---
res:
  bibo_abstract:
  - "Natural organisms utilize distributed actuation through their musculoskeletal\r\nsystems
    to adapt their gait for traversing diverse terrains or to morph their\r\nbodies
    for varied tasks. A longstanding challenge in robotics is to emulate\r\nthis capability
    of natural organisms, which has motivated the development of\r\nnumerous soft
    robotic systems. However, such systems are generally optimized\r\nfor a single
    functionality, lack the ability to change form or function on\r\ndemand, or remain
    tethered to bulky control systems. To address these\r\nlimitations, we present
    a framework for designing and controlling robots that\r\nutilize distributed actuation.
    We propose a novel building block that\r\nintegrates 3D-printed bones with liquid
    crystal elastomer (LCE) muscles as\r\nlightweight actuators, enabling the modular
    assembly of musculoskeletal robots.\r\nWe developed LCE rods that contract in
    response to infrared radiation, thereby\r\nproviding localized, untethered control
    over the distributed skeletal network\r\nand producing global deformations of
    the robot. To fully capitalize on the\r\nextensive design space, we introduce
    two computational tools: one for\r\noptimizing the robot's skeletal graph to achieve
    multiple target deformations,\r\nand another for co-optimizing skeletal designs
    and control gaits to realize\r\ndesired locomotion. We validate our framework
    by constructing several robots\r\nthat demonstrate complex shape morphing, diverse
    control schemes, and\r\nenvironmental adaptability. Our system integrates advances
    in modular material\r\nbuilding, untethered and distributed control, and computational
    design to\r\nintroduce a new generation of robots that brings us closer to the
    capabilities\r\nof living organisms.@eng"
  bibo_authorlist:
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Manas
      foaf_name: Bhargava, Manas
      foaf_surname: Bhargava
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=FF8FA64C-AA6A-11E9-99AD-50D4E5697425
    orcid: 0009-0007-6138-6890
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Takefumi
      foaf_name: Hiraki, Takefumi
      foaf_surname: Hiraki
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Irina-Malina
      foaf_name: Strugaru, Irina-Malina
      foaf_surname: Strugaru
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=2afc607f-f128-11eb-9611-8f2a0dfcf074
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Yuhan
      foaf_name: Zhang, Yuhan
      foaf_surname: Zhang
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Michael
      foaf_name: Piovarci, Michael
      foaf_surname: Piovarci
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=62E473F4-5C99-11EA-A40E-AF823DDC885E
    orcid: 0000-0002-5062-4474
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Chiara
      foaf_name: Daraio, Chiara
      foaf_surname: Daraio
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Daisuke
      foaf_name: Iwai, Daisuke
      foaf_surname: Iwai
  - foaf_Person:
      foaf_givenName: Bernd
      foaf_name: Bickel, Bernd
      foaf_surname: Bickel
      foaf_workInfoHomepage: http://www.librecat.org/personId=49876194-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
    orcid: 0000-0001-6511-9385
  bibo_doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2508.05410
  dct_date: 2025^xs_gYear
  dct_language: eng
  dct_title: Computational design and fabrication of modular robots with untethered
    control@
...