Construction and Mechanics of Soft Machines

Construction and Mechanics of Soft Machines

von Shaoxing Qu

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in soft machines, with a particular focus on their construction technologies and key mechanical challenges. It first summarizes the core materials used for manufacturing soft machines and then systematically presents representative fabrication routes, including mold-based methods, direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing, and digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. Typical applications enabled by these technologies are highlighted, such as soft pressure sensors, soft touchpads, soft pneumatic actuators, biomimetic vascular tissues, and other functional soft devices. In addition, the book discusses interface performance and interface engineering strategies that are critical for reliable integration and long-term operation of soft machines. It further introduces mechanical behaviors relevant to practical deployment, including structural instability, puncture, and fatigue of soft materials, offering fundamental insights for failure-resistant design. Serving as both an introductory guide and a practical reference, this book will benefit graduate students, researchers, and engineers working in soft robotics, smart materials, and related engineering fields.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in soft machines, with a particular focus on their construction technologies and key mechanical challenges. It first summarizes the core materials used for manufacturing soft machines and then systematically presents representative fabrication routes, including mold-based methods, direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printing, and digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. Typical applications enabled by these technologies are highlighted, such as soft pressure sensors, soft touchpads, soft pneumatic actuators, biomimetic vascular tissues, and other functional soft devices. In addition, the book discusses interface performance and interface engineering strategies that are critical for reliable integration and long-term operation of soft machines. It further introduces mechanical behaviors relevant to practical deployment, including structural instability, puncture, and fatigue of soft materials, offering fundamental insights for failure-resistant design. Serving as both an introductory guide and a practical reference, this book will benefit graduate students, researchers, and engineers working in soft robotics, smart materials, and related engineering fields.

Highlights

• Provides a systematic overview of soft machines, from fundamental concepts to emerging applications Discusses interface performance and interface engineering strategies crucial for reliable integration of soft machines Introduces instability, puncture, and failure-related mechanics to guide robust design of soft machines

Über den Autor

Dr. Shaoxing Qu is Qiushi Distinguished Professor in the Department of Engineering Mechanics at Zhejiang University, China. His main research interests include intelligent soft materials and soft machines, intelligent microrobots, multiscale mechanics and micro-/nano-mechanics, and the mechanics of composite materials. He has published over 250 SCI-indexed journal articles and holds more than 40 Chinese invention patents. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including the International Journal of Solids and Structures, International Journal of Fracture, Proceedings of the Royal Society A, Research, Acta Mechanica Solida Sinica, Advances in Mechanics, and Robots.

Dr. Zhe Chen is Research Fellow at Zhejiang University and has been selected for the Young Talent Support Project of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). His primary research interests focus on soft matter mechanics. In recent years, he has made a series of advances in mechanochemical coupling modeling of soft materials, 3D printing, and the development and design of soft materials and soft machines. He has published more than 20 journal articles in leading journals such as Science Advances, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, and Advanced Functional Materials.

Dr. Guoyong Mao is Research Fellow at Zhejiang University and Recipient of a national-level young talent program. His main research interests include soft robotics, soft matter mechanics, and mechanics of flexible structures. He has published more than 30 SCI-indexed journal articles, with representative works appearing in leading international journals such as Nature Communications, Science Advances, Journal of Applied Mechanics, Soft Matter, International Journal of Solids and Structures, and IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics. He has contributed one English book chapter and one Chinese review article published by CRC Press. He has filed three invention patents, two of which have been granted.

Dr. Junjie Liu received his Ph.D. in solid mechanics from Zhejiang University in June 2020 and joined the School of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, in July 2020. He received the Nomination Award for Excellent Doctoral Dissertation from the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (CSTAM) and was selected for the Young Talent Support Project of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) as well as the Sichuan Provincial Young Talent Program. His research focuses on puncture mechanics of soft materials, functional hydrogel coatings, and the fatigue and fracture of adhesion interfaces in soft materials.

Dr. Heng Zhu received his Ph.D. in solid mechanics from Zhejiang University in June 2024 and is currently Postdoctoral Researcher at McGill University. His research interests focus on the multiphysics-coupled mechanics of soft materials and ultrasound-related applications.