Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40668927›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

Lattice structure musculoskeletal robots: Harnessing programmable geometric topology and anisotropy.

Qinghua Guan, Benhui Dai, Hung Hon Cheng, Josie Hughes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. MELEGROS: Monolithic Elephant-Inspired Gripper with Optical Sensors.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Qinghua GuanCREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-5438-9232
Benhui DaiCREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-1626-0128
Hung Hon ChengCREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
Josie HughesCREATE Lab, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0001-8410-3565

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Natural musculoskeletal systems combine soft tissues and rigid structures to achieve diverse mechanical behaviors that are both adaptive and precise. Inspired by these systems, we propose a programming method for designing bioinspired soft-rigid robotic structures using lattice geometries made from a single material. By introducing previously unknown approaches to the geometric design of unit cells within lattice structures-based on continuous blending and superposition of existing lattice geometries-we can precisely tune stiffness and anisotropy. These designs enable the creation of three-dimensional structures with spatially varying mechanical properties, ranging from tissue-like compliance to rigid, bone-like load-bearing capabilities. Using these methods, we fabricated a musculoskeletal-inspired tendon-driven robotic elephant that integrates joints with programmable bending profiles, achieving a continuously soft trunk. Our lattice geometry generation techniques allow for over 1 million discrete configurations and infinite geometric variations, offering a scalable solution for designing lightweight, adaptable robots.

Identifiers

PMID40668927
PMCPMC12266121

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.