With the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet-of-Things (IoT), thousands of smart devices are interconnected with each other and deeply applied into human society. This prosperity has significantly improved public service and management, which were traditionally based on manual work. As a notable scenario, librarianship has embraced an era of “Smart Libraries” enabled by AI and IoT. Unlike existing surveys, our work comprehensively overviews the AI- and IoT-based technologies in three fundamental aspects: smart service, smart sustainability, and smart security. We then further highlight the trend towards future smart libraries.

Soft robotics, renowned for its robust adaptability to complex environments, holds great promise for a wide array of applications. Among the various actuation methods, magnetic fields stand out as particularly advantageous for soft robotics due to their ability to enable remote control and their biocompatibility. Current research in magnetic soft robots primarily centers on magnetic elastomers, which possess a certain load-bearing capacity and exhibit desired motions. However, these robots often lack the adaptability required to function effectively in diverse environments. Here we introduce an untethered Magnetorheological Fluid robot (MRF robot) that employs an innovative approach by encapsulating MRF within an elastic membrane. This design not only preserves the fluidity of the MRF, thereby ensuring environmental adaptability, but also provides the MRF robots with structural integrity when exposed to magnetic fields, thereby enhancing their load-bearing capabilities. The proposed MRF robot showcases its ability to navigate through narrow tunnels, manipulate and operate soft or complex objects. These results hold significant potential for inspiring versatile applications, such as the removal of foreign objects in biological systems via remote control, thereby potentially advancing medical procedures.