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Seamless multimaterial 3D liquid-crystalline elastomer actuators for next-generation entirely soft robots
Yubai Zhang1, Zhenhua Wang1, Yang Yang1
1MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Science Advances
|March 12, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to create seamless, multicomponent soft robots from liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs). This technique allows for the welding and alignment of different LCE materials, enabling complex 3D structures for advanced soft robotics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Robotics
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are promising soft actuators for soft robotics.
- Integrating multiple components into a single soft robot body is challenging for achieving high dexterity and complex functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for creating seamless, multicomponent, three-dimensional (3D) LCE robots.
- To enable the integration of LCE materials with diverse chemical compositions and physical properties into a single robot structure.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous welding and aligning of preformed LCE films with reactive acrylate groups via thermal polymerization.
- Fabrication of arbitrary 3D geometries without the need for additional adhesives like tapes or glues.
Main Results:
- Successfully created seamless multicomponent/multimaterial 3D LCE robots.
- Demonstrated robust fabrication of complex geometries with stable, reversible actuations and multifunctionalities.
Conclusions:
- The developed thermal polymerization method offers a facile and robust approach for fabricating advanced LCE soft robots.
- This technique significantly expands the possibilities for the design, application, and manufacturing of LCE-based soft robotic systems.
