1
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Krings W, Konn-Vetterlein D, Hausdorf B, Gorb SN. Holding in the stream: convergent evolution of suckermouth structures in Loricariidae (Siluriformes). Front Zool 2023; 20:37. [PMID: 38037029 PMCID: PMC10691160 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00516-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae) are a highly speciose and diverse freshwater fish family, which bear upper and lower lips forming an oral disc. Its hierarchical organisation allows the attachment to various natural surfaces. The discs can possess papillae of different shapes, which are supplemented, in many taxa, by small horny projections, i.e. unculi. Although these attachment structures and their working mechanisms, which include adhesion and interlocking, are rather well investigated in some selected species, the loricariid oral disc is unfortunately understudied in the majority of species, especially with regard to comparative aspects of the diverse oral structures and their relationship to the ecology of different species. In the present paper, we investigated the papilla and unculi morphologies in 67 loricariid species, which inhabit different currents and substrates. We determined four papilla types and eight unculi types differing by forms and sizes. Ancestral state reconstructions strongly suggest convergent evolution of traits. There is no obvious correlation between habitat shifts and the evolution of specific character states. From handling the structures and from drying artefacts we could infer some information about their material properties. This, together with their shape, enabled us to carefully propose hypotheses about mechanisms of interactions of oral disc structures with natural substrates typical for respective fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencke Krings
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
- Department of Cariology, Endodontology and Periodontology, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 12, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Mammalogy and Palaeoanthropology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
- Department of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Cell and Systems Biology of Animals, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Daniel Konn-Vetterlein
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hausdorf
- Department of Malacology, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stanislav N Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
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2
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Wang J, Wang S, Zheng L, Ren L. Adhesion Behavior in Fish: From Structures to Applications. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:534. [PMID: 37999175 PMCID: PMC10669881 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8070534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In nature, some fish can adhere tightly to the surface of stones, aquatic plants, and even other fish bodies. This adhesion behavior allows these fish to fix, eat, hide, and migrate in complex and variable aquatic environments. The adhesion function is realized by the special mouth and sucker tissue of fish. Inspired by adhesion fish, extensive research has recently been carried out. Therefore, this paper presents a brief overview to better explore underwater adhesion mechanisms and provide bionic applications. Firstly, the adhesion organs and structures of biological prototypes (e.g., clingfish, remora, Garra, suckermouth catfish, hill stream loach, and goby) are presented separately, and the underwater adhesion mechanisms are analyzed. Then, based on bionics, it is explained that the adhesion structures and components are designed and created for applications (e.g., flexible gripping adhesive discs and adhesive motion devices). Furthermore, we offer our perspectives on the limitations and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China; (J.W.); (L.R.)
- School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China;
- Weihai Institute for Bionics, Jilin University, Weihai 264402, China
| | - Shukun Wang
- School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China;
| | - Long Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China; (J.W.); (L.R.)
- Weihai Institute for Bionics, Jilin University, Weihai 264402, China
| | - Luquan Ren
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China; (J.W.); (L.R.)
- Weihai Institute for Bionics, Jilin University, Weihai 264402, China
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3
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Zhang Y, Kong D, Shi Y, Cai M, Yu Q, Li S, Wang K, Liu C. Recent progress on underwater soft robots: adhesion, grabbing, actuating, and sensing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1196922. [PMID: 37614630 PMCID: PMC10442648 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1196922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The research on biomimetic robots, especially soft robots with flexible materials as the main structure, is constantly being explored. It integrates multi-disciplinary content, such as bionics, material science, mechatronics engineering, and control theory, and belongs to the cross-disciplinary field related to mechanical bionics and biological manufacturing. With the continuous development of various related disciplines, this area has become a hot research field. Particularly with the development of practical technologies such as 3D printing technology, shape memory alloy, piezoelectric materials, and hydrogels at the present stage, the functions and forms of soft robots are constantly being further developed, and a variety of new soft robots keep emerging. Soft robots, combined with their own materials or structural characteristics of large deformation, have almost unlimited degrees of freedom (DoF) compared with rigid robots, which also provide a more reliable structural basis for soft robots to adapt to the natural environment. Therefore, soft robots will have extremely strong adaptability in some special conditions. As a type of robot made of flexible materials, the changeable pose structure of soft robots is especially suitable for the large application environment of the ocean. Soft robots working underwater can better mimic the movement characteristics of marine life in the hope of achieving more complex underwater tasks. The main focus of this paper is to classify different types of underwater organisms according to their common motion modes, focusing on the achievements of some bionic mechanisms in different functional fields that have imitated various motion modes underwater in recent years (e.g., the underwater sucking glove, the underwater Gripper, and the self-powered soft robot). The development of various task types (e.g., grasping, adhesive, driving or swimming, and sensing functions) and mechanism realization forms of the underwater soft robot are described based on this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeming Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Demin Kong
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Yan Shi
- School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Maolin Cai
- School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Qihui Yu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
| | - Shuping Li
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Kai Wang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
| | - Chuangchuang Liu
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, China
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4
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Cohen KE, Lucanus O, Summers AP, Kolmann MA. Lip service: Histological phenotypes correlate with diet and feeding ecology in herbivorous pacus. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:326-342. [PMID: 36128598 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Complex prey processing requires the repositioning of food between the teeth, as modulated by a soft tissue appendage like a tongue or lips. In this study, we trace the evolution of lips and ligaments, which are used during prey capture and prey processing in an herbivorous group of fishes. Pacus (Serrasalmidae) are Neotropical freshwater fishes that feed on leaves, fruits, and seeds. These prey are hard or tough, require high forces to fracture, contain abrasive or caustic elements, or deform considerably before failure. Pacus are gape-limited and do not have the pharyngeal jaws many bony fishes use to dismantle and/or transport prey. Despite their gape limitation, pacus feed on prey larger than their mouths, relying on robust teeth and a hypertrophied lower lip for manipulation and breakdown of food. We used histology to compare the lip morphology across 14 species of pacus and piranhas to better understand this soft tissue. We found that frugivorous pacus have larger, more complex lips which are innervated and folded at their surface, while grazing species have callused, mucus-covered lips. Unlike mammalian lips or tongues, pacu lips lack any intrinsic skeletal or smooth muscle. This implies that pacu lips lack dexterity; however, we found a novel connection to the primordial ligament which suggests that the lips are actuated by the jaw adductors. We propose that pacus combine hydraulic repositioning of prey inside the buccal cavity with direct oral manipulation, the latter using a combination of a morphologically heterodont dentition and compliant lips for reorienting food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karly E Cohen
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, USA
| | - Oliver Lucanus
- BelowWater, Inc., Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Applied Remote Sensing Lab, Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adam P Summers
- Biology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, USA
| | - Matthew A Kolmann
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Dept. of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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5
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Sandoval JA, Ishida M, Jadhav S, Huen S, Tolley MT. Tuning the Morphology of Suction Discs to Enable Directional Adhesion for Locomotion in Wet Environments. Soft Robot 2022; 9:1083-1097. [PMID: 35285735 DOI: 10.1089/soro.2021.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Reversible adhesion provides robotic systems with unique capabilities, including wall climbing and walking underwater, and yet the control of adhesion continues to pose a challenge. Directional adhesives have begun to address this limitation by providing adhesion when loaded in one direction and releasing easily when loaded in the opposite direction. However, previous work has focused on directional adhesives for dry environments. In this work, we sought to address this need for directional adhesives for use in a wet environment by tuning the morphology of suction discs to achieve anisotropic adhesion. We developed a suction disc that exhibited significant directional preference in attachment and detachment without requiring active control. The suction discs exhibited morphological computation-that is, they were programmed based on their geometry and material properties to detach under specific angles of loading. We investigated two design parameters-disc symmetry and slits within the disc margin-as mechanisms to yield anisotropic adhesion, and through experimental characterizations, we determined that an asymmetric suction disc most consistently provided directional adhesion. We performed a parametric sweep of material stiffness to optimize for directional adhesion and found that the material composition of the suction disc demonstrated the ability to override the effect of body asymmetry on achieving anisotropic adhesion. We modeled the stress distributions within the different suction disc symmetries using finite element analysis, yielding insights into the differences in contact pressures between the variants. We experimentally demonstrated the utility of the suction discs in a simulated walking gait using linear actuators as one potential application of the directional suction disc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Sandoval
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael Ishida
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Saurabh Jadhav
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Sidney Huen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael T Tolley
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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6
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Huie JM, Wainwright DK, Summers AP, Cohen KE. Sticky, stickier and stickiest - a comparison of adhesive performance in clingfish, lumpsuckers and snailfish. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:284358. [PMID: 36342423 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The coastal waters of the North Pacific are home to the northern clingfish (Gobiesox maeandricus), Pacific spiny lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis) and marbled snailfish (Liparis dennyi) - three fishes that have evolved ventral adhesive discs. Clingfish adhesive performance has been studied extensively, but relatively little is known about the performance of other sticky fishes. Here, we compared the peak adhesive forces and work to detachment of clingfish, lumpsuckers and snailfish on surfaces of varying roughness and over ontogeny. We also investigated the morphology of their adhesive discs through micro-computed tomography scanning and scanning electron microscopy. We found evidence that adhesive performance is tied to the intensity and variability of flow regimes in the fishes' habitats. The northern clingfish generates the highest adhesive forces and lives in the rocky intertidal zone where it must resist exposure to crashing waves. Lumpsuckers and snailfish both generate only a fraction of the clingfish's adhesive force, but live more subtidal where currents are slower and less variable. However, lumpsuckers generate more adhesive force relative to their body weight than snailfish, which we attribute to their higher-drag body shape and frequent bouts into the intertidal zone. Even so, the performance and morphology data suggest that snailfish adhesive discs are stiffer and built more efficiently than lumpsucker discs. Future studies should focus on sampling additional diversity and designing more ecologically relevant experiments when investigating differences in adhesive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Huie
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Dylan K Wainwright
- Department of Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.,Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Adam P Summers
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Karly E Cohen
- Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
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7
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Flammang BE. Bioinspired Design in Research: Evolution as Beta-Testing. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac134. [PMID: 35933125 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern fishes represent over 400 million years of evolutionary processes that, in many cases, resulted in selection for phenotypes with particular performance advantages. While this certainly occurred without a trajectory for optimization, it cannot be denied that some morphologies allow organisms to be more effective than others at tasks like evading predation, securing food, and ultimately passing on their genes. In this way, evolution generates a series of iterative prototypes with varying but measurable success in accomplishing objectives. Therefore, careful analysis of fundamental properties underlying biological phenomena allow us to fast-track development of bioinspired technologies aiming to accomplish similar objectives. At the same time, bioinspired designs can be a way to explore evolutionary processes, by better understanding the performance space within which a given morphology operates. Through strong interdisciplinary collaborations, we can develop novel bioinspired technologies that not only excel as robotic devices but that teach us something about biology and the rules of life in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Flammang
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, 323 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., 07102, NJ, USA
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8
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Li L, Wang S, Zhang Y, Song S, Wang C, Tan S, Zhao W, Wang G, Sun W, Yang F, Liu J, Chen B, Xu H, Nguyen P, Kovac M, Wen L. Aerial-aquatic robots capable of crossing the air-water boundary and hitchhiking on surfaces. Sci Robot 2022; 7:eabm6695. [PMID: 35584203 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abm6695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Many real-world applications for robots-such as long-term aerial and underwater observation, cross-medium operations, and marine life surveys-require robots with the ability to move between the air-water boundary. Here, we describe an aerial-aquatic hitchhiking robot that is self-contained for flying, swimming, and attaching to surfaces in both air and water and that can seamlessly move between the two. We describe this robot's redundant, hydrostatically enhanced hitchhiking device, inspired by the morphology of a remora (Echeneis naucrates) disc, which works in both air and water. As with the biological remora disc, this device has separate lamellar compartments for redundant sealing, which enables the robot to achieve adhesion and hitchhike with only partial disc attachment. The self-contained, rotor-based aerial-aquatic robot, which has passively morphing propellers that unfold in the air and fold underwater, can cross the air-water boundary in 0.35 second. The robot can perform rapid attachment and detachment on challenging surfaces both in air and under water, including curved, rough, incomplete, and biofouling surfaces, and achieve long-duration adhesion with minimal oscillation. We also show that the robot can attach to and hitchhike on moving surfaces. In field tests, we show that the robot can record video in both media and move objects across the air/water boundary in a mountain stream and the ocean. We envision that this study can pave the way for future robots with autonomous biological detection, monitoring, and tracking capabilities in a wide variety of aerial-aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiyuan Zhang
- School of General Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Shanyuan Song
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuqian Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaochang Tan
- School of Automation Science and Electrical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenguang Sun
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Fuqiang Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Bohan Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Haoyuan Xu
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Mirko Kovac
- Imperial College London, London, UK.,Materials and Technology Centre of Robotics, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Li Wen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
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9
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Wang S, Li L, Zhao W, Zhang Y, Wen L. A biomimetic remora disc with tunable, reversible adhesion for surface sliding and skimming. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2022; 17:036001. [PMID: 35073526 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac4e7a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Remora suckerfish (Echeneis naucrates) can perform skimming and sliding motions on the surfaces of moving hosts to optimize adhesion positions. We found that remora achieve skimming and sliding motions through coordinated movement of the suction disc's lamellae and lip locomotion through live animal observations. We implemented an integrated biomimetic remora suction disc based on morphological and kinematic data of biological remoras. With soft actuators enabling 'compression-rotation' and 'compression-extension', the biomimetic disc controls the disc lip and lamellar movement under driving with only one degree of freedom, and can switch freely between three states: zero, low-friction, and robust adhesion. Then we investigate the effects of the biomimetic suction-disc soft-lip material, preload, and lamellar movement on the tangential friction force (both forward and backward) under different adhesion states. This biomimetic suction disc with a low-modulus soft lip can adhere to a smooth surface under 0.1 N preload and achieve normal adhesion-force and tangential frictional-force control ranges spanning ∼10-1to ∼102N and ∼10-1to ∼101N, respectively. The results reveal how remora disc achieved fast, tunable adhesion for skimming and sliding on surfaces. Furthermore, we demonstrate a bio-inspired robot capable of attachment, detachment, skimming, and sliding motions with the aiding of simple biomimetic pectoral-fin flapping. This study lays a foundation for future integrated applications of underwater adhesion robots and related biomechanical exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
- Shenyuan Honors College, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhao
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiyuan Zhang
- School of General Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, People's Republic of China
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10
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Su L, Jin DD, Pan CF, Xia N, Chan KF, Iacovacci V, Xu T, Du X, Zhang L. A mobile magnetic pad with fast light-switchable adhesion capabilities. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2021; 16:055005. [PMID: 34225261 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ac114a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Octopus suckers that possess the ability to actively control adhesion through muscle actuation have inspired artificial adhesives for safe manipulation of thin and delicate objects. However, the design of adhesives with fast adhesion switching speed to transport cargoes in confined spaces remains an open challenge. Here, we present an untethered magnetic adhesive pad combining the functionality of fast adhesion switching and remotely controlled locomotion. The adhesive pad can be activated from low-adhesion state to high-adhesion state by near infrared laser within 30 s, allowing to fulfill a high-throughput task of retrieving and releasing objects. Moreover, under the guidance of external magnetic field, the proposed pad is demonstrated to transport thin and fragile electronic components across a tortuous path, thus indicating its potential for dexterous delivery in complex working environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Su
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Dong Jin
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Feng Pan
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Neng Xia
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai Fung Chan
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
| | - Veronica Iacovacci
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56025, Italy
| | - Tiantian Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent System, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemin Du
- Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering (IBHE), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin NT, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
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