Abstract Intelligent control of friction is an attractive but challenging topic and it has rarely been investigated for full size engineering applications. In this work. it is instigated if it would be possible to adjust friction by controlling viscosity in a lubricated contact. By exploiting the ability to adjust the viscosity of the switchable ionic liquids. https://foldlyers.shop/product-category/usb-type-c-hubs-and-card-readers/