Versatile adhesive skin enhances robotic interactions with the environment

Changhong Linghu; Yangchengyi Liu; Xudong Yang; Zhou Chen; Jin Feng; Yiyuan Zhang; Yan Li; Zhao Zhao; Young-Jae Seo; Junwei Li; Haoyu Jiang; Jiangtao Su; Yin Fang; Yuhang Li; Xiufeng Wang; Yifan Wang; Huajian Gao; K. Jimmy Hsia

doi:10.1126/sciadv.adt4765

Versatile adhesive skin enhances robotic interactions with the environment

Changhong Linghu (Co-first Author)
, Yangchengyi Liu (Co-first Author)
, Xudong Yang (Co-first Author)
, Zhou Chen (Co-first Author)
, Jin Feng
, Yiyuan Zhang
, Yan Li
, Zhao Zhao
, Young-Jae Seo
, Junwei Li
, Haoyu Jiang
, Jiangtao Su
, Yin Fang
, Yuhang Li
, Xiufeng Wang^*
, Yifan Wang^*
, Huajian Gao^*
, K. Jimmy Hsia^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

53 Citations (Scopus)

4 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)

Abstract

Electronic skins endow robots with sensory functions but often lack the multifunctionality of natural skin, such as switchable adhesion. Current smart adhesives based on elastomers have limited adhesion tunability, which hinders their effective use for both carrying heavy loads and performing dexterous manipulations. Here, we report a versatile, one-size-fits-all robotic adhesive skin using shape memory polymers with tunable rubber-to-glass phase transitions. The adhesion strength of our adhesive skin can be changed from minimal (~1 kilopascal) for sensing and handling ultralightweight objects to ultrastrong (>1 megapascal) for picking up and lifting heavy objects. Our versatile adhesive skin is expected to greatly enhance the ability of intelligent robots to interact with their environment. © 2025 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Original language	English
Article number	eadt4765
Number of pages	13
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	11
Issue number	3
Online published	17 Jan 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adt4765
Publication status	Published - 17 Jan 2025
Externally published	Yes

Funding

K.J.H., H.G., and C.L. acknowledge the support by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Singapore under Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOET2EP50122-0001). C.L. also acknowledges a Graduate Research Scholarship supported by the MOE of Singapore (G2001924H). Y.W. acknowledges the NAP award (020482) from Nanyang Technological University.

Publisher's Copyright Statement

This full text is made available under CC-BY-NC 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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title = "Versatile adhesive skin enhances robotic interactions with the environment",

abstract = "Electronic skins endow robots with sensory functions but often lack the multifunctionality of natural skin, such as switchable adhesion. Current smart adhesives based on elastomers have limited adhesion tunability, which hinders their effective use for both carrying heavy loads and performing dexterous manipulations. Here, we report a versatile, one-size-fits-all robotic adhesive skin using shape memory polymers with tunable rubber-to-glass phase transitions. The adhesion strength of our adhesive skin can be changed from minimal (\textasciitilde{}1 kilopascal) for sensing and handling ultralightweight objects to ultrastrong (>1 megapascal) for picking up and lifting heavy objects. Our versatile adhesive skin is expected to greatly enhance the ability of intelligent robots to interact with their environment. {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science.",

author = "Changhong Linghu and Yangchengyi Liu and Xudong Yang and Zhou Chen and Jin Feng and Yiyuan Zhang and Yan Li and Zhao Zhao and Young-Jae Seo and Junwei Li and Haoyu Jiang and Jiangtao Su and Yin Fang and Yuhang Li and Xiufeng Wang and Yifan Wang and Huajian Gao and Hsia, \{K. Jimmy\}",

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doi = "10.1126/sciadv.adt4765",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Versatile adhesive skin enhances robotic interactions with the environment

AU - Linghu, Changhong

AU - Liu, Yangchengyi

AU - Yang, Xudong

AU - Chen, Zhou

AU - Feng, Jin

AU - Zhang, Yiyuan

AU - Li, Yan

AU - Zhao, Zhao

AU - Seo, Young-Jae

AU - Li, Junwei

AU - Jiang, Haoyu

AU - Su, Jiangtao

AU - Fang, Yin

AU - Li, Yuhang

AU - Wang, Xiufeng

AU - Wang, Yifan

AU - Gao, Huajian

AU - Hsia, K. Jimmy

PY - 2025/1/17

Y1 - 2025/1/17

N2 - Electronic skins endow robots with sensory functions but often lack the multifunctionality of natural skin, such as switchable adhesion. Current smart adhesives based on elastomers have limited adhesion tunability, which hinders their effective use for both carrying heavy loads and performing dexterous manipulations. Here, we report a versatile, one-size-fits-all robotic adhesive skin using shape memory polymers with tunable rubber-to-glass phase transitions. The adhesion strength of our adhesive skin can be changed from minimal (~1 kilopascal) for sensing and handling ultralightweight objects to ultrastrong (>1 megapascal) for picking up and lifting heavy objects. Our versatile adhesive skin is expected to greatly enhance the ability of intelligent robots to interact with their environment. © 2025 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science.

AB - Electronic skins endow robots with sensory functions but often lack the multifunctionality of natural skin, such as switchable adhesion. Current smart adhesives based on elastomers have limited adhesion tunability, which hinders their effective use for both carrying heavy loads and performing dexterous manipulations. Here, we report a versatile, one-size-fits-all robotic adhesive skin using shape memory polymers with tunable rubber-to-glass phase transitions. The adhesion strength of our adhesive skin can be changed from minimal (~1 kilopascal) for sensing and handling ultralightweight objects to ultrastrong (>1 megapascal) for picking up and lifting heavy objects. Our versatile adhesive skin is expected to greatly enhance the ability of intelligent robots to interact with their environment. © 2025 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85216046910

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85216046910&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.adt4765

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.adt4765

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

C2 - 39823320

SN - 2375-2548

VL - 11

JO - Science Advances

JF - Science Advances

IS - 3

M1 - eadt4765

ER -

Versatile adhesive skin enhances robotic interactions with the environment

Abstract

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