The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
A computer model published in 2016 showed how a responsive gel could bend embedded, flexible fibers in two ways: heat would make them flare outward, while light would draw their tips inward to grip an object. The study described a proposed materials design—not a fabricated or commercially available gripper.
How the modeled gel gripper works
In “Embedding flexible fibers into responsive gels to create composites with controllable dexterity,” Awaneesh Singh, Olga Kuksenok, and Anna C. Balazs used computational modeling to explore a composite made from thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) gel and flexible fibers functionalized with spirobenzopyran (SP) chromophores. The fibers extend from the gel surface. The authors modeled the fibers in square or circular arrangements.
Heat bends the fibers outward
When heated above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST), the PNIPAAm gel shrinks in the model. That change bends the fibers outward, away from the gel.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteLight bends the tips inward
Illumination causes regions of the gel around the SP-functionalized fibers to collapse. The resulting local change bends the fiber tips inward. The authors proposed that this light-on configuration could grasp an object; turning off the illumination could let the fibers move back and release it.
#1 Best Overall
- 🚫 NO POWDER, NO MIXING, NO GRIT — Enjoy fiber in a smooth, ready-to-eat gel with no stirring, shaking, or water needed. No clumping powders or gritty texture. Simply enjoy it by the spoonful, spread it on toast, or mix it into yogurt and your favorite foods.
- 🌿 23G MULTI FIBER PER SERVING — Each serving provides 23g of multi fiber from psyllium husk and chicory root inulin, made into a smooth, ready-to-eat gel that’s easy to enjoy with your favorite foods.
- 🥭 DELICIOUS, FRUIT-FORWARD TASTE — Made with real fruit puree and naturally sweetened with monk fruit. Contains 0g Added Sugar and only 40 calories per serving. Vegan and keto-friendly.
- 🥄 VERSATILE & EASY TO ENJOY — Fits seamlessly into your daily routine. Enjoy it straight from the jar, mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, blend it into smoothies, or spread it on toast. A convenient, spoonable way to add more fiber to foods you already enjoy.
- 🇺🇸 MADE IN USA & CAREFULLY CRAFTED — Made in small batches in the USA with carefully selected ingredients. Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, and made without artificial colors. Refrigerate after opening and enjoy within 30 days.
What the study did—and did not—show
The result was a computationally modeled behavior and a proposed function, not a demonstrated handling device. The 2016 report in Chemistry World suggested that 3D printing might help bring such systems into reality and described refinement as future work. That is a proposal from the time, not evidence that this gripper was later fabricated, tested, or commercialized. The sources cited here do not establish its present commercial availability.
A separate idea: light-driven gel locomotion
The same Chemistry World report also discussed a different theoretical study, by L. Ren and colleagues. It modeled light pulses creating swelling and deswelling waves along a photoresponsive gel surface. Changing light intensity and wave direction could steer the gel’s travel, with snail- or earthworm-like movement as the proposed outcome.
Rank #2
- 🚫 NO POWDER, NO MIXING, NO GRIT — Enjoy fiber in a smooth, ready-to-eat gel with no stirring, shaking, or water needed. No clumping powders or gritty texture. Simply enjoy it by the spoonful, spread it on toast, or mix it into yogurt and your favorite foods.
- 🌿 23G MULTI FIBER PER SERVING — Each serving provides 23g of multi fiber from psyllium husk and chicory root inulin, made into a smooth, ready-to-eat gel that’s easy to enjoy with your favorite foods.
- 🥭 DELICIOUS, FRUIT-FORWARD TASTE — Made with real fruit puree and naturally sweetened with monk fruit. Contains 0g Added Sugar and only 40 calories per serving. Vegan and keto-friendly.
- 🥄 VERSATILE & EASY TO ENJOY — Fits seamlessly into your daily routine. Enjoy it straight from the jar, mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, blend it into smoothies, or spread it on toast. A convenient, spoonable way to add more fiber to foods you already enjoy.
- 🇺🇸 MADE IN USA & CAREFULLY CRAFTED — Made in small batches in the USA with carefully selected ingredients. Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, and made without artificial colors. Refrigerate after opening and enjoy within 30 days.
| Study | Stimulus | Modeled motion | Proposed outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singh, Kuksenok, and Balazs, Soft Matter (2016) | Heat and light | Surface fibers bend outward with heat and inward with light | Grip an object, then release it when illumination is switched off |
| Ren and colleagues, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2016) | Light pulses | Swelling and deswelling waves travel along the gel surface | Directional gel locomotion |
These are separate theoretical and computational efforts, not two versions of an available product. The gripper paper is Singh, Kuksenok, and Balazs, “Embedding flexible fibers into responsive gels to create composites with controllable dexterity”, Soft Matter 12 (2016), 9170–9184. The separate locomotion work is identified in the report by DOI 10.1002/anie.201608367.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 🚫 NO POWDER, NO MIXING, NO GRIT — Enjoy fiber in a smooth, ready-to-eat gel with no stirring, shaking, or water needed. No clumping powders or gritty texture. Simply enjoy it by the spoonful, spread it on toast, or mix it into yogurt and your favorite foods.
- 🌿 23G MULTI FIBER PER SERVING — Each serving provides 23g of multi fiber from psyllium husk and chicory root inulin, made into a smooth, ready-to-eat gel that’s easy to enjoy with your favorite foods.
- 🫐 DELICIOUS, FRUIT-FORWARD TASTE — Made with real fruit puree and naturally sweetened with monk fruit. Contains 0g Added Sugar and only 40 calories per serving. Vegan and keto-friendly.
- 🥄 VERSATILE & EASY TO ENJOY — Fits seamlessly into your daily routine. Enjoy it straight from the jar, mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, blend it into smoothies, or spread it on toast. A convenient, spoonable way to add more fiber to foods you already enjoy.
- 🇺🇸 MADE IN USA & CAREFULLY CRAFTED — Made in small batches in the USA with carefully selected ingredients. Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, and made without artificial colors. Refrigerate after opening and enjoy within 30 days.
Rank #4
- 🚫 NO POWDER, NO MIXING, NO GRIT — Enjoy fiber in a smooth, ready-to-eat gel with no stirring, shaking, or water needed. No clumping powders or gritty texture. Simply enjoy it by the spoonful, spread it on toast, or mix it into yogurt and your favorite foods.
- 🌿 23G MULTI FIBER PER SERVING — Each serving provides 23g of multi fiber from psyllium husk and chicory root inulin, made into a smooth, ready-to-eat gel that’s easy to enjoy with your favorite foods.
- 🍌 DELICIOUS, FRUIT-FORWARD TASTE — Made with real fruit puree and naturally sweetened with monk fruit. Contains 0g Added Sugar and only 40 calories per serving. Vegan and keto-friendly.
- 🥄 VERSATILE & EASY TO ENJOY — Fits seamlessly into your daily routine. Enjoy it straight from the jar, mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, blend it into smoothies, or spread it on toast. A convenient, spoonable way to add more fiber to foods you already enjoy.
- 🇺🇸 MADE IN USA & CAREFULLY CRAFTED — Made in small batches in the USA with carefully selected ingredients. Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, and made without artificial colors. Refrigerate after opening and enjoy within 30 days.
Rank #3
- 🚫 NO POWDER, NO MIXING, NO GRIT — Enjoy fiber in a smooth, ready-to-eat gel with no stirring, shaking, or water needed. No clumping powders or gritty texture. Simply enjoy it by the spoonful, spread it on toast, or mix it into yogurt and your favorite foods.
- 🌿 23G MULTI FIBER PER SERVING — Each serving provides 23g of multi fiber from psyllium husk and chicory root inulin, made into a smooth, ready-to-eat gel that’s easy to enjoy with your favorite foods.
- 🫐 DELICIOUS, FRUIT-FORWARD TASTE — Made with real fruit puree and naturally sweetened with monk fruit. Contains 0g Added Sugar and only 40 calories per serving. Vegan and keto-friendly.
- 🥄 VERSATILE & EASY TO ENJOY — Fits seamlessly into your daily routine. Enjoy it straight from the jar, mix it into yogurt or oatmeal, blend it into smoothies, or spread it on toast. A convenient, spoonable way to add more fiber to foods you already enjoy.
- 🇺🇸 MADE IN USA & CAREFULLY CRAFTED — Made in small batches in the USA with carefully selected ingredients. Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, and made without artificial colors. Refrigerate after opening and enjoy within 30 days.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.
