Soft actuators for real-world applications

Nature Reviews Materials, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 7(3), P. 235 - 249

Published: Nov. 10, 2021

Language: Английский

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Magnetic Soft Materials and Robots

Chemical Reviews, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 122(5), P. 5317 - 5364

Published: Feb. 1, 2022

In conventional classification, soft robots feature mechanical compliance as the main distinguishing factor from traditional made of rigid materials. Recent advances in functional materials have facilitated emergence a new class capable tether-free actuation response to external stimuli such heat, light, solvent, or electric magnetic field. Among various types stimuli-responsive materials, shown remarkable progress their design and fabrication, leading development with unique advantages potential for many important applications. However, field is still its infancy requires further advancements terms principles, fabrication methods, control mechanisms, sensing modalities. Successful future would require comprehensive understanding fundamental principle actuation, well physical properties behavior this review, we discuss recent modeling simulation, robots. We then give set guidelines optimal performance Lastly, summarize biomedical applications provide our perspectives on next-generation

Language: Английский

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Voxelated three-dimensional miniature magnetic soft machines via multimaterial heterogeneous assembly

Science Robotics, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 6(53)

Published: April 28, 2021

Complex 3D miniature wireless soft machines for biomedical applications were fabricated with a heterogeneous integration approach.

Language: Английский

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Liquid Crystal Elastomer‐Based Magnetic Composite Films for Reconfigurable Shape‐Morphing Soft Miniature Machines

Advanced Materials, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 33(8)

Published: Jan. 14, 2021

Stimuli-responsive and active materials promise radical advances for many applications. In particular, soft magnetic offer precise, fast, wireless actuation together with versatile functionality, while liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are capable of large reversible programmable shape-morphing high work densities in response to various environmental stimuli, e.g., temperature, light, chemical solutions. Integrating the orthogonal stimuli-responsiveness these two kinds could potentially enable new functionalities future Here, microparticles (MMPs) embedded into an LCE film take respective advantages both without compromising their independent stimuli-responsiveness. This composite material enables reconfigurable miniature machines that can self-adapt a changing environment. robot autonomously alter its locomotion mode when it moves from air hot liquid, vine-like filament sense twine around support, light-switchable spring demonstrated. The integration LCEs MMPs monolithic structures introduces dimension design thus greatly enhances use applications complex environments, especially robots, which self-adaptable changes being remotely controllable.

Language: Английский

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Multi-functional liquid crystal elastomer composites

Applied Physics Reviews, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(1)

Published: Jan. 3, 2022

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), owing to their intrinsic anisotropic property and capability of generating programmable complex morphologies under heat, have been widely used for applications ranging from soft robotics, photonic devices, cell culture, tissue engineering. To fulfill the various circumstances, high actuation efficiency, mechanical strength, large heat electrical conductivity, or responses multiple stimuli are required. Therefore, design fabrication LCE composites a promising strategy enhanced physical properties offer additional LCEs such as light, electric, magnetic fields. In this review, we focus on recent advances in composites, where defined elastomeric materials broader context. Classic with metallic nanoparticles, particles, liquid metal, carbon nanotubes, graphene its derivative, black, cellulose nanocrystals within polymer network can provide unique anisotropy will be discussed. We conclude challenges future research opportunities.

Language: Английский

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Recent advances in hard-magnetic soft composites: Synthesis, characterisation, computational modelling, and applications

Composite Structures, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 279, P. 114800 - 114800

Published: Oct. 19, 2021

Hard-magnetic soft composites consist of magneto-active polymers (MAPs) where the fillers are composed hard-magnetic (magnetically polarised) particles. These novel multifunctional materials experiencing a great advance from last few years. This rise has been motivated by possibility controlling ferromagnetic patterns during manufacturing process. Thus, structures with programmable functionalities can be conceptualised and implemented, opening new routes into design smart components opportunities in biomedical engineering robotics fields. In this work, we provide an overview state art such MAPs, providing key fundamentals reference works. To end, present current synthesis experimental characterisation methods, different computational modelling approaches across scales, detailed presentation their potential applications. Finally, overall discussion on future perspectives.

Language: Английский

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3D‐Printed Photoresponsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer Composites for Free‐Form Actuation

Advanced Functional Materials, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 33(4)

Published: Nov. 11, 2022

Abstract Direct ink writing of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) offers a new opportunity to program geometries for wide variety shape transformation modes toward applications such as soft robotics. So far, most 3D‐printed LCEs are thermally actuated. Herein, 3D‐printable photoresponsive gold nanorod (AuNR)/LCE composite is developed, allowing photothermal actuation the structures with AuNR low 0.1 wt.%. It shown that printed filament has superior response 27% strain upon irradiation near‐infrared (NIR) light (808 nm) at 1.4 W cm −2 (corresponding 160 °C) under optimal printing conditions. The can be globally or locally actuated into different shapes by controlling area exposed NIR laser. Taking advantage customized enabled 3D and ability control light, light‐responsive robot demonstrated climb on ratchet surface maximum speed 0.284 mm s −1 (on flat surface) 0.216 30° titled surface), respectively, corresponding 0.428 0.324 body length per min, large mass (0.23 g) thickness (1 mm).

Language: Английский

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Locally controllable magnetic soft actuators with reprogrammable contraction-derived motions

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 8(25)

Published: June 24, 2022

Reprogrammable magneto-responsive soft actuators capable of working in enclosed and confined spaces adapting functions under changing situations are highly demanded for new-generation smart devices. Despite the promising prospect, realization versatile morphing modes (more than bending) local magnetic control remains challenging but is crucial further on-demand applications. Here, we address challenges by maximizing unexplored potential magnetothermal responsiveness covalent adaptable networks (CANs) liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs). Various magneto-actuated contraction-derived motions that were hard to achieve previously (e.g., bidirectional shrinkage dynamic 3D patterns) can be attained, reprogrammed, assembled seamlessly endow functional diversity complexity. By integration LCEs with different threshold values, sequential readily realized. Many actuation portfolios performed rationally imputing “logic switch” sequences. Meanwhile, our systems exhibit additional favorable performances including stepwise controllability, multiresponsiveness, self-healing, remolding ability.

Language: Английский

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Advances in 4D printing of liquid crystalline elastomers: materials, techniques, and applications

Materials Horizons, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 9(7), P. 1825 - 1849

Published: Jan. 1, 2022

We review recent advances in 4D printing of LCEs, with emphasis on synthesis and processing methods that enable microscopic changes the molecular orientation hence macroscopic properties printed objects.

Language: Английский

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Recent Advances in 4D Printing of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

Advanced Materials, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 35(23)

Published: Dec. 3, 2022

Liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) are renowned for their large, reversible, and anisotropic shape change in response to various external stimuli due lightly cross-linked polymer networks with an oriented mesogen direction, thus showing great potential applications robotics, bio-medics, electronics, optics, energy. To fully take advantage of the stimuli-responsive behaviors LCEs, it is preferable achieve a locally controlled alignment into monodomain orientations. In recent years, application 4D printing LCEs opens new doors simultaneously programming 3D geometry, offering more opportunities higher feasibility fabrication 4D-printed LCE objects desirable properties. Here, state-of-the-art advances reviewed, emphasis on both mechanisms applications. First, fundamental properties working principles representative techniques briefly introduced. Then, by advantages over conventional manufacturing methods demonstrated. Finally, perspectives current challenges development trends toward discussed, which may shed light future research directions this field.

Language: Английский

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