This paper studies the problem of letting an autonomous mobile robot negotiate obstacles in an optimal manner. In particular, a multi-modal control problem is addressed, where different modes of operation control the robot at different locations in the state space. The specification of the optimal discrete event dynamics is pursued through the design of optimal, parametrized switching surfaces,...

Reversible catalysis regulation has gained much attention and traditional strategies utilized reversible ligand coordination for switching catalyst's conformations. However, it remains challenging to regulate the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticle-based catalysts. Herein, we report a new DNA nanomachine-driven reversible nano-shield strategy for circumventing this problem. The basic idea ...

We describe a new methodology that enables dynamical control of motion through modulating the friction at coating surfaces by exposing to UV light. The principle is based on reversible switching of the surface topographies of the coating by light. The coating surface transfers from flat in the dark to corrugated in the presence of UV by forming regular ridge-like line gratings. Both the static ...

The field of plasmonics has experience a renaissance in recent years by providing a large variety of new physical effects and applications. Surface plasmon polaritons, i.e. the collective electron oscillations at the interface of a metal/semiconductor and a dielectric, may bridge the gap between electronic and photonic devices, provided a fast switching mechanism is identified. Here, we demonst...

The three-component mixture showing the V-shaped switching in a rubbing cell is investigated using a temperature gradient cell (TGC) where the epitaxial method of alignment, but without an alignment layer, is used. The molecular alignment and the switching characteristics in a TGC are compared with the rubbing sandwich and the open cells. The uniform or the twisted state is observed in the TGC,...

We devised, implemented, and tested a new concept for efficient local surface chemistry that we call hierarchical hydrodynamic flow confinement (hierarchical HFC). This concept leverages the hydrodynamic shaping of multiple layers of liquid to address challenges inherent to microscale surface chemistry, such as minimal dilution, economical consumption of reagent, and fast liquid switching. We i...

Voltage-controlled spin electronics is crucial for continued progress in information technology. It aims at reduced power consumption, increased integration density and enhanced functionality where non-volatile memory is combined with high-speed logical processing. Promising spintronic device concepts use the electric control of interface and surface magnetization. From the combination of magne...

This paper investigates the almost sure H∞ sliding mode control (SMC) problem for nonlinear stochastic systems with Markovian switching and time-delays. An integral sliding surface is first constructed for the addressed system. Then, by employing the stopping time method combined with martingale inequalities, sufficient conditions are established to ensure the almost surely exponential stabilit...