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Reprogrammable shape morphing of magnetic soft machines
Yunus Alapan1, Alp C Karacakol1,2, Seyda N Guzelhan1
1Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Science Advances
|September 19, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed a new heat-assisted magnetic programming method for soft machines. This technique allows for rapid, reprogrammable 3D magnetization, enabling advanced applications in medicine and robotics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Robotics
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Magnetic soft machines offer great potential for applications in medicine, wearables, and robotics.
- Current magnetic programming methods are limited by sequential fabrication, hindering reprogrammability and high-throughput production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel, high-throughput magnetic programming strategy for soft materials.
- To enable reprogrammable, three-dimensional magnetization with high spatial resolution.
Main Methods:
- Heating magnetic soft materials above the Curie temperature.
- Reorienting magnetic domains using applied magnetic fields during cooling.
- Demonstrating reprogrammable magnetization with spatial resolution of ~38 micrometers.
Main Results:
- Achieved discrete, 3D, and reprogrammable magnetization.
- Demonstrated reconfigurable mechanical behavior in auxetic metamaterials.
- Showcased tunable locomotion in surface-walking robots and adaptive grasping in soft grippers.
- Enabled high-throughput programming (up to 10 samples/min) via contact transfer.
Conclusions:
- The heat-assisted magnetic programming strategy provides a rich design space for soft machines.
- This approach facilitates mass-manufacturing capabilities for multiscale and reprogrammable soft machines.
- The developed method overcomes limitations of sequential fabrication, enabling advanced functionalities.
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