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Area of Science:

  • Soft robotics
  • Bionic actuation
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Natural locomotion provides inspiration for developing advanced soft actuators.
  • Existing soft actuators often require complex control mechanisms or lack precise manipulation capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To fabricate a bionic light-driven swimming soft robot capable of grasping and transferring tiny objects.
  • To explore the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to impart light-responsive properties to temperature-sensitive hydrogels.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of a composite hydrogel incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
  • Utilizing a xenon light source to control the robot's swimming motion (fish tail oscillation) and micromanipulator grasping.
  • Employing a near-infrared (NIR) laser to control the bending of a bionic arm, altering the micromanipulator's position and posture.

Main Results:

  • The CNT-infused hydrogel exhibited light-controlled volume changes, mimicking muscle contraction and expansion.
  • The soft robot successfully performed grasping of tiny objects and object transfer tasks.
  • Precise control over the micromanipulator's spatial position and posture was achieved using light irradiation.

Conclusions:

  • The developed light-driven soft robot demonstrates a feasible approach for miniaturized fabrication of flexible actuators.
  • This study offers significant insights into the design and application of light-driven microrobots and flexible actuators.
  • The bionic design effectively translates light stimuli into complex mechanical actions for manipulation.