Switchable adhesion of phase-transition eutectogels with integrated machine learning-enhanced intelligent adhesion sensing

Abstract

Abstract Switchable adhesion underpins emerging technologies in robotics, microelectronics, and biomedical engineering. However, achieving switchable surface adhesion that can adapt to substrates with varying material compositions and surface roughness, while simultaneously enabling real-time and wireless monitoring of adhesion strength, poses a substantial challenge. Here, we present a eutectogel-based system that integrates electrothermally switchable adhesion with wireless sensing capability for in situ monitoring of adhesion forces. The switching mechanism is systematically elucidated through a combination of mechanical analysis and molecular-level characterization. The integration of machine-learning assisted adhesion sensing with dynamic gripping and locomotion enables safer and smarter robotic operation in adhesion joints, smart grippers and climbing robots. Demonstrations in adhesion-aware sensing, robotic grasping, and wall climbing validate the system’s practical utility, establishing a pathway toward next-generation intelligent adhesive interfaces that are both adaptive and self-perceptive.