Search Results (116)

Various recurring medical events encourage innovative patient well-being through connected health strategies based on an elegant digital environment that prioritizes safety, comfort, and beneficial outcomes for both patients and medical staff. This narrative review article aims to investigate and highlight the potential of advanced, reliable, high-precision, and secure medical observation and intervention missions. These involve a smart digital environment integrating smart materials combined with smart digital monitoring. These medical implications concern robotic surgery and drug delivery through image-assisted implantation, as well as wearable observation and assistive tools. The former requires high-precision motion and positioning strategies, while the latter enables sensing, diagnosis, monitoring, and central task assistance. Both advocate minimally invasive or noninvasive procedures and precise supervision through autonomously controlled processes with staff participation. The article analyzes the requirements and evolution of medical interventions, robotic actuation technologies for positioning actuated and self-moving instances, monitoring of image-assisted robotic procedures using digital twins and augmented digital tools, and wearable medical detection and assistance devices. A discussion including future research perspectives and conclusions complete the article. The different themes addressed in the proposed paper, although self-sufficient, are supported by examples of the literature, allowing a deeper understanding. Full article

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer intrinsically high open-circuit voltages in the kilovolt range; however, conventional diode rectifier interfaces clamp the voltage prematurely, restricting access to the high-energy portion of the mechanical cycle and preventing delivery-centric control. This work develops a unified physical basis for contact–separation (CS) TENGs by confirming the consistency of the canonical $V_{oc}$–$C_s$ relation with a dual-capacitor energy model and analytically establishing that both terminal voltage and storable electrostatic energy peak near maximum plate separation. Leveraging this insight, a self-powered gas-discharge-tube (GDT) rectifier bridge is devised to replace two diodes and autonomously trigger conduction exclusively in the high-voltage window without auxiliary bias. An inductive buffer regulates the current slew rate and reduces $I^{2}R$ loss, while the proposed topology realizes two decoupled power rails from a single CS-TENG, enabling simultaneous sensing/processing and actuation. A low-power microcontroller is powered from one rail through an energy-harvesting module and executes an operator-based nonlinear controller to regulate the actuator-side rail via a MOSFET–resistor path. Experimental results demonstrate earlier and higher-efficiency energy transfer compared with a diode-bridge baseline, robust dual-rail decoupling under dynamic loading, and accurate closed-loop voltage tracking with negligible computational and energy overhead. These findings confirm the practicality of the proposed self-powered architecture and highlight the feasibility of integrating operator-theoretic control into TENG-driven rectifier interfaces, advancing delivery-oriented power extraction from high-voltage TENG sources. Full article

Artificial muscles translate the biological principles of motion into soft, adaptive, and multifunctional actuation. This review accordingly highlights research into natural actuation strategies, such as skeletal muscles, muscular hydrostats, spider silk, and plant turgor systems, to reveal the principles underlying energy conversion and deformation control. Building on these insights, polymer-based artificial muscles based on these principles, including pneumatic muscles, dielectric elastomers, and ionic electroactive systems, are described and their capabilities for efficient contraction, bending, and twisting with tunable stiffness and responsiveness are summarized. Furthermore, the abilities of carbon nanotube composites and twisted yarns to amplify nanoscale dimensional changes through hierarchical helical architectures and achieve power and work densities comparable to those of natural muscle are discussed. Finally, the integration of these actuators into soft robotic systems is explored through biomimetic locomotion and manipulation systems ranging from jellyfish-inspired swimmers to octopus-like grippers, gecko-adhesive manipulators, and beetle-inspired flapping wings. Despite rapid progress in the development of artificial muscles, challenges remain in achieving long-term durability, energy efficiency, integrated sensing, and closed-loop control. Therefore, future research should focus on developing intelligent muscular systems that combine actuation, perception, and self-healing to advance progress toward realizing autonomous, lifelike machines that embody the organizational principles of living systems. Full article

Smart textiles are emerging as transformative modern textiles in which sensing, actuation, and communication are directly embedded into textiles, extending their role far beyond passive wearables. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the convergence between smart textiles, the Internet of Things (IoT), and human-centric design, with sustainability as a guiding principle. We examine recent advances in conductive fibers, textile-based sensors, and communication protocols, while emphasizing user comfort, unobtrusiveness, and ecological responsibility. Key breakthroughs, such as silk fibroin ionic touch screens (SFITS), illustrate the potential of biodegradable and high-performance interfaces that reduce electronic waste and enable seamless human–computer interaction. The paper highlights cross-sector applications ranging from healthcare and sports to defense, fashion, and robotics, where IoT-enabled textiles deliver real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and adaptive feedback. The review also focuses on sustainability challenges, including energy-intensive manufacturing and e-waste generation, and reviews ongoing strategies such as biodegradable polymers, modular architectures, and design-for-disassembly approaches. Furthermore, to identify future research priorities in AI-integrated “textile brains,” self-healing materials, bio-integrated systems, and standardized safety and ethical frameworks are also visited. Taken together, this review emphasizes the pivotal role of smart textiles as a cornerstone of next-generation wearable technology, with the potential to enhance human well-being while advancing global sustainability goals. Full article

This work introduces two cooperative dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) array designs, enabling comparison between a fully soft, wearable-oriented system and a rigid, high-performance platform. The soft silicone-based array achieves strokes up to 1.9 mm and maintains 44% displacement under strong bending, demonstrating suitability for haptic feedback in wearable applications. The rigid prototype, based on thermoformed buckling beams, provides strokes up to 2.8 mm, reduced hysteresis, improved stability, and reproducible fabrication, while allowing fine-tuning of preload conditions. Experiments revealed frequency-dependent coupling, enabling stimulation of defective actuators via neighboring elements and amplification of single-element strokes through cooperative excitation. Furthermore, self-sensing effects were exploited for error detection. These results underline the potential of DEA arrays for decentralized control, fault-tolerant actuation, and future applications in soft robotics and wearable systems. Full article

Applying thin electrically conductive coatings to Liquid Crystalline Elastomers (LCEs) is an effective way of functionalizing two-way shape memory polymers with the ability to respond to electrical currents. However, achieving robust adhesion between a given electrically conductive coating and the surface of LCEs can be challenging. This can limit the functionality, performance, and potential applications of these materials. This work describes a facile method to develop electrically responsive Liquid Crystalline Elastomer polymeric artificial muscles with strain-sensing, self-actuation-sensing, and joule-heating features. In this work, the effect of treating LCEs with polydopamine (PDA) prior to functionalizing the LCE with an electrically conductive gold-sputtered coating was explored. The findings confirmed that the PDA treatment considerably improved the adhesion of the gold sputter coating to the LCEs, thereby leading to the fabrication of multi-functional strain-sensing, electrically conductive, and electro-responsive LCEs. Full article

A novel glucose biosensor is developed based on a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) functionalized with a pH-responsive polyelectrolyte multilayer membrane, onto which glucose oxidase (GOD) is immobilized. The sensing film is constructed via layer-by-layer self-assembly of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), which undergoes reversible swelling and refractive index (RI) changes in response to local pH variations. These changes are transduced into measurable shifts in the resonance wavelengths of TFBG cladding modes. The catalytic action of GOD oxidizes glucose to gluconic acid, thereby modulating the interfacial pH and actuating the polyelectrolyte membrane. With an optimized (PEI/PAA)₄(PEI/GOD)₁ structure, the biosensor achieves highly sensitive glucose detection, featuring a wide measurement range (10⁻⁸ to 10⁻² M), a low detection limit of 27.7 nM, and a fast response time of ~60 s. It also demonstrates excellent specificity and robust performance in complex biological matrices such as rabbit serum and artificial urine, with recovery rates of 93–102%, highlighting its strong potential for point-of-care testing applications. This platform offers significant advantages in stability, temperature insensitivity, and miniaturization, making it well-suited for clinical glucose monitoring and disease management. Full article

The convergence of carbon nanomaterials and functional polymers has led to the emergence of smart carbon–polymer nanocomposites (CPNCs), which possess exceptional potential for next-generation sensing and actuation systems. These hybrid materials exhibit unique combinations of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, along with tunable responsiveness to external stimuli such as strain, pressure, temperature, light, and chemical environments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the design and synthesis of CPNCs, focusing on their application in multifunctional sensors and actuator technologies. Key carbon nanomaterials including graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and MXenes were examined in the context of their integration into polymer matrices to enhance performance parameters such as sensitivity, flexibility, response time, and durability. The review also highlights novel fabrication techniques, such as 3D printing, self-assembly, and in situ polymerization, that are driving innovation in device architectures. Applications in wearable electronics, soft robotics, biomedical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring are discussed to illustrate the transformative impact of CPNCs. Finally, this review addresses current challenges and outlines future research directions toward scalable manufacturing, environmental stability, and multifunctional integration for the real-world deployment of smart sensing and actuation systems. Full article

Smart tools are limited by actuation–sensing integration and structural redundancy, making it difficult to achieve compactness, ultra-precision feed, and immediate feedback. This paper proposes a self-sensing giant magnetostrictive actuator-based turning tool (SSGMT), which enables simultaneous actuation and output sensing without external sensors. A multi-objective optimization model is first established to determine the key design parameters of the SSGMT to improve magnetic transfer efficiency, system compactness, and sensing signal quality. Then, a dynamic hysteresis model with a Hammerstein structure is developed to capture its nonlinear characteristics. To ensure accurate positioning and a robust response, a hybrid control strategy combining feedforward compensation and adaptive feedback is implemented. The SSGMT is experimentally validated through a series of tests including self-sensing displacement accuracy and trajectory tracking under various frequencies and temperatures. The prototype achieves nanometer-level resolution, stable output, and precise tracking across different operating conditions. These results confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating actuation and sensing in one structure, providing a promising solution for the application of smart turning tools. Full article

Gas bubbles are one of the main disturbances encountered when dispensing drugs of microliter volumes using portable miniaturized systems based on piezoelectric diaphragm micropumps. The presence of a gas bubble in the pump chamber leads to the inaccurate administration of the required dose due to its impact on the flowrate. This is particularly important for highly concentrated drugs such as insulin. Different types of sensors are used to detect gas bubbles: inline on the fluidic channels or inside the pump chamber itself. These solutions increase the complexity, size, and cost of the microdosing system. To address these problems, a radically new approach is taken by utilizing the sensing capability of the piezoelectric diaphragm during micropump actuation. This work demonstrates the workflow to build a self-sensing micropump based on artificial intelligence methods on an embedded system. This is completed by the implementation of an electronic circuit that amplifies and samples the loading current of the piezoelectric ceramic with a microcontroller STM32G491RE. Training datasets of 11 micropumps are generated at an automated testbench for gas bubble injections. The training and hyper-parameter optimization of artificial intelligence algorithms from the TensorFlow and scikit-learn libraries are conducted using a grid search approach. The classification accuracy is determined by a cross-training routine, and model deployment on STM32G491RE is conducted utilizing the STM32Cube.AI framework. The finally deployed model on the embedded system has a memory footprint of 15.23 kB, a runtime of 182 µs, and detects gas bubbles with an accuracy of 99.41%. Full article

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) represent a versatile class of smart materials capable of converting electrical stimuli into mechanical motion and vice versa, positioning them as key components in the next generation of actuators and sensors. This review summarizes recent developments in both electronic and ionic EAPs, highlighting their activation mechanisms, material architectures, and multifunctional capabilities. Representative systems include dielectric elastomers, ferroelectric and conducting polymers, liquid crystal elastomers, and ionic gels. Advances in fabrication methods, such as additive manufacturing, nanocomposite engineering, and patternable electrode deposition, are discussed with emphasis on miniaturization, stretchability, and integration into soft systems. Applications span biomedical devices, wearable electronics, soft robotics, and environmental monitoring, with growing interest in platforms that combine actuation and sensing within a single structure. Finally, the review addresses critical challenges such as long-term material stability and scalability, and outlines future directions toward self-powered, AI-integrated, and sustainable EAP technologies. Full article

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) have emerged as versatile materials for self-powered actuators and biosensors, revolutionizing biomedical diagnostics and healthcare technologies. These materials harness various energy harvesting mechanisms, including piezoelectricity, triboelectricity, and ionic conductivity, to enable real-time, energy-efficient, and autonomous sensing and actuation without external power sources. This review explores recent advancements in EAP-based self-powered systems, focusing on their applications in biosensing, soft robotics, and biomedical actuation. The integration of nanomaterials, flexible electronics, and wireless communication technologies has significantly enhanced their sensitivity, durability, and multifunctionality, making them ideal for next-generation wearable and implantable medical devices. Additionally, this review discusses key challenges, including material stability, biocompatibility, and optimization strategies for enhanced performance. Future perspectives on the clinical translation of EAP-based actuators and biosensors are also highlighted, emphasizing their potential to transform smart healthcare and bioelectronic applications. Full article

Joint actuators are the key components in the innovation and iterative optimization of the robots, with a significant impact on both the performances of robots and manufacturing costs. Conventional industrial collaborative robots often use high-precision position and torque sensors, which are not cost-effective or energy-efficient in specific applications like assistive exoskeletons, legged robots, or wheeled robots. Alternatively, we propose a triboelectric-assisted sensory actuator that balances lightweight design, performance, and affordability for large-scale applications. The actuator is composed of a high-power density motor, a low reduction gearbox, and integrated with a rotational triboelectric sensor, which leads to high dynamic performances and low power consumption. The feasibility of the prototype is initially verified by characterizing the angular positioning accuracy and the back drivability. Experiments indicate that the rotational triboelectric sensor is able to accurately detect the angular displacement of the actuator with the self-generated signals. Overall, a highly integrated actuator module with the actuation and sensing circuit is fabricated as a compact design ready for assembling a complete intelligent robot. This actuator holds great potential as a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and versatile solution for modern robotics, crucial for advancing this field and improving human convenience. Full article

To enhance the driving experience for drivers, making it more realistic and comfortable, this study proposes a simulation control strategy for steering-by-wire road sense based on sliding mode control. Firstly, a dynamic model is constructed for the steering wheel module and the steering actuator, building upon this, a methodology for calculating the self-aligning torque is formulated, utilizing the linear two-degree-of-freedom vehicle model in conjunction with the Magic Formula. The approach incorporates the influences of assistive forces, damping, and frictional torque, thereby providing an accurate simulation of the steering road feel. On this basis, a sliding mode control algorithm is developed to achieve the necessary road-sensing motor current, guaranteeing system stability and rapid response across various driving scenarios. To validate the simulation, MATLAB/Simulink in conjunction with Carsim is employed. The outcomes from tests involving dual lane shifts and step inputs demonstrate that the introduced control approach effectively follows the target current, featuring swift convergence and minimal response latency. Full article

Soft robots, constructed from deformable materials, offer significant advantages over rigid robots by mimicking biological tissues and providing enhanced adaptability, safety, and functionality across various applications. Central to these robots are electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators, which allow large deformations in response to external stimuli. This review examines various EAP actuators, including dielectric elastomers, liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), and ionic polymers, focusing on their potential as artificial muscles. EAPs, particularly ionic and electronic varieties, are noted for their high actuation strain, flexibility, lightweight nature, and energy efficiency, making them ideal for applications in mechatronics, robotics, and biomedical engineering. This review also highlights piezoelectric polymers like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), known for their flexibility, biocompatibility, and ease of fabrication, contributing to tactile and pressure sensing in robotic systems. Additionally, conducting polymers, with their fast actuation speeds and high strain capabilities, are explored, alongside magnetic polymer composites (MPCs) with applications in biomedicine and electronics. The integration of machine learning (ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming soft robotics, enhancing actuation, control, and design. Finally, the paper discusses future directions in soft robotics, focusing on self-healing composites, bio-inspired designs, sustainability, and the continued integration of IoT and ML for intelligent, adaptive, and responsive robotic systems. Full article