Work

Embodying mechano-fluidic memory in soft machines to program behaviors upon interactions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Soft machines display shape adaptation to external circumstances due to their intrinsic compliance. To achieve increasingly responsive behaviors upon interactions without relying on centralized computation, embodying memory directly in the machines' structure is crucial. Here, we harness the bistability of elastic shells to alter the fluidic properties of an enclosed cavity, thereby switching between stable frequency states of a locomoting self-oscillating machine. To program these memory states upon interactions, we develop fluidic circuits surrounding the bistable shell, with soft tubes that kink and unkink when externally touched. We implement circuits for both long-term and short-term memory in a soft machine that switches behaviors in response to a human user and that autonomously changes direction after detecting a wall. By harnessing only geometry and elasticity, embodying memory allows physical structures without a central brain to exhibit autonomous feats that are typically reserved for computer-based robotic systems.

Source: Device

DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100863

Authors: Alberto Comoretto, Stijn Koppen, Tanaya Mandke, Johannes T.B. Overvelde

Institution: Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Materials and Mechanics

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $9,350

Funders: National Weather Association, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, European Research Council