Surface-based manipulation with modular foldable robots.

ABSTRACT: Intelligence lies not only in the brain (decision-making processes) but in the body (physical morphology). The morphology of robots can significantly influence how they interact with the physical world, crucial for manipulating objects in real-life scenarios. Conventional robotic manipulation strategies mainly rely on finger-shaped end effectors. However, achieving stable grasps on fragile, deformable, irregularly shaped, or slippery objects is challenging due to difficulty in establishing stable forces or geometric constraints. Here, we present surface-based manipulation strategies that diverge from classical grasping approaches, using flat surfaces as minimalist end-effectors. By adjusting surfaces' position and orientation, objects can be translated, rotated, and flipped across the surf

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12789041 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature