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Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing has emerged as a promising technique for high-resolution additive manufacturing, but the frequency limits and optimal operating ranges for drop-on-demand EHD printing remain elusive. This lack of clarity has significant implications for printing efficiency and accuracy. Here, we present a theoretical model based on the Lagrange equation to calculate the eigenfrequency in EHD printing. Our study elucidates the dynamic relationships between the eigenfrequency and key process parameters (e.g., voltage, meniscus diameter, and center angle), and reveals the intrinsic relationship between the jetting frequency and the oscillation eigenfrequency, demonstrating that the jetting frequency is limited by the eigenfrequency. This conclusion has significant implications for the design of high frequency EHD printing systems; it highlights opportunities to increase the eigenfrequency by optimizing parameters such as meniscus radius/center angle. In addition, it is interesting to note that the high-order-mode jetting phenomenon can be utilized to break through the traditional frequency limit of the low-order mode. This work can serve as an instructive benchmark of the EHD printing frequency, which provides a basis for designing a high-frequency EHD printing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible sensors have been developed for the perception of various stimuli. However, complex deformation, usually resulting from forces or strains from multi-axes, can be challenging to measure due to the lack of independent perception of multiaxial stimuli. Herein, flexible sensors based on the metamaterial membrane with zero Poisson's ratio (ZPR) are proposed to achieve independent detection of biaxial stimuli. By deliberately designing the geometric dimensions and arrangement parameters of elements, the Poisson's ratio of an elastomer membrane can be modulated from negative to positive, and the ZPR membrane can maintain a constant transverse dimension under longitudinal stimuli. Due to the accurate monitoring of grasping force by ZPR sensors that are insensitive to curvatures of contact surfaces, rigid robotic manipulators can be guided to safely grasp deformable objects. Meanwhile, the ZPR sensor can also precisely distinguish different states of manipulators. When ZPR sensors are attached to a thermal-actuation soft robot, they can accurately detect the moving distance and direction. This work presents a new strategy for independent biaxial stimuli perception through the design of mechanical metamaterials, and may inspire the future development of advanced flexible sensors for healthcare, human–machine interfaces and robotic tactile sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral aneurysms and brain tumors are leading life-threatening diseases worldwide. By deliberately occluding the target lesion to reduce the blood supply, embolization has been widely used clinically to treat cerebral aneurysms and brain tumors. Conventional embolization is usually performed by threading a catheter through blood vessels to the target lesion, which is often limited by the poor steerability of the catheter in complex neurovascular networks, especially in submillimeter regions. Here, we propose magnetic soft microfiberbots with high steerability, reliable maneuverability, and multimodal shape reconfigurability to perform robotic embolization in submillimeter regions via a remote, untethered, and magnetically controllable manner. Magnetic soft microfiberbots were fabricated by thermal drawing magnetic soft composite into microfibers, followed by magnetizing and molding procedures to endow a helical magnetic polarity. By controlling magnetic fields, magnetic soft microfiberbots exhibit reversible elongated/aggregated shape morphing and helical propulsion in flow conditions, allowing for controllable navigation through complex vasculature and robotic embolization in submillimeter regions. We performed in vitro embolization of aneurysm and tumor in neurovascular phantoms and in vivo embolization of a rabbit femoral artery model under real-time fluoroscopy. These studies demonstrate the potential clinical value of our work, paving the way for a robotic embolization scheme in robotic settings. Editor's summary: As a minimally invasive treatment for aneurysms and brain tumors, surgeons typically insert a slender catheter through the femoral artery and guide it through blood vessels to deliver embolic agents. However, this method of embolization can be difficult to steer through complex vascular networks. A magnetic, soft microfiberbot was developed by Liuet al. to perform remotely controlled robotic embolization. The microfiberbot, composed of a magnetized fiber coiled into a helix shape, can conform to different vessel sizes and performs a corkscrew propulsion when subjected to an external magnetic field. The microfiberbots were used to successfully perform in vitro embolization of aneurysm and tumor in phantom blood vessels and in vivo embolization in a rabbit femoral artery. These proposed robots provide a controllable alternative to conventional catheter-based embolization. —Melisa Yashinski [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing technique, which deposits micro/nanostructures through high electric force, has recently attracted significant research interest owing to their fascinating characteristics in high resolution (<1 μm), wide material applicability (ink viscosity 1–10 000 cps), tunable printing modes (electrospray, electrospinning, and EHD jet printing), and compatibility with flexible/wearable applications. Since the laboratory level of the EHD printed electronics' resolution and efficiency is gradually approaching the commercial application level, an urgent need for developing EHD technique from laboratory into industrialization have been put forward. Herein, we first discuss the EHD printing technique, including the ink design, droplet formation, and key technologies for promoting printing efficiency/accuracy. Then we summarize the recent progress of EHD printing in fabrication of displays, organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs), transparent electrodes, and sensors and actuators. Finally, a brief summary and the outlook for future research effort are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limitation of space rover onboard computing resources and energy, there is an urgent need for high-quality drive trajectories in complex environments, which can be provided by delicately designed motion optimization methods. The nonconvexity of the collision avoidance constraints poses a significant challenge to the optimization-based motion planning of nonholonomic vehicles, especially in unstructured cluttered environments. In this paper, a novel obstacle decomposition approach, which swiftly decomposes nonconvex obstacles into their constituent convex substructures while concurrently minimizing the proliferation of resultant subobstacles, is proposed. A safe convex corridor construction method is introduced to formulate the collision avoidance constraints. The numerical approximation methods are applied to transfer the resulting continuous motion optimization problem to a nonlinear programming problem (NLP). Simulation experiments are conducted to illustrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed methods over the rectangle safe corridor method and the area method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]