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

Adaptability of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:12

Adaptability of Cytoskeletal Filaments

3.8K
The cytoskeleton is a complex dynamic structure performing varied functions based on cellular requirements. The adaptability of the individual filaments in the cytoskeleton determines their ability to perform various functions within the cell. It can undergo rapid reorganization during processes like cell division or remain stable for several hours as in the interphase. The adaptability of these filaments depends on stringent regulatory mechanisms. The microfilament and microtubules of the...
3.8K
Plastic Deformation in Circular Shafts01:20

Plastic Deformation in Circular Shafts

212
When materials are subjected to forces that surpass their yield strength, they undergo a process known as plastic deformation. This results in a permanent alteration or strain in their structure. This concept can be specifically applied to circular shafts, where the deformation leads to a change in its shape. The precise evaluation of this plastic deformation requires understanding the stress distribution within the circular shaft, which is achieved by calculating the maximum shearing stress in...
212
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments01:14

Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments

3.0K
The straight or branched structure formation of actin filaments is controlled by nucleating proteins such as the formins and Arp2/3 complex. Formin-mediated assembly results in straight filaments, whereas Arp2/3 protein complex-mediated assembly results in branched actin filaments.
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
3.0K
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

2.0K
The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...
2.0K
Static and Kinetic Frictional Force01:05

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force

16.0K
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...
16.0K
Mechanical Systems01:22

Mechanical Systems

247
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...
247

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Mirror-Symmetric Organic Two-Dimensional Crystals for Alternative Photon Transport Pathways.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Evidence for Delocalization between <i>o</i>-Carborane and Triphenylethylene via an Alkynyl Bridge.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

An Antibacterial "Drug-Drug" Cocrystal of Trimethoprim with Sulfathiazole Achieving Synchronized Dual-Drug Release and Pharmacokinetics.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Pillararene-Cucurbituril: A Hybrid of Pillararenes and Cucurbiturils.

Organic letters·2026
Same author

Melatonin attenuates reproductive toxicity of prothioconazole and its metabolite via spermatogenesis and oxidative stress.

Communications biology·2026
Same author

A Panoramic View on Plastic Waste Recycling and Upcycling: Heterogeneous Catalytic Strategies for Diverse Plastics and Multiple Pathways.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same journal

Dynamic-Based Path Planning and Locomotion of Tensegrity Robots Considering Environmental Interaction.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

A Soft Magnetic Jamming Method Enabling Variable Stiffness and Active Steering for Robotic Catheter.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Research on the Design of Variable Stiffness Adhesive Feet and Cooperative Crawling Mechanism for Soft Bionic Gecko-Inspired Wall-Climbing Robots.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Bioinspired Swallowing Soft Gripper with Toroidal Optical Waveguides for Multimodal Interactive Perception.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Plant-Inspired Elastic-Hydraulic Tactile Sensing Enables Quantitative Stiffness Estimation in Soft Robots.

Soft robotics·2026
Same journal

Ultrastable Soft Capacitive Tactile Sensor with Impedance-Modulated Signal.

Soft robotics·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
11:06

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

Published on: November 14, 2015

9.0K

Tuning Stiffness with Granular Chain Structures for Versatile Soft Robots.

Si-Qi An1,2, Wen-Hao Li1,2, Ji-Hui Li1,2

  • 1School of Mechanics, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, P.R. China.

Soft Robotics
|April 21, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a novel granular chain assemblage for soft robots, enabling variable stiffness. This approach offers enhanced load capacity and adaptability, overcoming limitations of existing jamming methods for versatile soft robot applications.

Keywords:
granular chain jamminggranular chainsstiffness variationstretch-enhanced particle jamming and soft robots

More Related Videos

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation
07:49

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation

Published on: August 2, 2016

8.9K
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

9.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 2, 2025

Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
11:06

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

Published on: November 14, 2015

9.0K
Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation
07:49

Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation

Published on: August 2, 2016

8.9K
Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers
07:09

Fabrication of Soft Pneumatic Network Actuators with Oblique Chambers

Published on: August 17, 2018

9.1K

Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering

Background:

  • Variable stiffness is crucial for enhancing soft robot load capacity and compliance.
  • Current jamming methods for stiffness variation face challenges in being lightweight, adaptive, and avoiding deformation-induced softening.
  • Existing mechanisms limit applications requiring both large deformation and high stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a novel multifunctional granular chain assemblage for variable stiffness in soft robots.
  • To address limitations of existing jamming mechanisms, particularly deformation-induced softening.
  • To demonstrate the versatility of the proposed mechanisms in various soft robot applications.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a granular chain assemblage where particles are threaded into chains.
  • Classification and investigation of two chain jamming types: Granular Chain Jamming (GCJ) with spherical particles and Stretch-Enhanced Particle Jamming (SPJ) with cubic particles.
  • Demonstration of GCJ and SPJ mechanisms in soft grippers, crawlers, and bending actuators.

Main Results:

  • GCJ achieves high stiffness and adaptability with lightweight components.
  • SPJ exhibits a unique deformation-induced stiffening mechanism.
  • Demonstrated applications include passive adaptability, high load capacity, joint-like bending, friction enhancement, and buckling postponement.

Conclusions:

  • The granular chain assemblage provides a facile and low-cost strategy for fabricating versatile soft robots.
  • The proposed GCJ and SPJ mechanisms offer significant improvements over existing variable stiffness methods.
  • This work enables enhanced performance and broader applicability of soft robotic systems.