The familiar heat, wear and general grinding to a halt of friction are all caused by what's going on at the microscopic level when two things rub. And down there, even the smoothest surfaces usually ...

1.1 What is friction? Take this everyday example: when a coffee mug rests on a flat table, the kinetic frictional force is zero. There is no force trying to move the mug across the table, so there is ...

Electrically tunable ionic hydrogels use small voltages to switch friction at metal contacts between high-friction and ultra-low-friction states, enabling voltage-programmed grip, release and motion ...

In manufacturing, not all losses are loud. Some happen quietly, every second, in the background. Friction is one of them. Each time two parts move, whether turning, sliding or rolling, energy is lost.