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October 16, 2025 General

The image is a scientific figure illustrating a remote adaptive multimodal crawler and gripper system. On the left, under the heading "Gripper," two panels show a soft, translucent robotic gripper holding different materials. The left panel shows the gripper securely holding a piece of Tofu (solid object). A small, white piece of tofu is also shown below it. The right panel shows the gripper holding a granular material resembling Sand. A pile of sand is also shown below it. Scale bars are visible at the bottom left of this section. On the right, under the heading "Remote adaptive multimodal crawler," two columns of panels illustrate the crawler's motion and shape transformation. A double-headed arrow labeled "Shape transform" separates the two columns. In both columns, the magnetic field (B) direction is indicated by a red arrow pointing upwards. Time stamps in seconds (s) are provided for each step. The left column shows the crawler in a wave-like or serpentine shape, demonstrating a crawling motion to the left. 0.00s: The crawler is in an elongated, S-curve shape. A white arrow indicates movement to the left. 0.30s: The shape has changed, pulling the body forward. 0.59s: The crawler is further elongated and has moved to the left. The right column shows the crawler in a C-shaped or inchworm-like shape, demonstrating a different crawling motion to the right. 0.00s: The crawler is in an arched, C-like shape. A white arrow indicates movement to the right. 0.20s: The shape has changed, pulling the body forward. 0.51s: The crawler has moved further to the right. Small scale bars are also visible at the bottom of the right section. The figure demonstrates the multifunctional capabilities of the soft robotic system, which can act as a gripper for different material types (solid and granular) and as a crawler that can change its shape and mode of locomotion in response to an external magnetic field.

‘Metabots’ Shapeshift From Flat Sheets Into Hundreds of Structures

By Staff The metabots resemble animated sheets of plastic, capable of moving around a surface or grasping objects.

October 10, 2025 General, News Releases, Research

‘Chinese Lantern’ Structure Shifts Into More Than a Dozen Shapes for Various Applications

By Staff Jie Yin Ι jyin8@ncsu.edu Yaoye Hong Ι yhong6@ncsu.eduΙ Matt Shipman Ι matt_shipman@ncsu.edu Researchers have created a polymer “Chinese lantern” that can snap into more...

October 8, 2025 Academics, General, Research

#NCStateMAE, Mechanical Engineering Rise in Latest U.S. News Rankings

By Colleen Brown #NCStateMAE’s undergraduate program in Mechanical Engineering now ranks #24 in the nation, up from #29 in 2025, in the 2026 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings.

September 30, 2025 Homepage Feature, Research

Cheryl Xu Appointed to National Academies’ Panel Reviewing NIST’s Physical Measurement Laboratory

By Colleen Brown Congratulations to NC State MAE professor Cheryl Xu on her appointment to the National Academies’ panel to review the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s...

September 23, 2025 Students

Crowdfunding Helps Student Disaster Relief UAV Project Soar

By Staff Earlier this year, Associate Teaching Professor Felix Ewere and his students won a University Student Research Challenge grant from NASA to build a new version of the unmanned aerial...

September 11, 2025 Students

Sofia Stringer: One Pack, Two Programs and No Limits

By Staff Joining the Wolfpack has already proven to be the right decision for Sofia Stringer. The Park Scholar and College of Engineering student grew up hearing...

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