Publications

2025

  1. A Hybrid Variable-Stiffness Soft Back Support Device
    Rohan Khatavkar, The Bach Nguyen, Yuanhao Chen, Hyunglae Lee, and Jiefeng Sun
    IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2025
    PDF
  2. Efficient Pneumatic Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators Through Dual Enforced Anisotropy
    Eric Weissman, Brianna Ashcroft, Phong Nguyen, and Jiefeng Sun
    IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 2025
    PDF
  1. Physics-informed Split Koopman Operators for Data-efficient Soft Robotic Simulation
    Eron Ristich, Lei Zhang, Yi Ren, and Jiefeng Sun
    In 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2025

2024

  1. Tuning Modules With Elastic Instabilities On-the-Fly for Reconfigurable Shapes and Motions
    Zhe Chen, Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
    IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Jun 2024
    PDF
  1. Performance Enhancement of a Morphing Limb for an Amphibious Robotic Turtle
    Jiefeng Sun, Brandon Lin, Luis A. Ramirez, Esteban Figueroa, Robert Baines, Bilige Yang, and 2 more authors
    In 2024 IEEE 7th International Conference on Soft Robotics (RoboSoft), 2024
    PDF

2023

  1. Embedded shape morphing for morphologically adaptive robots
    Jiefeng Sun, Elisha Lerner, Brandon Tighe, Clint Middlemist, and Jianguo Zhao
    Nature Communications, Sep 2023
    PDF
  2. A Shape-Changing Wheeling and Jumping Robot Using Tensegrity Wheels and Bistable Mechanism
    Sydney Spiegel, Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
    IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Aug 2023
    PDF

    2022

    1. Physics-Based Modeling of Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators Using Cosserat Rod Theory
      Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
      IEEE Transactions on Robotics, Aug 2022
      PDF Video Website
    2. On-demand, Remote and Lossless Manipulation of Biofluid Droplets
      Wei Wang†, Jiefeng Sun†, Sravanthi Vallabhuneni, Ben Pawlowski, Hamed Vahabi, Kimberly Nellenbach, and 4 more authors
      Materials Horizons, Aug 2022
      PDF Video News: Popular Science Magazine TechExplore
    3. A Mechanically Intelligent and Passive Gripper for Aerial Perching and Grasping
      HaoTse Hsiao, Jiefeng Sun, Haijie Zhang, and Jianguo Zhao
      IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Aug 2022
      PDF
    1. A Novel Passive Mechanism for Flying Robots to Perch onto Surfaces
      HaoTse Hsiao, Feiyu Wu, Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
      In 2022 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2022
      PDF
    2. Modeling and Simulation of Soft Robots driven by Artificial Muscles: an Example using Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators
      Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
      In 2022 American Control Conference (ACC), 2022
      PDF

    2021

    1. Twisted-and-coiled actuators with free strokes enable soft robots with programmable motions
      Jiefeng Sun, Brandon Tighe, Yingxiang Liu, and Jianguo Zhao
      Soft Robotics, Aug 2021
      PDF Supp Video News: TechXplore

      2020

      1. Leveraging elastic instabilities for amplified performance: Spine-inspired high-speed and high-force soft robots
        Yichao Tang, Yinding Chi, Jiefeng Sun, Tzu-Hao Huang, Omid H Maghsoudi, Andrew Spence, and 3 more authors
        Science Advances, Aug 2020
        PDF
      1. Integrated actuation and self-sensing for Twisted-and-coiled actuators with applications to innervated soft robots
        Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
        In 2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2020
        PDF
      2. Tuning the energy landscape of soft robots for fast and strong motion
        Jiefeng Sun, Brandon Tighe, and Jianguo Zhao
        In 2020 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2020
        PDF

      2019

      1. An adaptive walking robot with reconfigurable mechanisms using shape morphing joints
        Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
        IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters (RAL), Aug 2019
        PDF Video News: TechXplore IEEE Spectrum
      1. Soft manipulators with programmable motion using twisted-and-coiled actuators (conference presentation)
        Jiefeng Sun, Ben Pawlowski, and Jianguo Zhao
        In Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) XXI, 2019
        PDF
      2. Compliant bistable gripper for aerial perching and grasping
        Haijie Zhang, Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
        In 2019 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), 2019
        PDF

      2018

      1. Modeling of soft robots actuated by twisted-and-coiled actuators
        Benjamin Pawlowski, Jiefeng Sun, Jing Xu, Yingxiang Liu, and Jianguo Zhao
        IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, Aug 2018
        PDF
      1. Embedded and Controllable Shape Morphing with Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators
        Jiefeng Sun, Ben Pawlowski, and Jianguo Zhao
        In 2018 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), 2018
        PDF
      2. Dynamic Modeling of Soft Manipulators Actuated by Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators
        Ben Pawlowski, Jiefeng Sun, and Jianguo Zhao
        In 2018 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), 2018
        PDF

      Patents

      2020

      1. Compliant bistable gripper for aerial perching and grasping
        Haijie Zhang, Jianguo Zhao, and SUN Jiefeng
        Sep 2020
        US Patent 10,787,259

      2017

      1. An Experimental Crane for College Labs
        Fuzheng Qu, Tiebing Sun, and SUN Jiefeng
        Sep 2017
        Issued by National Intellectual Property Administration, PRC. CN ZL201510528289.9