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How a Tougher Skin Could Change the Shape of Stealth Aircraft

mechanical and aerospace engineering

black and white image shows a gloved hand holding a small winged robot; small images on the side show the robot going through a range of motions, similar to swimming

Nov 18, 2022

‘Butterfly Bot’ is Fastest Swimming Soft Robot Yet

These energy-efficient soft robots can swim more than four times faster than previous swimming soft robots. 
twisted loop of transparent fiber pulls a sled-like object across a grey surface

Nov 15, 2022

Autonomous Crawling Soft ‘Ringbots’ Can Navigate Narrow Gaps

The ring-shaped soft robot crawls across surfaces when exposed to elevated temperatures or infrared light. 
beads of water on a slick surface

Oct 10, 2022

Study Opens Door to New Class of Slippery, Water-Loving Surfaces

The work runs counter to conventional wisdom regarding slippery materials, and suggests a new area of research for the field. 
twisted clear polymer "soft robot" lies next to a rotini pasta noodle

May 23, 2022

Twisted Soft Robots Navigate Mazes Without Human Or Computer Guidance

The soft robots demonstrate a concept called "physical intelligence." 
Baugh seen from the side, working at his lab bench.

Feb 1, 2022

Soft Materials Are an Interdisciplinary Game-Changer

At NC State, transformative research into soft material occurs in numerous colleges and departments. 
three separate images show a gripping device holding an egg yolk

Jan 26, 2022

Kirigami Robotic Grippers Are Delicate Enough to Lift Egg Yolks

The work has applications for both soft robotics and biomedical technologies. 
six still images show how a strip of material moves in response to changing temperatures

Dec 13, 2021

Technique Speeds Up Thermal Actuation for Soft Robotics

A new design for thermal actuators allows rapid movement in soft robotic devices. 
NC State Memorial Belltower

Nov 29, 2021

Erik Dixon Named to Board of Trustees

An alumnus of the College of Engineering who is helping connect rural areas of North Carolina is the newest member of NC State's governing board. 
A person holds two small blocks of silver metal foam.

Nov 3, 2021

Composite Metal Foam on Its Way to Influencing Market

Afsaneh Rabiei's composite metal foam can be used in numerous industries, and it has the potential to save lives. 
computer-generated image of what the inside of St. Paul's Cathedral would have looked like in 1622, looking up from the floor toward the vaulted ceiling in the cathedral's tower

Oct 5, 2021

Recreating the Sights and Sounds of 17th Century London

The project helps us place the art, literature and history of the period into context. 
photo shows four different structures: a rectangle made up of many small cubes, which can turn into two different complex structures, one of which can turn into a large structure with cubes joined at the corners, with gaps between them.

Sep 8, 2021

Inspired by Metamorphosis, Researchers Create Materials For Shape-Shifting Architecture

The researchers envision applications ranging from construction to robotics. 
various shapes of metamaterial building blocks lie in front of a much larger structure made from similar blocks

Aug 9, 2021

Researchers Design Three-Dimensional Kirigami Building Blocks to Make Dynamic Metamaterials

Because the design approach is modular, these structures are easy to both assemble and disassemble. 
NC State's Memorial Belltower lit red.

Jul 29, 2021

Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Catalyzes 6 Promising Projects

This year’s Chancellor's Innovation Fund projects could reshape medicine, immunotherapies, consumer packaging, stealth jets and solar-energy cells. 
diagram shows how the new process recycles nanowires

Jul 26, 2021

Researchers Demonstrate Technique for Recycling Nanowires in Electronics

The work is a step toward more sustainable electronics. 
A B-2 Spirit (stealth) bomber is silhouetted against the clouds.

May 18, 2021

How a Tougher Skin Could Change the Shape of Stealth Aircraft

A new material promises to make stealth aircraft even stealthier.