Compact electronic systems that perform rapid, precise mechanical characterization of living biological tissues have important potential uses in monitoring and diagnosing various types of human-health disorders. Active devices that perform high-precision, real-time evaluations of deep tissue structures (millimeter-scale) in a precise, digital and non-invasive fashion could complement capabilities of recentlyreported approaches for sensing tissue biomechanics at super cial depths (typically micrometer-scale).This paper introduces a miniature electromagnetic platform that combines a vibratory actuator with a soft strain-sensing sheet for determining the Young's modulus of soft biological tissues, with speci c focus on skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the operational principles and performance attributes through evaluations of synthetic and biological materials, including human skin at various body locations across healthy subject volunteers. The results demonstrate dynamic monitoring of elastic modulus at characteristic depths between ~1 and ~8 mm, depending on the sensor designs.Arrays of such devices support capabilities in both depth pro ling and spatial mapping. Clinical studies on patients with skin disorders highlight potential for accurate targeting of lesions associated with psoriasis, as examples of practical medical utility.
As a kind of reptile that can move in a sophisticated environment by periodic changes in body shape, a snake's locomotion mode has inspired the design of several novel robots. Yet, most of those conventional robots are constructed by rigid components and powered by electricity. Herein, a novel snake‐inspired soft robot by fabricating triple‐layer reduced graphene oxide and polydopamine is reported. Such soft material is capable of bidirectional deformation while near‐infrared (NIR) light is projected at different regions. It allows the robot to move continuously by periodically changing body shape on demand without external forces or torques. The designed robot can achieve two locomotion modes like a snake, i.e., concertina locomotion and serpentine locomotion modes, corresponding to external NIR light stimulation. It paves a new way for the fabrication and control of soft robot which can be applied to medical treatment, rescue operation, and so on in the future.
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