for soft crawling robots.
  • The developed composite structures show promise for future soft robotic applications requiring controlled movement.