A Light-Powered Liquid Crystal Elastomer Roller

Achieving and controlling the desired movements of active machines is generally accomplished through precise control of artificial muscles in a distributed and serialized manner, which is a significant challenge. The emerging motion control strategy based on self-oscillation in active machines has unique advantages, including directly harvesting energy from constant ambient light, and it has no need for complex controllers. Inspired by the roller, we have innovatively developed a self-rolling roller that consists of a roller and a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fiber. By utilizing a well-established dynamic LCE model and subjecting it to constant illumination, we have investigated the dynamic behavior of the self-rolling roller. Based on numerical calculations, it has been discovered that the roller, when subjected to steady illumination, exhibits two distinct motion regimes: the static regime and the self-rolling regime. The self-rolling regime, characterized by continuous periodic rolling, is sustained by the interaction between light energy and damping dissipation. The continuous periodic rolling observed in the self-rolling regime is maintained through the interplay between the dissipation of damping and the absorption of light energy. In the static state, the rolling angle of the roller begins to decrease rapidly and then converges to zero. Detailed investigations have been conducted to determine the critical conditions required to initiate self-rolling, as well as the essential system parameters that influence its frequency and amplitude. The proposed self-rolling roller has superiorities in its simple structure, light weight, alternative to manual labor, and speediness. This advancement is expected to inspire greater design diversity in micromachines, soft robotics, energy harvesters, and similar areas.