Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41091887›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

LCE-integrated soft skin for millimeter-scale steerable soft everting robots.

Sukjun Kim, Gaoweiang Dong, Aedan Mangan, Devyansh Agrawal, Shengqiang Cai, Tania K Morimoto

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 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Vine-Inspired Soft Robotics: Materials, Actuations, and Emerging Applications.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Review
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

6 authors.

Sukjun KimDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7154-8872
Gaoweiang DongMaterials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Aedan ManganDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-3233-5198
Devyansh AgrawalDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Shengqiang CaiDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Tania K MorimotoDepartment of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5319-8995

Funding

VINE Catheter: Soft, Tip-extending, Robotic Catheters with Shape Control for Endovascular SurgeryR01EB032417 · NIBIB · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI MORIMOTO, TANIA KIYOYE · 2022 to 2025
$1.9M
NIBIB NIH HHS R01 EB032417
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Soft everting robots grow their body from the tip via eversion, enabling minimal interaction with their surroundings. They can traverse complex environments by changing the growth direction via integrated steering mechanisms. However, it is challenging to miniaturize existing steering mechanisms and to achieve multiple bends while remaining fully soft. In this work, we present an approach to create millimeter-scale, steerable, and fully soft everting robots by functionalizing the robot skin with liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) actuators. This design enables large bending angles (>100°) at multiple points along the robot's length. We investigate the effects of internal pressure and actuator temperature as control inputs for steering and demonstrate the potential of our design for practical applications, such as surgical procedures and inspection tasks. Our results highlight the advantages of soft, functionalized skins and represent a step toward small, steerable, soft everting robots for applications in delicate and constrained environments.

Identifiers

PMID41091887
PMCPMC13155567

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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.