Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40700503›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

Starfish-inspired tube feet for temporary and switchable underwater adhesion and transportation.

Hyemin Lee, Yerin Ryu, Yejin Oh, Chorong Kim, Yoonjin Lee, Hyewon Choi, Jaekyoung Kim, Ji Hoon Kim, Jiwan Kang, Keun Park and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
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 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Programmable Sequential 4D Actuation in Multistable Kirigami Metamaterials.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  2. A biofilm-derived peptide as an underwater adhesive.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Lamprey-Inspired Amphibious Suction Disc with Hybrid Adhesion Mechanism.Cyborg and bionic systems (Washington, D.C.) · 2026
    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

13 authors.

Hyemin LeeDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0009-0006-6422-6203
Yerin RyuDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0009-0009-0180-0716
Yejin OhDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.
Chorong KimDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0009-0004-2116-4730
Yoonjin LeeDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0009-0009-3129-6274
Hyewon ChoiDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0009-0005-1147-9867
Jaekyoung KimDepartment of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.
Ji Hoon KimInstitute of Energy and Environment, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-2497-0215
Jiwan KangInstitute of 3D Printing Convergence Technology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0009-0002-7901-2217
Keun ParkInstitute of 3D Printing Convergence Technology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-3823-0672
Kevin T TurnerDepartment of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4963-4568
Shu YangDepartment of Material Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8834-3320
Hyunsik YoonDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-6602-369X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Temporary and reversible underwater adhesion is important for a number of robotic applications, including picking up objects, facilitating locomotion in confined environments, and attaching to surfaces during periods of observation. Here, we present a starfish-inspired tube foot composed of a soft hydrogel mouth and a rigid stem, fabricated by integrating two serially bonded cylindrical components with distinct mechanical properties. Upon swelling, the initially straight hydrogel cylinder undergoes a selective shape transformation into a soft, cupped pad that deforms to stretch and spread upon contact, enabling effective adhesion to target surfaces. During detachment, a vacuum is formed within the tube, leading to strong underwater adhesion. The artificial tube feet show high adhesion hysteresis, autonomous release by external stimuli, and immediate detachment by pneumatic actuation with integrated system. The temporary underwater adhesive inspired by the tube feet of starfish enables functionality in underwater robotics and is demonstrated through underwater manipulation of rocks.

Identifiers

PMID40700503
PMCPMC12285717

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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.