Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces

Abstract Our bodies continuously change their shape. Wearable devices made of hard materials, such as prosthetic limbs worn by millions of amputees every day, cannot adapt to fluctuations in the shape and volume of the body caused by daily activities, weight gain or muscle atrophy. We report a meta-...

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Main Authors: Ugur Tanriverdi, Guglielmo Senesi, Tarek Asfour, Hasan Kurt, Sabrina L. Smith, Diana Toderita, Joseph Shalhoub, Laura Burgess, Anthony M. J. Bull, Firat Güder
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57634-8
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author Ugur Tanriverdi
Guglielmo Senesi
Tarek Asfour
Hasan Kurt
Sabrina L. Smith
Diana Toderita
Joseph Shalhoub
Laura Burgess
Anthony M. J. Bull
Firat Güder
author_facet Ugur Tanriverdi
Guglielmo Senesi
Tarek Asfour
Hasan Kurt
Sabrina L. Smith
Diana Toderita
Joseph Shalhoub
Laura Burgess
Anthony M. J. Bull
Firat Güder
author_sort Ugur Tanriverdi
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Our bodies continuously change their shape. Wearable devices made of hard materials, such as prosthetic limbs worn by millions of amputees every day, cannot adapt to fluctuations in the shape and volume of the body caused by daily activities, weight gain or muscle atrophy. We report a meta-material (Roliner) that is a dynamically adaptive human-machine interface for wearable devices. In this work, we focus on prosthetic limbs as the first application of Roliner. Roliner is made of silicone elastomers with embedded millifluidic channels that can be pneumatically pressurized. Roliner can reconfigure its material properties (behave like silicone or polyurethane with different shore hardness in different areas and times) and volume/shape based on the preference of the amputee in real-time, acting as a spatiotemporally adaptive meta-material. Preclinical studies of Roliner have demonstrated non-inferiority in operation and improved comfort for amputees.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-8b4e58325dbe4811bcbb915b04ab45be2025-08-20T03:41:47ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-03-0116111110.1038/s41467-025-57634-8Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfacesUgur Tanriverdi0Guglielmo Senesi1Tarek Asfour2Hasan Kurt3Sabrina L. Smith4Diana Toderita5Joseph Shalhoub6Laura Burgess7Anthony M. J. Bull8Firat Güder9Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonImperial Vascular Unit, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, St Mary’s HospitalCharing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrustDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonAbstract Our bodies continuously change their shape. Wearable devices made of hard materials, such as prosthetic limbs worn by millions of amputees every day, cannot adapt to fluctuations in the shape and volume of the body caused by daily activities, weight gain or muscle atrophy. We report a meta-material (Roliner) that is a dynamically adaptive human-machine interface for wearable devices. In this work, we focus on prosthetic limbs as the first application of Roliner. Roliner is made of silicone elastomers with embedded millifluidic channels that can be pneumatically pressurized. Roliner can reconfigure its material properties (behave like silicone or polyurethane with different shore hardness in different areas and times) and volume/shape based on the preference of the amputee in real-time, acting as a spatiotemporally adaptive meta-material. Preclinical studies of Roliner have demonstrated non-inferiority in operation and improved comfort for amputees.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57634-8
spellingShingle Ugur Tanriverdi
Guglielmo Senesi
Tarek Asfour
Hasan Kurt
Sabrina L. Smith
Diana Toderita
Joseph Shalhoub
Laura Burgess
Anthony M. J. Bull
Firat Güder
Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces
Nature Communications
title Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces
title_full Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces
title_fullStr Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces
title_full_unstemmed Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces
title_short Dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human–machine interfaces
title_sort dynamically adaptive soft metamaterial for wearable human machine interfaces
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-57634-8
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