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

    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