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...

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...

PI Controller: Design

PI Controller: Design

Proportional Integral (PI) controllers are a fundamental component in modern control systems, widely used to enhance performance and mitigate steady-state errors. They are particularly effective in applications such as automatic brightness adjustment on smartphones, where they excel at mitigating steady-state errors for step-function inputs. Unlike PD controllers, which require time-varying errors to function optimally, PI controllers leverage their integral component to address residual...

One-Degree-of-Freedom System

One-Degree-of-Freedom System

In mechanical engineering, one-degree-of-freedom systems form the basis of a wide range of electrical and mechanical components. Using these models, engineers can predict the behavior of various parts in a larger system, which gives them insight into how different forces interact with each other.
A one-degree-of-freedom system is defined by an independent variable that determines its state and behavior. One example of a one-degree-of-freedom system is a simple harmonic oscillator, such as a...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

The microDelta: Downscaling robot mechanisms enables ultrafast and high-precision movement.

Science robotics·2025

Same author

Bio-Inspired Artificial Muscle-Tendon Complex of Liquid Crystal Elastomer for Bidirectional Afferent-Efferent Signaling.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025

Same author

Human Visual Transduction Mechanism-Inspired Adaptive Enhancement Network during Endoscopy.

IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics·2025

Same author

Finite Element Model of the Effect of Optic Nerve Sheath Anisotropy on Ocular Loading During Horizontal Duction.

Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Same author

Enhancing Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Liquid Crystal Elastomers through Chain Entanglements.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025

Same author

Low Thermal Conductivity and Diffusivity at High Temperatures Using Stable High-Entropy Spinel Oxide Nanoparticles.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 15, 2026

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

LCE-integrated soft skin for millimeter-scale steerable soft everting robots.

Sukjun Kim¹, Gaoweiang Dong², Aedan Mangan¹

¹Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.

Science Advances

|October 15, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed tiny, fully soft robots that grow from their tip. These steerable robots use liquid crystal elastomer actuators for precise movement in delicate environments.

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

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 15, 2026

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

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

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Bioinspired Soft Robot with Incorporated Microelectrodes

Published on: February 28, 2020

Area of Science:

Robotics
Materials Science
Soft Robotics

Background:

Soft everting robots grow from their tip, allowing minimal environmental interaction and traversal of complex terrains.
Existing steering mechanisms for soft everting robots face challenges in miniaturization and achieving multi-point bending while maintaining softness.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop millimeter-scale, steerable, and fully soft everting robots.
To overcome limitations in miniaturizing steering mechanisms and achieving complex bending in soft everting robots.

Main Methods:

Functionalizing the robot skin with liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators.
Investigating the effects of internal pressure and actuator temperature as control inputs for steering.
Creating millimeter-scale robots capable of large bending angles (>100°) at multiple points.

Main Results:

Demonstrated millimeter-scale, fully soft everting robots with steerable capabilities.
Achieved large bending angles (>100°) at multiple points along the robot's length using LCE actuators.
Identified internal pressure and actuator temperature as effective control inputs for steering.

Conclusions:

The developed LCE-functionalized skin approach enables the creation of small, steerable, fully soft everting robots.
This design offers advantages for applications in delicate and constrained environments, such as minimally invasive surgery and inspection.
Represents a significant step towards advanced soft robotics for complex tasks.