Daeshik Kang

Soft grippers that incorporate functional materials are important in the development of mechanically compliant and multifunctional interfaces for both sensing and stimulating soft objects and organisms. In particular, the capability for firm and delicate grasping of soft cells and organs without mechanical damage is essential to identify the condition of and monitor meaningful biosignals from objects. Here, we report a millimeter-scale soft gripper based on a shape memory polymer that enables ma

A simple method is presented to form an array of shape-controllable microlenses by partial photocuring of an UV-curable polymer and direct transfer. Using the transferred lens array, nanoscale metal patterns as small as 130-nm gaps are detected under an optical microscope with a distinguishable resolution.

We present a mechanical crack-based strain sensor with metal films by introducing an inter-layer. Two inter-layers are used; Cr layer is for generating cracks and MoO₃layer for enhancing the adhesion between the substrate and the metal layer.

An artificial muscle actuator resolves practical engineering problems in compact wearable devices, which are limited to conventional actuators such as electromagnetic actuators. Abstracting the fundamental advantages of an artificial muscle actuator provides a small-scale, high-power actuating system with a sensing capability for developing varifocal augmented reality glasses and naturally fit haptic gloves. Here, we design a shape memory alloy-based lightweight and high-power artificial muscle

Although sensitivity and durability are desirable in a sensor, both of them cannot be easily achieved. Site-specific and effective signal acquisition on the limited area of a sensor inevitably allows fatigue accumulation and contamination. For example, an ultrasensitive nanoscale-crack-based sensor for detecting a mechanical stimulus with tremendous sensitivity (a gauge factor greater than 2000 under 2% strain), yet limited durability (up to a few thousand stretching cycles in tensile tests) has

Abstract For legged robots, collecting tactile information is essential for stable posture and efficient gait. However, mounting sensors on small robots weighing less than 1 kg remain challenges in terms of the sensor’s durability, flexibility, sensitivity, and size. Crack-based sensors featuring ultra-sensitivity, small-size, and flexibility could be a promising candidate, but performance degradation due to crack growing by repeated use is a stumbling block. This paper presents an ultra-stable

In mechanical sensory systems, encapsulation is one of the crucial issues to take care of when it comes to protection of the systems from external damage. Recently, a new type of a mechanical strain sensor inspired by spider’s slit organ has been reported, which has incredibly high sensitivity, flexibility, wearability, and multifunctional sensing abilities. In spite of many of these advantages, the sensor is still vulnerable in harsh environments of liquids and/or high temperature, because it h

Real-time monitoring of infinitesimal deformations on complex morphologies is essential for precision biomechanical engineering. While flexible strain sensors facilitate real-time monitoring with shape-adaptive properties, their sensitivity is generally lower than spectroscopic imaging methods. Crack-based strain sensors achieve enhanced sensitivity with gauge factors (GFs) exceeding 30,000; however, such GFs are only attainable at large strains exceeding several percent and decline below 10 for

Abstract The recent advances of wearable sensors are remarkable but there are still limitations that they need to be refabricated to tune the sensor for target signal. However, biological sensory systems have the inherent potential to adjust their sensitivity according to the external environment, allowing for a broad and enhanced detection. Here, we developed a Tunable, Ultrasensitive, Nature-inspired, Epidermal Sensor (TUNES) that the strain sensitivity was dramatically increased (GF ~30k) and

Measuring the foot plantar pressure has the potential to be an important tool in many areas such as enhancing sports performance, diagnosing diseases, and rehabilitation. In general, the plantar pressure sensor should have robustness, durability, and high repeatability, as it should measure the pressure due to body weight. Here, we present a novel insole foot plantar pressure sensor using a highly sensitive crack-based strain sensor. The sensor is made of elastomer, stainless steel, a crack-base

Although drone technology has advanced rapidly, replicating the dynamic control and wind-sensing abilities of biological flight is still beyond reach. Biological studies reveal that insect wings are equipped with mechanoreceptors known as campaniform sensilla, which detect complex aerodynamic loads critical for flight agility. By leveraging robotic experiments designed to mimic these biological systems, we confirm that wing strain provides crucial information about the drone’s attitude angle, as

Abstract A fully biodegradable, ultra‐sensitive, and soft strain sensor is pivotal for temporary, real‐time monitoring of microdeformations, crucial in disease diagnosis, surgical precision, and prognosis of muscular, and vascular conditions. Nevertheless, the strain sensitivity of previous biodegradable sensors, denoted by gauge factor (GF) up to ≈100, falls short of requirements for complex biomedical monitoring scenarios, specifically monitoring cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases with microscale

Abstract Copper nanowires (Cu NWs) have gained attention as an alternative to noble metal nanowires due to their affordable price, but their susceptibility to rapid oxidization in ambient conditions has remained a critical limitation for their practical usage. Many studies have been conducted to address this disadvantage but have been successful only in terms of oxidation prevention at certain temperatures, leaving the matter of oxidation at high temperatures unresolved. In this article, a simpl

Graphene, owing to its inherent chemical inertness, biocompatibility, and mechanical flexibility, has great potential in guiding cell behaviors such as adhesion and differentiation. However, due to the two-dimensional (2D) nature of graphene, the microfabrication of graphene into micro/nanoscale patterns has been widely adopted for guiding cellular assembly. In this study, we report crumpled graphene, i.e., monolithically defined graphene with a nanoscale wavy surface texture, as a tissue engine