Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Reactive Inkjet Printing and Propulsion Analysis of Silk-based Self-propelled Micro-stirrers

Reactive Inkjet Printing and Propulsion Analysis of Silk-based Self-propelled Micro-stirrers

Published on: April 26, 2019

Chinese ink: a programmable, dual-responsive and self-sensing actuator using a healing-assembling method.

Jian Lin^1,2,3, Peidi Zhou^1,2,3, Zhiyuan Wen^1,2

¹Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Quantum Manipulation and New Energy Materials, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, China. ChenLZ@fjnu.edu.cn.

|November 30, 2021

Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Amphibious Soft Robots Based on Programmable Actuators Fabricated by Brushing Chinese Ink on Paper.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2025

Same author

Electricity-Driven Strategies for Bioinspired Multifunctional Swimming Marangoni Robots Based on Super-Aligned Carbon Nanotube Composites.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2024

Same author

"Sweat-Driven" MXene Composites with Energy-Storage and Thermal-Management Multifunctions: A Platform for Versatile Electronic Skins.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2023

Same author

A PEDOT:PSS/MXene-based actuator with self-powered sensing function by incorporating a photo-thermoelectric generator.

RSC advances·2023

Same author

Pencil-Drawn Generator Built-in Actuator for Integrated Self-Powered/Visual Dual-Mode Sensing Functions and Rewritable Display.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2023

Same author

Pressure-Perceptive Actuators for Tactile Soft Robots and Visual Logic Devices.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2021

This summary is machine-generated.

Chinese ink and graphene oxide create programmable, self-healing, and self-sensing actuators. This novel material offers dual responsiveness and complex shape-morphing for advanced soft robotics and bionic devices.

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Robotics
Nanotechnology

Background:

Actuators are crucial for soft robotics and bionic devices.
Healability enhances actuator lifespan and programmability.
Integrating multi-functionality (responsiveness, shape-morphing, healing, self-sensing) into a single material is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop programmable, dual-responsive, and self-sensing actuators using Chinese ink.
To explore the healing and assembling capabilities of these actuators.
To demonstrate advanced functionalities and biomimetic applications.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of a double-layer ink/graphene oxide (GO) actuator.
Utilizing a healing-assembling method for structural complexity.

More Related Videos

Planar and Three-Dimensional Printing of Conductive Inks

Planar and Three-Dimensional Printing of Conductive Inks

Published on: December 9, 2011

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1

Published on: July 11, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Reactive Inkjet Printing and Propulsion Analysis of Silk-based Self-propelled Micro-stirrers

Reactive Inkjet Printing and Propulsion Analysis of Silk-based Self-propelled Micro-stirrers

Published on: April 26, 2019

Planar and Three-Dimensional Printing of Conductive Inks

Planar and Three-Dimensional Printing of Conductive Inks

Published on: December 9, 2011

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1

Cardiac Muscle-cell Based Actuator and Self-stabilizing Biorobot - PART 1

Published on: July 11, 2017

Investigating bi-directional bending under near-infrared light and humidity.

Assessing self-sensing capabilities via thermoresistivity.

Main Results:

The ink/GO actuator exhibits bi-directional bending (max curvature 5.2 cm⁻¹).
The actuator demonstrates efficient self-healing using ink solution.
Complex 3D structures (Mobius ring, rings) and deformations (wavy, saddle) were achieved.
A biomimetic artificial mimosa with stimulus-responsive behavior was constructed.
Self-sensing functionality was confirmed.

Conclusions:

Chinese ink is a promising material for multi-functional actuators.
The healing-assembling method enables programmable shape-morphing and complex structures.
These actuators hold potential for smart materials and next-generation devices.