Soft robotics
Robotic systems made from physically soft materials are important due to their inherently safe human interactions and non-linear characteristics. We focus on soft robots and actuators with soft polymers and responsive materials to develop new actuation systems, improve performance and achieve new capabilities.
- Artificial-goosebump-driven microactuation. (2024) Nature Materials.
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Magnetic putty as a reconfigurable, recyclable, and accessible soft robotic material. (2023). Advanced Materials.
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Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Polymeric Coatings for Colorful Artificial Muscles and Motile Humidity Sensor Skin Integrated with Magnetic Composites. (2023). Advanced Functional Materials.
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Soft Actuators for Real-World Applications. (2022). Nature Reviews Materials.
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Elastic energy storage enables rapid and programmable motion in soft machines. (2020). Advanced Functional Materials.
Mechanical instabilities
A mechanical instability is when a system experiences a rapid transition from a stable state because of a drastic reduction of its stiffness, leading to large deformations. Soft materials can accommodate these large deformations, enabling the use of mechanical instabilities as a programmable robotic actuation method.
- Integrated mechanical computing for autonomous soft machines. (2024). Nature Communications.
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Programmable mechanical devices through magnetically tunable bistable elements. (2023). PNAS.
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Exploiting mechanical instabilities in soft robotics: control, sensing, and actuation. (2021). Advanced Materials.
Mechanical metamaterials
Mechanical metamaterials are rationally designed structures of geometrical architecture leading to unusual physical and mechanical properties. We utilize a careful selection of both (local) design and materials to achieve new properties and programmed function, otherwise inaccessible with natural materials.
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Hydrogel muscles powering reconfigurable micro-metastructures with wide-spectrum programmability. (2023). Nature Materials.
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Optimal turbine blade design enabled by auxetic honeycomb. (2020). Smart Materials and Structures.
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3D architected soft machines with topologically encoded motion. (2019). Advanced Functional Materials.
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Roll-to-roll nanoforming of metals using laser-induced superplasticity. (2018). Nano Letters.
Soft biosensors
We develop biosensors on soft, flexible substrates to enable wearable applications for monitoring various human health conditions.
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Conformal, waterproof electronic decals for wireless monitoring of sweat and vaginal pH at the point-of-care. (2020).
Biosensor & Bioelectronics. -
Early detection and monitoring of chronic wounds using low-cost, omniphobic paper-based smart bandages. (2018).
Biosensors & Bioelectronics. -
Wearable and implantable epidermal paper-based electronics. (2018). ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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Self-powered, paper-based electrochemical devices for sensitive point-of-care testing. (2017). Advanced Materials Technology.
- Omniphobic paper-based smart bandage devices (2020) by Martinez, R. V. & Pal, A. → U.S. Patent Application US16/812,438
- Waterproof electronic decals for wireless monitoring of biofluids (2021) by Martinez, R. V. & Pal, A. → U.S. Patent Application US17/228,615
For further information, please get in touch with
Aniket Pal
Jun.-Prof. Dr.Principal Investigator
[Image: Aniket Pal]